The only knot you need is the uni knot, a simple, strong knot that handles roughly 99.9 percent of fishing situations, from spooling a reel to tying on a hook. For this How 2 Tuesday I cover the knot I get more questions about than any other. The uni knot, also called the Duncan loop, is the knot behind my most popular knot video for a reason. I love knots and I want certain knots for certain jobs, but if you only learn one, this is it. I explain how to tie it onto an arbor, join two lines with a double uni, connect braid to leader, and tie on a hook.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
The only knot you really need is the uni knot, also called the Duncan loop. From bluegill to tarpon, it covers about 99.9 percent of fishing situations. It is not the only knot I want, because there are better knots for specific jobs, but it is the one knot you can build an entire fishing career on. You make a loop, wrap through it three to five times depending on leader size, and pull it down tight like a noose. It is simple, strong, and easy to teach.
You make a small loop, then pass the tag end through that loop three or four times, maybe five for a heavier leader, and pull it tight. As you snug it down it slides and tightens like a noose, seating firmly against whatever you are tying to. That is the basic version most people know for attaching a hook or fly. The same knot, tied in different configurations, also handles your arbor, line-to-line, and braid-to-leader connections.
You tie a double uni. Lay the two lines parallel, tie a uni knot with one line over the other, then tie a second uni with the other line going the opposite way. Pull both tight and they jam together into a clean, strong connection. Trim the tags and you are done. This is exactly how you join mono backing to braid when spooling, and how you connect your braided main line to a leader.
Because knots are the most intimidating part of fishing for a lot of people, and the uni knot lets you simplify everything down to one knot. If you are teaching a child or someone new, this is the knot to drill. They can become proficient with one knot and accomplish almost anything, getting better and better at tying it with different materials. A beginner could fish their whole career on the uni and double uni alone.
Yes. Once you get into heavy shock tippets, fishing with wire, or anything that needs a crimp, you move beyond the uni. The double uni leaves tag ends parallel to the line, which is nice for sliding through the guides without catching debris, while a knot like the blood knot is not as good for that. There are knots that beat the uni for specific jobs, but for the vast majority of fishing, the uni and double uni get it done.
I made about 40 knot videos that live on YouTube and Waypoint TV, and the most popular by far is the one called The Only Knot You Need. You can search Saltwater Experience uni knot and follow a slow, step-by-step demonstration tied in two different colored lines so it is easy to see. It moves slowly enough that you can sit a kid or a grandkid right next to you and have them follow along.
I get more questions about knots than almost anything, which is why I made about 40 knot videos, and the uni knot video is the most popular by a mile. I love knots and I keep a dozen in my arsenal for specific jobs, but the uni covers roughly 99.9 percent of fishing from bluegill to tarpon. I explain why it earns that title in the episode, so press play in the player above.
What makes the uni the only knot you need is that one knot, in different forms, handles every connection. Tie it to the arbor, double uni your mono to braid, double uni your braid to leader, and tie a uni to the hook. Guys like Rich Tudor and Steve Roger fish a uni and double uni all day right next to the knot geeks and catch just as much. I walk through each connection in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Knots are the most intimidating part of fishing for a lot of people, especially with braid in the mix. If you are teaching a kid, give them this one knot and let them get proficient. They can fish their entire career on it, gaining confidence as they tie it in different materials. I explain how to teach it in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Learn the uni and the double uni, get good at tying them in mono, braid, and fluorocarbon, and you can fish almost anything. Watch the slow, step-by-step video and teach it to someone you love.
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.
uni knot · Duncan loop · double uni knot · blood knot · braid to leader · Rich Tudor · Steve Roger · Scott Walker · Waypoint TV · Saltwater Experience · 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 fishing technique and gear to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
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