This is a fluorocarbon-to-braid connection I found on Instagram, a three-turn uni knot in the braid jammed against a six-turn clinch knot in the fluorocarbon. It looked a lot like a knot I already use, which I call the J knot, so I had high hopes. On How 2 Tuesday I tie what people post and actually test it. I tied this one with 15 pound fluorocarbon to 20 pound braid, and the result was a real disappointment. In this audio episode I break down what happened. Press play above.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
It is a connection I found on Instagram that joins fluorocarbon to braid using a three-turn uni knot in the braid and a six-turn clinch knot in the fluorocarbon, jammed together. It looked very similar to a knot I already tie, which I call the J knot, a knot that is half a uni and half a clinch. That similarity is exactly why I wanted to tie this one almost exactly like the Instagram version and test it.
Tying 15 pound fluorocarbon to 20 pound braid and doing it almost exactly like the Instagram post, it tested at only 59 percent. That is weak. It looks like a nice, clean knot, but the scale does not lie, and 59 percent gets a thumbs down around here. There are much stronger braid-to-fluoro connections out there.
The J knot is a connection I use that is half a uni knot and half a clinch knot. You tie a uni in one line and a clinch in the other, and they jam together into a pretty strong knot. I will use it for heavier line. This Instagram knot looked very similar to my J knot, which is why I had hopes for it, but tying it the Instagram way gave a much weaker result.
I tied it almost exactly like the one on Instagram, with a three-turn uni in the braid and a six-turn clinch in the fluorocarbon jammed together. Tied that way, it only held 59 percent. The lesson is that a knot can look clean and still be weak, and small differences in how a knot is built can make a big difference in how it holds. I explain it in the episode.
There are stronger options than this 59 percent connection. My own J knot, the uni-and-clinch combination, holds up better for heavier line. The whole point of these tests is to steer you toward connections that actually hold, and this Instagram knot is not one I would trust. Tell me in the comments which knot you like for braid to fluorocarbon.
You can see this knot tied on Tom Rowland Podcast on Instagram or YouTube. On my end this is an audio episode where I walk through how it tied and exactly what it tested at, so press play in the player above to hear the full breakdown.
I liked this knot when I first found it because it is very similar to a knot I already tie, the one I call the J knot, which is half a uni and half a clinch. Those two jammed together generally make a pretty strong connection, and I will use it for heavier line. So I wanted to tie this Instagram version almost exactly as shown and see if it lived up to the look. I explain it in the episode.
I tied a three-turn uni knot with the 20 pound braid and a six-turn clinch knot with the 15 pound fluorocarbon, then jammed them together, doing it almost exactly like the one on Instagram. It looks like a nice, clean knot when it is finished. The problem is that looking good and being strong are two different things, and I walk through that in the episode, so press play in the player above.
It tested at 59 percent. That is a very disappointing result and a clear thumbs down around here. A knot that holds barely more than half the line strength is not one I want between my braid and my leader. I break down why that matters in the episode.
This one is a good reminder that you cannot judge a knot by how clean it looks. It resembled my J knot, I had hopes for it, and it still only held 59 percent when tied the Instagram way.
Put the knot you like for braid to fluorocarbon in the comments, and if you want to see this one tied, it is on Tom Rowland Podcast on Instagram or YouTube. Press play above for the full breakdown.
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.
fluorocarbon to braid · J knot · uni knot · clinch knot · braid · fluorocarbon · Danco · Instagram Knots Tested · How 2 Tuesday
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill or lesson at a time, from knots and technique to gear and the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
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