Berkley Braid Knot

Tying procedure — Berkley Braid Knot

1. Step 01 / 4

   Double the end of the braid, push the loop through the hook eye, and fold the loop back along the standing line and tag so four strands lie together.

   You should now see: A doubled loop through the eye and laid back beside the standing line and tag, four strands side by side with the loop end reaching well past them.

   If it goes wrong: Forcing doubled braid through an eye too small for it. The braid frays on the edge of the eye, or the strands cross inside it.

   Fix: Pull the loop back out and feed it again with the strands flat. If the eye will not take doubled braid, use a knot tied with a single strand.

   Why: The loop end is the working end for the rest of the knot, and it has to be long enough to make all the wraps and still pass back through at the eye.

   1Loop through the eye

   2Tag

   Step 1 of 4 · move 1 of 2

   Double the end of the braid and push the loop through the hook eye

   Hold: Left hand holds the hook, eye toward you

   Move: Right hand folds the braid's end back on itself and pushes the fold through the eye

2. 1Loop end

   2Tag

   Step 1 of 4 · move 2 of 2

   Fold the loop back along the standing line and tag so four strands lie together

   Hold: Left hand holds the hook

   Move: Right hand lays the loop back beside the standing line and tag and pinches all four

   You should now see: Four strands side by side from the eye, the loop's two legs beside the standing line and tag, with the loop end well past them.

3. Step 02 / 4

   Hold the four strands together a few inches from the eye and wrap the loop end around all four 8 times, starting at your fingers and working back toward the eye.

   You should now see: Eight even wraps around the bundle of four strands, ending just behind the eye with a small opening left between the nearest wrap and the eye.

   If it goes wrong: Wraps that cross or bunch up, a strand slipping out of the bundle, or losing count. You see a wrap riding over another, or a strand lying outside the wraps.

   Fix: Unwind to the last clean wrap, gather the four strands again, and finish the count to eight.

   Why: NetKnots notes that the direction you wrap around the bundle does not matter. The count and even spacing do, because crossed wraps close unevenly and leave the barrel loose.

   1Loop end, the working end

   2Tag

   Step 2 of 4 · move 1 of 2

   Pinch the four strands and start wrapping the loop end round them at your fingers

   Hold: Left finger and thumb pinch the four strands a few inches from the eye

   Move: Right hand takes the loop end round all four strands, each wrap nearer the eye

4. 1Eight wraps, each a pair of strands

   2Opening at the eye

   Step 2 of 4 · move 2 of 2

   Wrap the loop end round all four strands 8 times, working back toward the eye

   Hold: Left finger and thumb pinch the four strands a few inches from the eye

   Move: Right hand takes the loop end round the bundle, each wrap nearer the eye than the last

   You should now see: Eight even wraps of doubled braid round the four strands, ending just behind the eye with a small opening left next to it.

5. Step 03 / 4

   Pass the loop end through the opening just behind the eye, between the eye and the nearest wrap. Wet the knot and pull the standing line with steady, even pressure until the wraps close down behind the eye.

   You should now see: A compact barrel of wraps snug against the eye, with the loop end and the tag coming out beside it and no gap at the eye.

   If it goes wrong: Passing the loop through a gap between wraps instead of the opening at the eye, or snatching the line tight. The barrel stops short of the eye or the wraps pile up unevenly.

   Fix: If it has not been pulled hard yet, back the loop out and pass it through at the eye. If the wraps have locked out of order, cut the knot off and tie it again.

   Why: Wetting the braid lets the wraps slide into place. A steady pull closes them evenly, while a sudden jerk can lock a crossed wrap before the barrel reaches the eye.

   1Through the opening at the eye

   Step 3 of 4 · move 1 of 2

   Pass the loop end through the opening between the eye and the nearest wrap

   Hold: Left hand holds the wraps in place

   Move: Right hand feeds the loop end between the pairs of strands just behind the eye

6. Step 3 of 4 · move 2 of 2

   Wet the knot and pull the standing line steadily until the wraps close at the eye

   Hold: Left hand holds the hook and the loop end

   Move: Right hand pulls the standing line with steady, even pressure

   You should now see: A compact barrel of wraps snug against the eye, the loop end and the tag coming out beside it and no gap at the eye.

7. Step 04 / 4

   Test the knot with a hard pull, then cut off the loop close to the eye and trim the tag, leaving about 6 mm (a quarter inch).

   You should now see: A tidy barrel at the eye with two short stubs, one from the cut loop and one from the tag, and no movement after the test pull.

   If it goes wrong: Trimming before the test pull, or cutting the braid tag flush. A braid tag cut too short can pull back into the wraps.

   Fix: If the knot moved under the test pull, cut it off and tie it again. Leave the braid tag a little longer than you would on mono.

   Why: Braid is slick, so its tag needs more length to stay put. The test pull comes before trimming because a knot that slips is easy to retie while the tag is still long.

   Step 4 of 4 · move 1 of 1

   Test with a hard pull, then cut off the loop by the eye and trim the tag to 6 mm

   Hold: Left hand holds the hook

   Move: Right hand pulls the standing line hard, then cuts the loop and trims the tag

   You should now see: A tidy barrel at the eye with two short stubs, one from the cut loop and one from the tag, and no movement after the test pull.