Alberto knot

[Mbirdsley]

I just finished up setting up my wacky rig/ really finesse rod and just stumbled on the Alberto knot.  the knot is silly simple to tie.  I usually use the double uni-knot when joining two different lines.  The double uni-knot however, does not work very well with connecting braid to fluoro. the braid will cut through the fluoro like a hot knife through butter after tightening the knots. The Alberto knot seems very strong and also keeps a very low clean profile as it is going through the guides. This isn't groundbreaking or anything and I'm sure most here knew this.  I was just pleased to learn something new.

[new2BC4bass]

Yup.  A great knot.  Knot easy for me to tie freehand. 

[Further North]

The Alberto knot is an awesome knot, works great, and particularly effective with slippery wire leaders with coatings and single strand wire leaders.

 

For mono, hybrid and fluoro leaders I prefer the FG knot, but it takes some practice to get used to tying it on a rocking boat in the wind.

 

The FG is ~1/3 smaller than the Alberto (one less line thickness), but if you're not running micro guides...or you find it a PITA to tie, it's possibly not worth it.

[Bluebasser86]

I just made the switch a year or two ago from the double uni to an Alberto and was equally as pleased. Very easy to tie, low profile, and holds up well. 

[mattkenzer]

4 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I just made the switch a year or two ago from the double uni to an Alberto and was equally as pleased. Very easy to tie, low profile, and holds up well. 

X2

[NHBull]

9 hours ago, Mbirdsley said:

I just finished up setting up my wacky rig/ really finesse rod and just stumbled on the Alberto knot.  the knot is silly simple to tie.  I usually use the double uni-knot when joining two different lines.  The double uni-knot however, does not work very well with connecting braid to fluoro. the braid will cut through the fluoro like a hot knife through butter after tightening the knots. The Alberto knot seems very strong and also keeps a very low clean profile as it is going through the guides. This isn't groundbreaking or anything and I'm sure most here knew this.  I was just pleased to learn something new.

Got to disagree.  If tied properly, the Uni /Uni is a stronger and more reliable knot than the Alberto.  Don’t get me wrong, the Alberto is very good,  and easy to tie.  I suspect you are not wetting the Uni enough to keep it cool when sliding it down.  ........just a note, a Uni to Uni is different than a doubled Uni.  The doubled Uni is used to tie to terminal tackle......Tight lines

[Brad in Texas]

16 minutes ago, NHBull said:

Got to disagree.  If tied properly, the Uni /Uni is a stronger and more reliable knot than the Alberto.  Don’t get me wrong, the Alberto is very good,  and easy to tie.  I suspect you are not wetting the Uni enough to keep it cool when sliding it down.  ........just a note, a Uni to Uni is different than a doubled Uni.  The doubled Uni is used to tie to terminal tackle......Tight lines

I tie all three of them: Alberto/Albright, Uni Junction knot and an FG.

 

The FG is a plaited knot and holds together a bit differently than the other two where friction is the primary force. I'd only tie an FG as a bench knot, say the day before I go out, not very often on the water. An FG is stronger, smaller too, at the same time than the other two. It's also a bit of over-kill in my estimation for any of us who make a practice of re-tying the other two knots a time or two before they weaken/get chewed on/abraded.

 

An Alberto type knot actually tested stronger, as I recall, in the Knot Wars series than a Uni-to-Uni junction knot. And, you have two knots that can fail on the U-to-U, not just one as with an Alberto.

 

I'd bet that many anglers like NHBull just tie it very accurately through experience and get better results with it than most. 

 

Of the three, the Alberto type junction knot is the fastest to tie, tests really well. It'd be the first of the three I'd teach a new angler using leaders for the first time.

 

A Uni knot, short of "universal," is the most functional of all fishing knots. It can be used as an arbor knot, a junction knot, a terminal knot and even tied left open a bit, a loop knot, for better action on lures needing it so for better action. And, it can be doubled for a super, super strong knot as NHBull mentioned.

 

Brad

[Darren.]

