# FG knot



## c hook

So a couple years back I learned the FG knot, the problem I encountered was after casting for a while the tag end of the knot would get messed up from the repeated friction/rubbing of the eyes. It wouldn't stay tight and clean. I tied a couple hitch knots after cutting the braid to hide the mono. Anyone use it ?


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## castaway300

*Fg*

I do no less than 6 half hitches to cover up the little stub end when I'm done.
Seems to help.


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## Black Dog

This is the knot I've been using for a couple of years and tie about 4~5 hitches. I also try to cut the tag at an angle. I haven't had any problems.


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## habanerojooz

I alternate each of my cross hitches. I also use 5-6 cross hitches to cover the stub, with the last cross hitch having 1 or 2 extra wraps before pulling it shut. If you're picky about it, there is a product you buy for knots that is used to paint over the knot and seal it. A little wipe of super glue over the tag end area helps reduce that too.

Little lagniappe....

- I purchased little fist sized 1 lb rubber coated dumb bell exercise weights from the weights section at Academy. I think ladies use them during aerobics. Buy two dumb bells. Use them to wrap braid and your leader around when you pull to tension the FG knot. This saves the hands and fingers from cuts. Line tensioners from Australia cost about ~$80 online. These dumb bells cost only a few bucks. Be careful, as you can actually apply too much tension and break the leader. I use 30# braid and 20# fluoro leaders. Normally, you can't apply this much pressure without cutting your hands. I've had breaks occur during tensioning several times. Each tie, the leader breaks first and the knot holds up.

- Use a safety pin to help tie FG knots. Tie your braid to the back end of a safety pin. Attach the safety pin to your clothing to anchor the line while you do the cross hatches with the leader material. I attach the pin to a belt loop and I step back or forward to manage the braid's tension. I use 11-13 cross hatches. Undo the pin from your clothing and keep it tied to the braid and use the weight of the safety pin to help you tie your half hitches quicker.


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## c hook

*following this guy's instuctions*






not having a problem tying the knot, the tag end gets messed up after going thru the eyes a couple times.


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## c hook

*1/2 dozen hitch knots still feathers up*

tried using more hitches n no luck. can I ask a favor please, one of you guys tie the knot and video yourself pulling your thumb and forefinger with pressure against the tag end a dozen times. I'd want to witness it, because then I'd like to learn the knots secret. If I can get it right, it will be my go to knot for attaching mono leader. I'm using 8dia/30lb Power Pro super slick 8, and 20lb mono. Thanks in advance.


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## tngbmt

i usually have a loop on the end of the braid (insert pencil into loop to pull), this helps in tightening each half hitch and the rizzuto
i'll test pull the knot (max line break or max drag) and tighten the half hitch until the fg doesnt not move. then a 6 turn rizzuto (pull tight) to finish the fg before i trim the lines


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## copano_son

Check out the Tom Collins knot on YouTube!


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## Gilbert

use this one. I had the same issue with just the regular fg knot till someone showed me to do it this way.


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## c hook

*the ticket*



copano_son said:


> Check out the Tom Collins knot on YouTube!


cool knot but twice the diameter of the Fg.

Thanks tngbmt. The FG with the Rizzuto did the trick. I'll be using this knot exclusively for joining my leaders to braid. The Rizzuto knot locks in the opposite direction as the FG, and the tag end is buried in the middle of the knot so the guides can't unravel, move the knot, or feather the tag end. Exactly what I've been looking for. Slimmest, strongest knot for joining leader to braid.


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## c hook

*utube*

FG Knot With Rizzuto Finish Lock, Smallest & Strongest Braid to Leader Knot

by blueparay pub nov 3, 2017

the utube videos are blank on my computer, is this new??

this is the knot I was impressed with.


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## walkinwader

I fK ct gzdfz s

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk


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## Permit Rat

I think I said this before in another post on the FG knot......but why don't you guys try a Huffnagle knot? It's been around for decades. It is MUCH faster to tie and uses the same "Rizzuto" finish that y'all are so crazy about (and with good reason). The Rizzuto finish has been around for about 40 years, back when I learned how to tie the Huffnagle. It is better described as a whip finish, as literally this is what you are doing. So this guy Rizzuto really didn't invent anything.


For the rest of you guys who are having issues with fraying tag ends, noisy knots, etc., Loon Products makes a compound called "Knot Sense," a clear polymer-like material that can be used to coat the knot, covering the tag ends and all. It's a little pricey, so those on a tight budget can also buy a tube of Pliobond rubber cement and this will do the same thing, except you'll have a knot with a brown coating on it. I think in Texas, you'd do fine with the latter, because we don't have the toothy critters here that prevail in Florida waters. Plus, you're mostly using it on a knot that connects a visible braid to clear mono.


