For those of you trying to track down the best way to expand the line capacity of your fishing rod with good shock resistance, knowing how to tie braid to mono is a must.
Connecting a mono leader to a braided mainline requires a strong knot to hold the bond together. Therefore, having an idea about the kinds of knots you can use to strengthen the link between a braided fishing line and a monofilament line will come in handy.
In this article, we will be telling you about the different ways (knots) you can use to tie braid to mono. So if you want to know how to tie braid to mono, keep reading our article to find out all about it.
Why you Should Tie Braid to Mono
One of the main reasons why one should tie braid to mono is to strengthen their main fishing line. Backing your main braid with monofilament helps to prevent your fishing line from spinning freely on the reel when you catch a fast or big fish.
This method of fishing is considerably efficient for catching deepwater fish because it is simultaneously thinner and heavier than a regular fishing line.
A braided line is more durable, and resistant, and can cut through the water faster, which makes it ideal for fishing in heavy vegetation.
It also helps to reduce friction as the fishing line leaves the reel and thereby reduces the chances of tearing the fishing line.
How to Tie Braid to Mono
To know how to tie braid to mono, you will first need a few pieces of equipment. You can work with these types of equipment to create different kinds of knots to tie the braided fishing line to your monofilament line; all of which will serve a specific purpose and advantages while fishing.
Things you will need
Here are the things you will need to tie the braid to mono:
- A braided line
- A line cutter or scissors
- Monofilament line
Let us now look at the various kinds of knots you can use to tie these two lines of different diameters to each other properly.
The Double Uni Knot
The Double Uni Knot is undoubtedly an all-rounder knot when it comes to knot strength.
It is the fastest and simplest kind of knot when it comes to tying a braided line to a monofilament line.
It is, therefore, also one of the most popularly used knots to tie braid to mono and even any other lines together.
The double uni knot is ideal for adding your monofilament backing to a line.
The steps of tying this knot are ad follows:
Step 1: Laying the monofilament line and braided line in position
First, lay the monofilament line on a flat surface and place the braided line at its bottom.
Make sure the lines run parallel to each other in opposite directions.
Overlap the ends of the lines by at least 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches) to leave enough lines to work with.
Step 2: Create a loop with the monofilament line
Now, you need to create a loop about the size of your fist with the overlapped end of the monofilament line.
To do so, loop the monofilament end down and back over itself.
Then, pull up the end and lay it across a braided line placed parallelly.
Step 3: Wrapping the loop around both lines
Wrap the end of the loop you just made around both the braided and monofilament lines through the center of the loop.
After you have wrapped the lines 7 to 8 times, pull the monofilament line end out of the loop and make sure it is pointing to the original direction it was placed in before making the loop.
If you do not have enough lines left after the 7 to 8 wraps, start from the beginning again with a bigger loop.
Step 4: Create a loop with the braided line
Similar to that of the monofilament line, (step 2) double the end of the braided line-up and back over itself.
Then, pull the ends of the braided line down across the monofilament line lying parallelly.
Make sure you leave enough lines to wrap it around the two parallel lines.
Step 5: Wrapping the loop around both lines
Same as step 3, use the end of the loop created with the braided line and wrap it around both the lines (braided and mono) through the center of the loop.
After 4 to 5 wraps, pull the end of the braided line out of the loop to face it towards its original direction.
If there is too little line left, start over again with a bigger loop.
Alternatively, if your loop is too big, cut off the extra line later.
Step 6: Tying the final knot
Take the ends of both the wrapped lines in each hand and pull them in the opposite directions slowly.
This will cinch the knots closed and leave you with two knots placed side by side (hence the naming)
The Albright Knot
The Albright knot is suitable for fly fishing as tying a fly line to the backing line with this knot helps to slide it through the guides of your fishing reel easily when a fish pulls out an adequate length of your line to reach the backing.
The steps for tying this knot are:
Step 1: Create a loop with the braided line
Similar to the double uni knot, create a loop by doubling the braided line back over itself.
Be sure to leave enough lines to work with by making the loop at least 2 to 3 inches long.
Step 2: Sliding in the monofilament line
Take the end of the monofilament line and pull it under and up through the loop you just made.
Pull in enough of the line so that you can wrap it at least 10 times.
Make sure you always use the thicker line for creating the loop and the thinner one for wrapping.
Step 3: Wrapping the mono line
Pass the monofilament line end under the loop and wrap it around the loop of the braided line and around itself.
Keep repeating this step; passing it under and around all 3 lines every time, till you have completed 10 wraps.
Step 4: Joining the mono and braided lines
While pushing the tip of the monofilament line back down through the loop next to itself, pull it through the other side so that you can grab both the parallel sides of the line together.
Step 5: Tying the knot
Grabbing each of the mono and braided lines in each hand, pull them apart slowly to cinch the knot tight
More methods of tying braid to mono include the FG Knot and the Royal Polaris Knot; each of which is suitable for heavy-drag fishing using a quick and simple knot.
Conclusion
No matter which process of tying braid to mono you choose, it is always important to remember that you should choose the one that suits your fishing style and strategy the best.
Make sure you are properly accustomed to the knotting process to make a reliable knot that will help to improve your fishing game; every time.
Keep practicing the preferred knot and you will have yourself a strong, quick-to-tie, and easy-to-repeat knot in no time. To know more about fishing tips and tricks, you can read our article on how to put a worm on a hook.
Happy fishing!