I use the uni-to-uni with braid to fluoro with no problems

at all. Usually 5 loops for each, unless I'm using a fluoro

in the 6# range, then I'll use 5-7 loops.

 

But I also use the Alberto/Mod'd Albright. Used to use it 

exclusively, but went back to the double uni years ago as 

my main line-to-leader knot for it's simplicity. Granted both

are "simple", double-uni is simpler for me when on the

water. Mostly.  

[Mbirdsley]

12 hours ago, NHBull said:

Got to disagree.  If tied properly, the Uni /Uni is a stronger and more reliable knot than the Alberto.  Don’t get me wrong, the Alberto is very good,  and easy to tie.  I suspect you are not wetting the Uni enough to keep it cool when sliding it down.  ........just a note, a Uni to Uni is different than a doubled Uni.  The doubled Uni is used to tie to terminal tackle......Tight lines

No your right I did not wet the two knots before I pulled it tight.  I have used the double uni knot For, braid to mono, two different monos of differing lbs together, or to splice line in after a break off.  But, I do like the ease of the Alberto knot.  It took me a lot practice to get the double Uni-knot to work. 

[FryDog62]

I think there’s a natural evolution many fishermen go through and I’m no exception:

 

Like a lot of people I tied the uni-uni for years -

 

Then I switched to the Modified Alberto/Albright after seeing it beat the uni-uni on Knot Wars and because it’s smaller in diameter - -

 

Then after just a few too many failed Alberto/Albright knots (okay way too many - a flawed knot IMO) I switched to the FG Knot.

 

The FG Knot is a little harder to tie and overkill - but it is smaller and stronger than the above knots... and once you master its not that bad to tie.  And anything that is that strong at your weakest connection point is worth the extra effort. 

 

A Lot of people don’t like tying an FG Knot because they have to hold with their teeth, so use a Hook-Eze tool:

 

 

 

[Graham]

Learning these knots and then going out on the water and being able to tie them properly is so satisfying

[Brad in Texas]

One really good rule of thumb for knots is to use the one you tie best. If you tie a sloppy uni junction knot, you are asking for "double trouble" since either of its two knots can slip. It is playing Russian Roulette with two bullets instead of one. That said, it is a great knot for those who tie it really well. Very strong.

 

One other advantage to an Alberto type junction knot is it has the braid pressing itself down into either the fluorocarbon or monofilament's softer materials. For anyone suffering bad Alberto knots, know that it is not okay to form the loop with the braid then make your wraps with the softer material of fluoro or mono. Those two line materials won't "grab" the braid the way the braid grabs them. Yet, I have seen it tied just that way by a saltwater angler on video.

 

I tie a great FG but I just think it is generally overkill except in a few circumstances. Keeping a fresh Alberto or Uni junction knot is a good strategy. So much faster to tie, easier on a vessel especially a canoe or kayak.

 

Brad

[roadwarrior]

1 hour ago, Brad in Texas said:

One really good rule of thumb for knots is to use the one you tie best.

 

Brad

If it ain't perfect, it ain't good enough.

 

[The Bassman]

The occasional times I use a leader I like the Alberto as well.  My biggest issue with it, though is keeping my reverse loops nested between my first set.  I'm sure I mess it up but the knot seems strong and compact nonetheless.

[Junger]

1 hour ago, The Bassman said:

The occasional times I use a leader I like the Alberto as well.  My biggest issue with it, though is keeping my reverse loops nested between my first set.  I'm sure I mess it up but the knot seems strong and compact nonetheless.

Yeah, same that's why I just use the uni to unit.

[NHBull]

 

[Mbirdsley]

So... how do you tie the fg knot out in the boat if you have to keep the braid tight? Using your teeth to keep the braid tight with your teeth will work?  Looks like a good knot

[FryDog62]

17 minutes ago, Mbirdsley said:

So... how do you tie the fg knot out in the boat if you have to keep the braid tight? Using your teeth to keep the braid tight with your teeth will work?  Looks like a good knot

Use Hook-Eze as shown above.  If you need bi-focals, using your teeth and seeing the line is a non-starter.  Hook-Eze all the way...