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Tying the Albright Knot

How to tie this popular line-to-leader fishing knot

When it comes to joining monofilament line to a heavier leader or shock tippet, the Albright is a favorite of many anglers. This knot is fairly quick and easy to tie once you get the hang of it, and offers good strength. It’s very useful for adding a wire bite tippet to your line when targeting bluefish, Spanish mackerel, barracuda and similar sharp-toothed gamesters, or attaching a mono or fluorocarbon shock tippet to guard against abrasion from gill plates, lips, rocks, roots, pilings and the like. Being a relatively low-profile knot, the Albright can also be used to attach a section of doubled line (eg., Bimini twist) to the leader to create a wind-on leader.

1. Double the tag end of the heavier line or wire to form a small loop and hold it in your left hand. With your right hand, push the tag end of the lighter line through the loop as shown, allowing six to ten inches to tie the knot.

2. Slip the lighter line under your left thumb about six to ten inches from the tip of the tag end. Start wrapping away from you, working from left to right (toward the closed end). Each wrap should shoulder the one before it.

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3. Make ten to 14 consecutive wraps with the lighter line around both legs of the loop (you can use fewer wraps with heavier line). Then push the tag end of the lighter line back through the loop so that it exits on the same side from which it entered.

4. Moisten the knot with saliva and pull on the standing part of the lighter line slowly to draw the wraps together. They will start to slide toward the closed end of the loop. Alternate pulling on the tag end and the standing part until you work the wraps down to the closed end of the loop, and they jam against the tag end of the lighter line. Use pliers to pull on the tag end if the line is heavy.

5. You can trim the tag end or tie a two-turn nail knot or uni knot along the standing part of the lighter line to securely lock the knot. Some anglers pass the tag end through the loop twice in step three.

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