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Diagram

PR Bobbin Knot

PR knot · PR bobbin

Joins braid of 50-pound-test and heavier to a long monofilament or fluorocarbon leader, wrapped on with a PR bobbin tool. The join is small in diameter and passes through rod guides.

Line-to-line · Advanced · Braid / Monofilament / Fluorocarbon · 5 steps

ApplicationsHow to tie it
PR Bobbin Knot, finishedPR Bobbin Knot, finished

Finished structure

Drawn from a rope model of this knot: which strand passes over which comes from where the rope actually lies.

  1. Spool braid onto the bobbin, set its drag, and lay the leader alongsideA straight, tight braid runs across the picture; the thicker leader crosses under it at a shallow angle a short way from the braid's tag end.
    1Braid, held tight
    2Leader's end, laid across
    Move 1 of 1Spool braid onto the bobbin, set its drag, and lay the leader alongsideYou should now see: A tight, straight braid with the leader crossing it close to the braid's tag end.

    Step 01

    Loosen the bobbin drag, load 1.5 to 1.8 m (5 or 6 ft) of braid onto the bobbin, then tighten the drag. Lay the leader alongside the braid with about 25 cm (10 in) of overlap just above the bobbin.

    You should now see

    Braid pays out from the bobbin only when you pull firmly, and the leader lies parallel to the braid with about 25 cm (10 in) of overlap above the bobbin.

    If it goes wrong

    Starting with too little overlap. It shows up later, when the end of the leader arrives before the tight wraps have covered 5 cm (2 in).

    Fix: Slide the leader back to give a full 25 cm (10 in) of overlap before any wraps go on.

    Why: The PR bobbin tool sets the tension every wrap goes on with, through its drag. The overlap is the working length those wraps are laid along.

  2. Spin the bobbin around the leader in loose turns away from the pinchThe braid folds round the leader where they crossed; its tag and its standing part spiral back along the leader in opposite directions, crossing each other alternately over and under.
    1Fold, where the lines crossed
    2Tag, wrapping back
    Move 1 of 2Spin the bobbin around the leader in loose turns away from the pinch
    Reverse the bobbin and come back over those turns with tight wrapsA criss-cross weave of braid grips the leader for about two centimetres, tag and standing braid crossing over and under each other. A real weave has 12 to 15 double wraps; fewer are drawn.
    1Weave, about 1.5 to 2 cm
    Move 2 of 2Reverse the bobbin and come back over those turns with tight wrapsYou should now see: A tight woven section climbing the leader, each wrap snug against the last, with no leader showing between wraps.

    Step 02

    Pinch the overlapping lines in two places so the leader cannot turn, then spin the bobbin around the leader 10 to 12 times so the braid lays a loose, open spiral down the leader.

    You should now see

    An open spiral of braid running down the leader with gaps between the turns, and the leader still lying straight between your pinches.

    If it goes wrong

    The leader turning with the bobbin. Instead of an open spiral you see braid and leader twisting together, and few real turns are laid.

    Fix: Unwind back to the start, pinch the leader more firmly at both points and spin the bobbin again while the leader stays still.

    Why: This loose spiral is the base layer. The tight wraps in the next step go back over it and do the gripping.

  3. Pinch the weave, then tie six half hitches with the tag round both linesBeyond the weave, six half hitches of braid tag circle both the leader's tag and the standing braid, each one tucked under its own start.
    1Half hitches round both lines
    Move 1 of 1Pinch the weave, then tie six half hitches with the tag round both linesYou should now see: A row of half hitches locking the top of the weave, with the weave still tight underneath.

    Step 03

    Keep both pinches firm, reverse direction and spin the bobbin back over the spiral, laying tight wraps snug against each other until 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 in) of leader is covered.

    You should now see

    A solid band of wraps 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 in) long with no leader showing between them, which does not move when you pull braid and leader apart.

    If it goes wrong

    Wraps going on with gaps or slack, so the stack slides along the leader when you pull the lines apart. Carrying on well past 7.5 cm (3 in) makes a section that knocks through the guides.

    Fix: If the stack slides, cut it off, tighten the bobbin drag and tie it again. If it is too long, tie it again and stop at 7.5 cm (3 in).

    Why: The tight wraps squeeze the spiral and the leader along their whole length. Their tension comes from the bobbin drag, so a loose drag gives a stack that slides.

  4. Pull the braid and the leader hard in opposite directionsPulled hard from both ends, the weave tightens and shortens along the leader and the half hitches bed down on it.
    Move 1 of 2Pull the braid and the leader hard in opposite directions
    Trim the leader tag close, tie three half hitches round the braid, and trim itThe finished PR Bobbin: a tight wrap stack on the leader, locked with half hitches, the bobbin withdrawn.
    1Half hitches round the braid alone
    2Leader tag, cut close
    Move 2 of 2Trim the leader tag close, tie three half hitches round the braid, and trim itYou should now see: A slim, tapered join, the leader tag cut close, and a short row of hitches on the braid above the weave.

    Step 04

    Pull several inches of braid off the bobbin and cut it free. With that braid tag, tie two half hitches around the leader, then a half hitch with three wraps around the leader. Cinch it and trim the braid tag.

    You should now see

    Three hitches seated snugly against the end of the wrap stack, the last one bulkier from its three wraps, and a short braid tag.

