Knot guide · Advanced

FG Knot: How to Tie It

The FG knot joins braided mainline to a fluorocarbon or mono leader, mostly in lure fishing, and it is the slimmest, strongest braid to leader join going. The weave bites into the leader in a herringbone pattern and sails through rod rings without the clack you get from bulkier joins.

Braid to fluorocarbon leadersBraid to mono leadersLure fishingCasting through rod rings

Published by the GilledIt editorial team · Last reviewed 2026-07-07 · Part of the fishing knot library

Step by step

How to tie the fg knot

  1. 1

    Put the braid under tension

    Keep the braid under tension while you work: hold it in your teeth or wrap it around a finger.

  2. 2

    Weave the herringbone

    Lay the leader against the braid and weave the braid over and under the leader in alternating wraps, around 15 to 20 in total, so the braid bites into the leader in a herringbone pattern.

  3. 3

    Lock the wraps

    Lock the wraps in place with two or three half hitches of braid around both lines.

  4. 4

    Trim and finish the hitches

    Trim the leader tag close, then finish with a few more half hitches over the braid alone.

  5. 5

    Bed it down

    Wet the knot and bed everything down with a firm, steady pull. A properly seated FG visibly bites into the leader and will not slide.

Two rules apply to every knot: wet it with saliva before pulling it tight, because dry friction weakens mono and fluorocarbon at the exact point you need strength, and tighten slowly, then test with a firm pull before you cast.

How strong is it?

Retains around 90 to 95% of the braid's strength. Exact figures vary with line type, diameter and how well the knot is tied, so treat any percentage as a guide, not a guarantee.

When to use the fg knot

Joining braided mainline to a fluorocarbon or mono leader, especially in lure fishing where the join must pass through the rod rings on every cast. Practise it at home five or six times before you trust it on the bank; the double grinner is the fallback while you learn.

FG Knot: common questions

It is the strongest mainstream choice, retaining around 90 to 95% of the braid's strength while staying slimmer than any comparable join. Its profile is the other half of the appeal: it passes through rod rings cleanly, which matters when the join is inside the rings on every cast.

Almost always because the braid was not kept under tension during the weave, so the wraps never bit into the leader, or because the locking half hitches were skipped or loose. Test every FG before fishing: pull hard on braid and leader, and a properly seated knot visibly bites into the leader and will not slide.

Around 15 to 20 alternating over and under wraps, so the braid forms a herringbone pattern that bites into the leader, then two or three half hitches around both lines to lock it, and a few more over the braid alone to finish.

The double grinner (uni to uni). It is quicker to learn, very reliable, and gives up little in practice, though it is bulkier through the rings. Many anglers fish the double grinner while they practise the FG at home, then switch once they can seat it consistently.

Keep learning

Related knots

Grinner Knot (Uni Knot)

Hooks, swivels and leads on any line type, especially when you need a dependable knot tied by feel in the dark or in heavy mono. Tie two grinners facing each other on overlapping lines and you have the double grinner, a sensible alternative to the FG knot for joining braid to a leader.

Read the guide

Albright Knot

Joining lines of clearly different diameters: braid to a thick mono or fluorocarbon shock leader for distance casting, or backing to a fly line. For lines of similar diameter, a double grinner or surgeon's knot is the simpler choice.

Read the guide

Surgeon's Knot

Joining two lines of similar diameter quickly, attaching tippet to a fly leader, or building a paternoster link, especially mid session when speed matters. It is bulkier than a blood knot and sits slightly off axis, so it is not the join for repeated casting through small rings.

Read the guide

For all ten knots in one long read, see the fishing knots guide, or browse the full knot library. Ready to put it to work? The carp rig library shows what to tie next.

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