Question:
NAME:
Garry r
SUBJECT:
TR knot
MESSAGE:
Tom, my question is when tieing the TR knot what kind of leader do you suggest using? i 've been trying to use 80 lb. mono in trilene big game but when ending with the uni-knot the uni will not seem to sinch down . enjoy watching your show, give my best to Rich!
(Sent via Saltwater Experience Fishing Blog)
Answer:
Hey Gary,
Sorry you are having trouble with the knot.
I have gotten away from using real heavy mono since the advent of Fluorocarbon. I find that I can use lighter leaders and still land most of the fish that I want to catch. I used to use 80 and even 100 pound mono leaders for tarpon, but now, I am using 40 or 50 pound fluorocarbon in its place.
Fluorocarbon is definitely easier to tie with and to straighten than mono. I am not experiencing problems with cinching down the uni with lines of this size.
To properly cinch down 80 pound mono, you are definitely going to need pliers. I really dont know if I could cinch down an 80 pound 4 turn uni with my bare hands and would probably not get it quite right with gloves on either. To get it pulled down right, you need pliers and gloves. When you get it pulled that tight, the braid may not slip easily through the tightened knot and could cause you additional problems.
I think that you should try this knot with a little lighter fluorocarbon at first and then work your way back up to finessing the 80 pound mono to pull down properly. I suggest 50 pound Vicious Fluorocarbon to start with. You may also find that the 50 pound satisfies your fishing needs just as well as the 80 lb did, but with less diameter (which = more bites) and less trouble getting the knot to pull tight.
Let me know if this helps.
Tom Rowland