    If it goes wrong

    Leaving the hitches loose or tying them a gap away from the stack. You see them slide along the leader, and the end wraps of the stack start to loosen.

    Fix: Pick out the loose hitches, push the stack back together and tie the hitches again, cinching each one down before tying the next.

    Why: The wraps end at the braid tag. Without hitches locking that end, the stack can unwind from there under repeated loading, however tight the wraps are.

  5. PR Bobbin Knot — step 5 of 5Step 5 of 5. Leader stub trimmed short at the end of the wraps; melted to a small bump if wanted. This step is the line being placed now. Working is the end already placed. Standing is the line that stays. What is still to come is drawn lighter. Many even wraps laid by a bobbin over the leader, then locked — a PR finish.
    5
    step 05 · schematic

    Leader stub trimmed short at the end of the wraps; melted to a small bump if wanted.

    Step 05

    Trim the leader stub short at the end of the wraps. If you want a stop, melt the stub carefully with a flame, keeping the flame off the braid, until it forms a small bump.

    Leader stub trimmed short at the end of the wraps; melted to a small bump if wanted.

    You should now see

    A short leader stub or a small rounded bump, and a connection that slides smoothly when you draw it through the rod tip guide by hand.

    If it goes wrong

    Holding the flame too close or too long, so the braid wraps scorch or the leader next to the bump turns glossy and hard.

    Fix: If the braid or the leader beside the bump looks scorched, cut the connection off and tie it again.

    Why: The melted bump sits at the end of the wraps and stops them slipping off the leader end under very heavy pressure.

Failure modes

When this family fails, it fails as these. The recovered end still outranks the name.

FG / Alberto family

Braid wrapped onto a heavier leader, then locked so the join cannot hinge.

  • !Hinge at the material transition — the join clicks, then parts
  • !Wraps not packed on the heavier line before the lock
  • !Lock or tag on the wrong side of the braid, so the column unzips
Fails when
  • !The tight wraps have gaps or slack, so the stack slides along the leader when braid and leader are pulled apart
  • !The leader turned with the bobbin while wrapping, so few real turns were laid to grip it
  • !The half hitches are loose, missing or tied away from the stack, so the wraps unwind from the braid tag end
  • !The flame scorched the braid wraps or the leader beside the melted bump
Geometry

  • Wrap stack slides on the leader

    The connection lets go progressively under a sustained run

    Grip is the product of wrap tension and wrapped length. Slack bobbin drag gives neither. · step 03

  • No half hitches over the wrap stack

    The stack unwinds from the end once load cycles

    The hitches are what stop the last wrap from backing off. · step 04

  • Leader spun with the bobbin, few real wraps laid

    Looks wrapped, grips almost nothing

    If the leader turns with the bobbin, no relative wrap is accumulating. · step 02

  • Wrapped section too long for the guide train

    Knocks through the guides and costs casting distance

    Guide passage is set by the length and taper of the wrapped section. · step 03

If you saw this

  • The wrap stack slides along the leader when you pull it

    Check

    • ?Pull the braid and leader apart and watch whether the stack moves at all

    Then

    • →Retie with more bobbin drag
    • →Extend the tight return wraps to a full two to three inches

  • The wraps end without half hitches over them

    Check

    • ?Look for the locking hitches sitting on top of the wrap stack

    Then

    • →Add the half hitches and the three-wrap finish; the stack unwinds without them

  • The connection knocks or catches going through the guides

    Check

    • ?Draw it through the tip guide by hand before fishing

    Then

    • →Shorten the wrapped section
    • →Trim and melt the leader stub flush

  • Wrap stack slides on the leader

    Check

    • ?The connection lets go progressively under a sustained run
    • ?Inspect step 03

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

  • No half hitches over the wrap stack

    Check

    • ?The stack unwinds from the end once load cycles
    • ?Inspect step 04

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

  • Leader spun with the bobbin, few real wraps laid

    Check

    • ?Looks wrapped, grips almost nothing
    • ?Inspect step 02

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.
Same family

Same failure class, different geometry. Open the plates — Diagnose still starts from the symptom.

This failed — start Diagnose

Why this knot

What it earns its place with, what it costs, and what to reach for instead.

Best for
Braid to leaderHigh strengthCasting
Not ideal for
  • Anywhere the bobbin tool is not to hand — this knot is defined by the tool
  • Quick leader changes on a drifting boat
  • Light lines where the wrap length is out of proportion to the job
Common mistakes
  • Letting the leader turn with the bobbin, so braid and leader twist together instead of the braid laying a spiral
  • Wrapping with the bobbin drag too loose, so the tight wraps go on with gaps or slack
  • Carrying the tight wraps well past 7.5 cm (3 in), making a section that knocks through the guides
  • Tying the half hitches loose, or a gap away from the end of the wraps
Alternatives
  • FG KnotAdvanced

    Joining a braid main line to a leader, such as fluorocarbon, with a slim, tapered join that runs through the rod guides

  • Alberto KnotIntermediate

    Joining braid to a monofilament or fluorocarbon leader, or two other lines of different diameter

  • Yucatan KnotIntermediate

    Joining a heavier mono leader to a lighter braid or mono main line that has first been doubled with a Bimini twist or spider hitch

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