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## c hook

*Not slim*



permit rat said:


> i think i said this before in another post on the fg knot......but why don't you guys try a huffnagle knot? It's been around for decades. It is much faster to tie and uses the same "rizzuto" finish that y'all are so crazy about (and with good reason). The rizzuto finish has been around for about 40 years, back when i learned how to tie the huffnagle. It is better described as a whip finish, as literally this is what you are doing. So this guy rizzuto really didn't invent anything.
> 
> For the rest of you guys who are having issues with fraying tag ends, noisy knots, etc., loon products makes a compound called "knot sense," a clear polymer-like material that can be used to coat the knot, covering the tag ends and all. It's a little pricey, so those on a tight budget can also buy a tube of pliobond rubber cement and this will do the same thing, except you'll have a knot with a brown coating on it. I think in texas, you'd do fine with the latter, because we don't have the toothy critters here that prevail in florida waters. Plus, you're mostly using it on a knot that connects a visible braid to clear mono.


permit rat looks like an easy knot, but there is nothing slim about it. That's the only reason for the fg, slim for casting through eyes.


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## Permit Rat

Right......but I'll bet the photo of the knot that you saw, was using 60-80 lb. mono as the leader material. The Huffnagle and Slim Beauty knots were both originally designed for fly fishing leaders and the connections of the heavy shock tippets for tarpon. Using either one of these knots, maximized the amount of heavy leader material you could use and still remain within the IGFA parameters for fly fishing. Today this is not nearly as important and you can use a leader as long as you like.


More to the point is that the smaller diameters of 20 and 30 lb. mono will make a significantly smaller knot. Hell, my main lines are always mono, so I simply use a surgeon's knot to connect my leaders, and have never had a problem (to date at least) with the knot catching in the guides. That said, my rods also have slightly larger guide and tip top diameters, I guess due to the fact that they are Florida holdovers and in Florida, we use the larger diameter guides/tip tops for the exact reason of being able to pass the knots tied with light line to larger diameter leader materials.


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## habanerojooz

For me, the size of the knot isn't the main issue as much as whether the knot has a 'shoulder' or 'bump' in it.

I use 20# or 30# braid with 15# or 20# leaders. I tie arm span length leaders and my knots run through all of the guides on every cast. The FG knot is very very slim and lacks any transitional hump or bump in the knot. The FG knot is the only knot I've found so far that satisfies my requirements of knot strength and 'no rod eye pop'.

I looked at the Huffnagle and Slim Beauty knots. I can tell from their builds, that both of those knots will have shoulders, bumps, or friction points that I will not like. The Huffnagle looks especially problematic.


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## c hook

*point well made*



habanerojooz said:


> For me, the size of the knot isn't the main issue as much as whether the knot has a 'shoulder' or 'bump' in it.
> 
> I use 20# or 30# braid with 15# or 20# leaders. I tie arm span length leaders and my knots run through all of the guides on every cast. The FG knot is very very slim and lacks any transitional hump or bump in the knot. The FG knot is the only knot I've found so far that satisfies my requirements of knot strength and 'no rod eye pop'.
> 
> I looked at the Huffnagle and Slim Beauty knots. I can tell from their builds, that both of those knots will have shoulders, bumps, or friction points that I will not like. The Huffnagle looks especially problematic.


I've perfected the FG/Rizzuto finish, and really like it. I use a four or five foot 20lb mono leader attached to 8/30 braid, this way I can cut and retie multiple times while wading and still have plenty of leader for fishing.


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## photofishin

For those of you who tie the FG knot, you do know you have to pull it extremely tight to make it lock correctly. I've seen a few videos of Japanese fishermen using dowels they sell in Japan specifically for this purpose. They sell for around $60 American. I built some myself using wooden dowels and rod shrink wrap and they work fantastic. Cost- about $5 for a 1 1/8 dowel about 3 feet long and about $4 for 36 inches of rod handle shrink wrap. To use, after you've ted the knot, wrap the tag end of the braid around one dowel a few times and the main end of the braid around the other and pull. The larger diameter dowel and the rubber do not damage the braid this way.


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## c hook

*cool*



photofishin said:


> For those of you who tie the FG knot, you do know you have to pull it extremely tight to make it lock correctly. I've seen a few videos of Japanese fishermen using dowels they sell in Japan specifically for this purpose. They sell for around $60 American. I built some myself using wooden dowels and rod shrink wrap and they work fantastic. Cost- about $5 for a 1 1/8 dowel about 3 feet long and about $4 for 36 inches of rod handle shrink wrap. To use, after you've ted the knot, wrap the tag end of the braid around one dowel a few times and the main end of the braid around the other and pull. The larger diameter dowel and the rubber do not damage the braid this way.


i break out the tarpon gloves or a rag, but like your method.


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## habanerojooz

Those dowel tensioners are nice. Good job.

I was going to make some dowel ones myself awhile back, that is until I stumbled into these.... https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/cap-barbell-neoprene-dumbbell-107509309#repChildCatSku=107509317

They're small, about fist sized, they have a neoprene coating which helps prevent the line from slipping, and they're inexpensive. These things work great....so good that I've snapped leaders while applying too much tension.


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