Instagram's most viral fishing knot, a lefty cray non slip mono loop tied with a doubled overhand, tested at just 74 percent breaking strength, well below the 95 to 100 percent the original delivers. With over 1.1 million plays, the video never proves the claim, so I tied it with 15 pound fluoro and broke it on the machine at 11.11 pounds. In this How 2 Tuesday I test the viral knot and show why the popular tweak actually costs you strength.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
Not as strong as advertised. This viral knot from the account underscore c t r fishing, with over 1.1 million plays, is essentially a lefty cray non slip mono loop with a double overhand instead of a single overhand to start. I tied it with 15 pound Daiwa J-Fluoro and it broke at 11.11 pounds, which is 74 percent breaking strength. For a loop knot that should test in the 95 to 100 percent range, 74 percent is a real disappointment, so I gave it a big F.
It is essentially a lefty cray non slip mono loop, one of my favorite knots for bonefish flies and any light leader loop connection. The only change in the viral version is starting with a double overhand, or passing through the overhand twice, which makes a figure eight if you pull it tight. That is the whole twist on the original, and it is the part that I tested to see whether the extra turn actually helped.
No, it makes it weaker. The original lefty cray non slip mono loop is known to be a 95 to 100 percent knot, but adding that extra turn in the overhand dropped this version to 74 percent. So putting the extra wrap in the overhand is not giving the knot more strength, it is actually taking strength away. Those were my findings on the machine, and they are the opposite of what the viral video implies.
Because the common thread with these viral knot videos is that they show you how to tie the knot and then just say something like it is a very strong knot, with no proof. The only way you will really know is to tie it and test it on a machine. Control the controllable. That is how you become a better angler, and it is exactly why I take these popular Instagram knots back to the tying bench and put a real number on them.
I tied the viral knot with 15 pound Daiwa J-Fluoro and tested it on the machine, where it broke at 11.11 pounds, which works out to 74 percent of the line's strength. Putting a real number on it is the whole point, because a video that just claims a knot is strong tells you nothing. Tie it, test it, and let the scale settle the argument instead of the caption.
I would stick with the original lefty cray non slip mono loop, which is a proven 95 to 100 percent knot for bonefish flies and light leader loops. The viral version with the extra overhand turn only tested at 74 percent, so the modification that made it popular actually costs you strength. If a million people are about to tie it this way, my advice is to go back to the original and keep the strength.
I am back at the tying bench going through popular Instagram knot videos and putting them to the test, because the only way to really know is to tie it and test it on a machine. The common thread is that these videos show the knot, then just claim it is strong. Control the controllable, that is how you get better. I explain my approach in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here is exactly how I evaluated this viral knot. I cover the details in the episode.
I unpack each step in the episode. Press play in the player above.
The original lefty cray non slip mono loop is one of my favorite knots for bonefish flies and light leaders, and it is a proven 95 to 100 percent knot. Adding that extra overhand turn in the viral version dropped it to 74 percent, so the tweak that made it popular is actually taking strength away. I lay out the findings in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Tied with 15 pound Daiwa J-Fluoro, the viral knot broke at 11.11 pounds, which is 74 percent. A caption claiming a knot is strong tells you nothing, but a number on the scale does. I walk through the test in the episode, so press play in the player above.
If a million people are about to tie this knot the viral way, my advice is to go back to the original lefty cray non slip mono loop and keep your strength.
Tie it, test it, and let the scale settle the argument instead of the caption. Press play in the player above.
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.
lefty cray non slip mono loop · Instagram knots · Daiwa J-Fluoro · bonefish flies · loop knots · Danco pliers · Star brite · Nikon · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
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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