The Uni Knot Snell is a snell where you tie a uni knot around the shank of the hook, passing the line through the front of the eye so the point pulls toward the fish on the hookset. After I posted a simpler snell, a lot of you said that was not how you tie yours, so this week on How 2 Tuesday I tie the uni-knot version of the snell, walk through every wrap, and put it to the test against the hook.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
You pass the line through the front of the hook eye, the same side as the point, then form a loop around the shank of the hook just like you would for a uni knot. Pass the tag end through that loop and around the shank seven times. Then change your grip so you hold the loops and pull the standing line slowly, letting the wraps form nice barrels, and slide the finished knot right up to the eye of the hook.
I go through the front of the eye, the same side as the point, on a circle hook because when you set the hook it pulls the point toward the fish's mouth rather than away from it. That gives you a little extra leverage on the hookset. It is a small detail, but it changes the angle of pull in your favor when a fish eats.
The difference is where the tag end exits. On the simpler snell I tied the week before, the tag comes out the top toward the eye. On the uni knot snell, the tag end comes out the bottom of the hook side. You wrap a uni knot around the shank instead of wrapping and pulling the tag back through a loop toward the eye. Both finish as a clean snell at the eye of the hook.
The biggest mistake people make is letting go after forming the wraps. With mono or fluorocarbon especially, the loops will hop over the eye and end up on the line instead of staying on the shank. To avoid that, switch your fingers, hold the loops firmly with one hand, and pull the standing line slowly with the other so the barrels seat where they belong.
You do not need a vise to fish it, but having the hook in a vise made it far easier for me to show you exactly how each wrap goes. Once you understand the motion, you can tie it by hand on the deck of a boat. The vise just removes one moving part so you can focus on forming the uni knot around the shank correctly.
Watch and listen to the episode for the breaking-strength result on this version, because I tie it and test it the same way I test every knot. The point of this series is to give you real numbers, not opinions, so you can pick the connection you trust for the fish you chase.
When I posted the simple snell, the comments lit up with anglers telling me that is not how they tie theirs. A lot of people learned the uni-knot version, so I wanted to tie it, show every wrap, and test it the same way. I get into why both belong in your repertoire in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Running the line through the front of the eye is the detail most people skip. On a circle hook it points the hook toward the fish on the set instead of away from it, and that little bit of leverage matters when a sailfish or a big fish eats. I explain how I think about it in the episode, so press play in the player above.
I walk through each of these in the episode. Press play in the player above.
The wraps want to hop over the eye and slide up onto the line, especially in mono and fluorocarbon. The fix is all in the grip and a slow, deliberate pull. I show exactly how I hold it in the episode, so press play in the player above.
The uni knot snell is a clean, strong way to put a hook on your line, and now you have both versions of the snell to choose from. Tie it slow, keep the wraps on the shank, and seat it at the eye.
If you are rigging for sailfish or anything that demands a solid hook-to-line connection, this is one worth practicing at the kitchen table before the trip. 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.
Uni knot snell · snell knot · uni knot · circle hook · sailfish · mono · fluorocarbon · Danco pliers · 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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