My way to tie an FG knot
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Category: Saltwater Fishing
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URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=128731
Printed Date: 02 Feb 2026 at 6:31pm
Topic: My way to tie an FG knot
Posted By: coxie
Subject: My way to tie an FG knot
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2018 at 7:34am
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Thought I would do a video on how I tie an FG knot. The FG is strong, streamlined and easy to tie aswell once you are used to it! |
Replies:
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2018 at 8:20am
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Couple notes.
In the rod holder yes, and get much more tension on the braid... can hold end rapping around little finger or better still drag on and a loop in the end of the brad around the reel handle..or foot.Very much depends if in the shed, lounge or on the boat, kayak or ski. Very important, after each figure of 8 of the trace around the braid, pull up.. at most 2 figure of 8s Braid doesnt pull up well with consecutive twists or hitches. This is the most common reason ppl have issues with knot failures in braid. I go more than 2 figure of 8, the 'plating' doesnt lay as even up the trace, pulling doesnt make them lay up well.. If using very light trace, you will stretch and weaken it excessively trying to get the plat to lay even The finish..once the 1st 1/2 hitch, like a bimini, the knot is 'set' The following hitches/ finish knots are simply to stop the hitches slipping loose as they dont have tension on them to hold tight... again same applies to the bimini. |
Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2018 at 9:45am
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Good work, Coxie. I'm interested in what appears to be the two main ways of finishing this knot, which are totally different in the way that the crucial tightening is done. Your way (Briggsy off Morningtide also has a good video of this version) with the Rizzuto leaves all the tightening to the end, and leaves the tag of the leader exposed a little bit (as cutting that off is the last thing you do). The other way features two half hitches straight behind the last plait, at which point you can let go of everything (not before). Then a very hard pull of the leader end and the mainline, which is the crucial factor which stops that version slipping. The leader tag end is cut off at that point, as close to the braid as possible, so if you haven't tightened the mainline down onto the leader properly, the braid will slip over leader tag. They then do a number of extra half hitches with the braid tag, basically covering the end of the leader under half hitches - which presumably stops it catching on rod guides etc. Saltstrong has a good video [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjzUb5QRKuk%5d" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjzUb5QRKuk] I think the Rizzuto is neater with heavier braid, I find it harder to get neat wraps side by side with light braid. And I've definitely found plaiting under tension works better for me than the loose wrap version of plaiting on the video by Nathan from Big Angry Fish. |
Posted By: waynorth
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2018 at 10:35am
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Nice one coxie - I start by putting a granny knot in the end of the braid - makes it easier to hold in your teeth (and talk at the same time), and like TTK I prefer to do the weaves under tension. I also tie just a single half hitch around both the leader and braid before tightening - you really only want to stop the weave from coming undone. 2 half hitches (done in the same direction) make a clove hitch, and if you pull it too tight, the clove hitch can lock and take all the weight when you try to tighten the FG weaves. A second half hitch after tightening locks the whole thing, and a Rizzuto finishes it off nicely. Make sure you pull the Rizzuto up really tight so it doesn't come undone. Like probably everyone I was pretty nervous about cutting the leader tag off right next to the knot (before the Rizzuto), but if you have tightened everything properly, it really won't move, and the shorter the tag the less chance of it catching on the rod guides.
------------- treat fish like fish |
Posted By: NZWest
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2018 at 1:13pm
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There is an American guy on YTube that ties a "easy FG" I've used it and my god its easy to tie and no tension required. I've caught some good snapper on it and no issues at all, so far :D haha. Cant see this vid on work computer but I'm sure Coxie has it dialled like most of his vids. ------------- "Think like a fish" |
Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2018 at 1:17pm
Good tip on the single half 'holding' half hitch before tightening Waynorth. I'll try that. So you still leave cutting the leader until after the Rizzuto. Ever tried trimming the leader tag after the second initial half hitch, THEN tying the Rizzuto?
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waynorth wrote:Posted By: waynorth
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2018 at 1:32pm
Yes that's how I do it - perhaps not clear from my wording. ------------- treat fish like fish |
Posted By: Big Manly Yaka
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2018 at 2:04pm
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Yep Tamure thats how I do it too, 1 half hitch to hold plaits, trim leader then half hitches (alt direction) over and past the leader tag end before Rizzuto. Gets a bit tricky on a bobbing kayak, but still the best knot for braid to fluro. Often wondered if the knot needs to change for light lines vs heavy lines? I always do about 20 plaits (on light line 10-15lb braid) like yours Coxie, but on BAF he didn't do that many on his heavier setup.
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Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2018 at 7:21pm
good one, I think it was my poor reading in this case, not your wording!! Good to have another slight improvement learned from this thread. The tightening straight after the securing half hitch makes more sense to me in terms of getting the braid to bite into the leader, than waiting until the end. As does covering the end of the leader with some braid wraps. But at the end of the day, it's about trusting your system and Coxie's obviously got it sussed his way. I started out using an Albright knot for soft baiting and my early attempts at top water and it was a disaster for me, to the point where I kind of half cringed every cast, wondering if the knot I could hear whacking through the guides was going to blast apart - as it did a few times before I hunted out the FG.
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Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2018 at 8:34pm
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Rather than hold the end in my teeth I just tie a loop in the braid and hook it over the reel handle so the braid has a little tension on it. Rest is as per Coxies effort. Great knot and simple to tie. It's not too time consuming either if you are in a good frame of mind :) ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2018 at 6:36pm
Thats the version use - on 80lb braid/mono. Simple, never had it fail, even on marlin. Alan ------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Polar_Kiwis
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2018 at 1:35pm
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Any advice on doing FG on lighter line? Can it be done on 1PE and 16lb floro? I am comfortable doing FG on 15kg braid etc. I usually just do a 5 turn surgeon. But some times it doesn't cast so well through small rod eyes. Maybe an FG might be better. Whats your experience with lighter lines? ------------- Here fishy, fishy fishy.... Nom, nom, nom |
Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 11:56am
I've had no problem, as long as you tighten up correctly (though see below). I use various braids - Tasline, Varivas, and YGK, in that PE 0.8-1 range for soft baiting, with 15lb or 20lb fluoro. I had one week-long trip where I was using the non-tension method (lightly wrapping the braid over and under the leader before pulling tight after every 4-5 wraps) and the whole thing kept slipping when I went to tighten. Not sure if it was the particular leader (15lb Berkley Vanish), or what, or if I was suddenly doing something wrong. But the braid wasn't biting down. So I learned the method of tying the FG with the braid under tension, and no problems ever since.
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Posted By: NZWest
Date Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 11:59am
I use this on 20lb FC to Braid.
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