howsthebite · Knots · Surgeon's knot
How to tie the Surgeon's knot
Joins two lines quickly, even lines of quite different diameter.
Also called: Double surgeon's knot
Why this knot
The fastest reliable line-to-line knot there is. When the light is going and you need a leader on now, this is the one.
Tie it
Step 1 of 5
- 1 Lay the two lines alongside each other, overlapping by about 6 inches, running opposite ways.
- 2 Treating both lines as one, tie a loose overhand knot.
- 3 Pass the same ends through that loop a second time.
- 4 Wet the knot thoroughly.
- 5 Pull all four ends at once, steadily, until the knot seats. Trim both tags.
That's the knot. Wet it, seat it, and pull against it before you cast.
Getting it right
- All four ends at once. Pulling in pairs makes it seat lopsided.
- A third pass through the loop makes a triple surgeon's, which holds better on slick fluoro.
- Bulkier than an FG knot, so less pleasant through the guides on a long leader.
What goes wrong
- Pulling only the two standing lines, which leaves the tags proud and the knot half seated.
Knots that go with it
