On this How 2 Tuesday I put the double uni knot to the test with and without super glue. I tied the double uni from 20 pound braid to 40 pound fluorocarbon, three knots with no glue and three with a dot of super glue, all using identical line and the same turns. The no glue knots averaged just 67.4 percent of line strength, weaker than I expected, while a single dot of super glue brought the glued knots up to 75 percent.
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You can, and in my test it helped more than I expected. I tied the double uni from 20 pound braid to 40 pound fluorocarbon, three with no glue and three with a dot of super glue, all identical. The no glue knots averaged 67.4 percent of line strength and the glued knots averaged 75 percent. That is a meaningful jump for one small dot of glue, especially on a knot that tested weaker than I assumed it would.
Weaker than I expected, honestly. Tied as a single strand of 20 pound braid to a single strand of 40 pound fluorocarbon, with four turns on the fluorocarbon and six turns on the braid, the no glue double uni averaged just 67.4 percent of line strength. The knot itself is popular and easy to tie, but in this single strand configuration it gave up about a third of the line strength.
Yes, in my test it did. The no glue double uni knots broke at 13.89, 12.74, and 13.86 pounds for a 67.4 percent average. The glued knots broke at 13.36, 16.67, and 15.01 pounds for a 75 percent average. Across three weeks of these tests, a dot of super glue has consistently delivered somewhere between 5 and 10 percent more knot strength, and the double uni landed near the top of that range.
Mostly because of how I tied it for a fair test. I used a single strand of braid to a single strand of fluorocarbon. Many anglers double the braid, or tie a bimini twist first, before connecting with the double uni, and doubling the line would change the strength of the knot. Tied single strand, the way I tested it here, the double uni gave a fairly disappointing 67.4 percent.
I tied the double uni from 20 pound braid to 40 pound fluorocarbon, a very common leader setup for snook and a lot of other species, using four turns with the fluorocarbon and six turns with the braid. Every one of the six knots was tied with exactly the same line and exactly the same number of turns, so the only difference between the two groups was the dot of super glue.
That is the real question I leave with you. Three weeks in a row I tied the same knots, changed nothing, added a dot of super glue, and got roughly 5 to 10 percent more strength. On a weaker knot like the single strand double uni, that gain matters more. Whether it is worth the extra step and the risk of gluing your fingers is your call, and I want to hear it.
For a few weeks on How 2 Tuesday I have been chasing one question. Is super glue good for your knots, bad for them, or does it make no difference at all? I tested it on a couple of different knots already, and this week I went to one of our most tied connections, the double uni. If a dot of glue can move the needle on a knot I use all the time, I want to know before the next good fish tests it for me. I set the whole thing up in the episode.
I tied three double uni knots from 20 pound braid to 40 pound fluorocarbon, four turns on the fluoro and six on the braid, and pulled them with no glue. They broke at 13.89, 12.74, and 13.86 pounds, an average of 67.4 percent of the line strength. Honestly, that surprised me. I thought the double uni would be stronger than that. It is a reminder that an easy, popular knot is not automatically a strong one. I talk through why that number matters in the audio.
Then I tied the same knot, same line, same turns, and added a dot of super glue to each. Those broke at 13.36, 16.67, and 15.01 pounds for an average of 75 percent. That is a real jump from 67.4 percent, and it fits the pattern I had seen all three weeks, roughly 5 to 10 percent more strength from one small dot. On a weaker knot, that gain counts for more. I break down the numbers in the episode.
One important caveat. I tied this as a single strand of braid to a single strand of fluorocarbon to keep the test fair. A lot of anglers double the braid or tie a bimini twist first, and doubling the line would change the strength of the knot. Treat 67.4 percent as the single strand number, not the ceiling. I explain how I would rig it for real fishing in the audio.
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
Tom Rowland is a lifelong saltwater fishing guide, tournament angler, and the host of the Tom Rowland Podcast. He spent decades guiding in the Florida Keys and has fished from the Keys to the Seychelles, and he created How 2 Tuesday to break down one practical fishing skill at a time. From knots and casting to gear and tactics, he tests what actually works on the water so anglers can fish with more confidence.
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