How to Tie a Uni Knot

intermediate

Joining two lines together, or attaching line to a reel spool

Pick the uni knot when you need to join two lines of similar or different diameter, such as topping a spool with a mono or braid backing, or building a heavier shock leader for surf and pier casting where the connection needs to pass smoothly through the rod guides.

Steps

1. 1.Overlap the two line ends by about 6in.
2. 2.Form a loop with one end and wrap the tag around both lines 5-6 times through the loop.
3. 3.Pull that loop snug into a compact coil, this is one half of the knot.
4. 4.Repeat with the other line's tag end, then pull both standing lines to slide the two coils together and cinch tight.

Common Mistakes

• •Using an uneven number of wraps on each side when joining lines of very different diameter, the thicker line generally needs fewer wraps (3-4) and the thinner line more (6-7) to balance grip
• •Not seating each half of the knot into a tight, round coil before pulling the two halves together, loose or uneven wraps bunch when cinched and lose strength
• •Pulling the two coils fully together dry, wet the knot and slide them together slowly, yanking them together dry can burn the line right where the coils meet
• •Trimming both tags before test-pulling the finished knot, always load-test it by hand first so a bad tie fails on the dock, not on a fish