How to Tie a Uni Knot: Line to Hook, Line to Reel and Snell Uses

By Cal Brannock · house pen name of the Dockrig editors · who writes here · Updated Oct 11, 2026

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A uni knot takes 5 steps and 6 turns in mono. One strand goes through the eye, so it fits small eyes that a Palomar can't. On braid, add turns: 8 to 10 is the usual range.

That's for a plain uni with 1 pass through the eye; the modified uni on our braid knots page passes the eye twice and uses 6 to 8.

It's also the most reused knot on this site. The same 5 steps tie line to a hook, line to a reel spool, a loop, a snell, and both halves of a double uni.

Spec card

Uni knot

Connects: line to hook, lure, swivel or snap; also reel spool, loop, snell
Line types: mono · fluoro · braid (braid needs more turns)
Through the eye: 1 strand
Turns: 6 in mono4 to 7 by diameter, 8 to 10 in braid; see the table
Tag to start: about 6 in.
Don't use for: braid to leader on its own (use 2 unis, the double uni)

Source: articles_spec outline; published uni instructions (turn range)

Jump to steps

The 5 steps

Pass the line through the eye. Double the tag back along the standing line.
Step 1. Pass the line through the eye. Tap to enlarge.
Form a loop with the tag. Lay it over both lines.
Step 2. Form a loop with the tag. Tap to enlarge.
Wrap the tag through the loop 6 times. Each turn goes around both lines.
Step 3. Wrap the tag through the loop 6 times. Tap to enlarge.
Pull the tag to close the turns. Wet the line first.
Step 4. Pull the tag to close the turns. Tap to enlarge.
Pull the standing line to slide the knot to the eye. Trim the tag.
Step 5. Pull the standing line to slide the knot to the eye. Tap to enlarge.

Pull about 6 in. of tag through in step 1. That leaves room for 6 turns with your fingers on both ends. Short tags are the main reason a uni comes out with 4 turns when you meant 6.

In step 3, work from the eye side out. Each turn should lie next to the last one, inside the loop. In step 4, pull the tag slowly until the turns form a neat barrel. Then step 5 slides that barrel down to the eye.

Stop sliding when the knot touches the eye. If you stop short, you've tied a loop knot instead. That's useful too, and it's covered below.

How many turns for your line?

Our assumptions

Base count: 6 turns in mono, from the knot outline we follow.
Direction: thinner line takes more turns, thicker line fewer. Published instructions agree on the direction; exact counts vary.
Diameters: Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon chart on Tackle Warehouse, as an example of a line in each class.

Line	Example diameter	Turns
6 lb fluoro or mono	.008 in.	6 or 7
10 lb	.010 in.	6
15 lb	.013 in.	5 or 6
20 to 25 lb	.016 to .017 in.	4 or 5
Braid, any test	thin and slick	8 to 10

Why fewer turns on thick line? Heavy mono or fluoro is stiff. Past 5 turns at 20 lb, the barrel gets hard to close neatly. Fewer, tighter turns seat better.

Why more on braid? It's slick. Extra turns give it more contact with itself. Some anglers also pass braid through the eye twice before tying. That's a variant, not the standard knot.

Our turn counts lean on the InvizX chart because it lists every test. If you want a spool to match the table, 12 lb Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon sits between our 10 and 15 lb rows. Tie it with 5 or 6 turns.

One knot, 5 jobs

Use	What changes	Page
Line to hook or lure	the 5 steps above	this page
Line to reel spool	tie it around the spool arbor, not through an eye	arbor knot
Loop for a lure	stop sliding before the eye, leave a loop	this page
Snell	turns go around the hook shank	snell knot
Line to line	2 unis, 1 in each line, pulled together	double uni

Uni to a reel spool

Pass the line around the spool, then tie the uni around the standing line. Pull it down to the spool. Braid can spin on a bare spool, so put down mono backing or tape first. The arbor knot page covers it.

Uni loop

Tie the uni but stop 1/4 in. short of the eye. Pinch it there and pull the tag hard to lock it. The lure swings in the loop.

Some anglers call this the Duncan loop. Under a hard pull, the knot may slide down to the eye. Check it after each fish and slide it back if you want the loop.

Uni snell

Lay the line along the hook shank, form the loop, and wrap the turns around the shank and both lines. It works on octopus and circle hooks. The snell knot page has the full steps.

Where the uni fits on the water

Crappie jig on 6 lb mono, 8 to 12 ft deep: a uni ties fast. It fits a 1/16 oz jig head eye.
1/0 octopus hook for channel catfish on 15 lb mono: a uni with 5 or 6 turns, or snell the same hook.
Crankbait on 12 lb fluoro over rock and gravel: the uni doesn't need a loop to clear 2 trebles, unlike a Palomar.
Spooling a spinning reel: the uni doubles as an arbor knot.

Uni or Palomar on the same hook?

Both tie line to an eye. The choice usually comes down to 3 things: eye size, lure size and how you like to count.

Question	Uni	Palomar
Strands through the eye	1	2
Turns to count	4 to 10	none
Loop must clear the lure	no	yes
Line per tie, small hook	about 6.5 in. with a 6 in. tag	about 6.5 in.

On a 1/0 worm hook with 15 lb fluoro, either works. On a crankbait with 2 trebles, the uni is simpler, because nothing has to pass over the bait.

On a size 4 finesse hook with heavy fluoro, the single strand of the uni may be the only one that fits.

Line use is close on small hooks. The Palomar gets costly as the lure gets longer. Our Palomar page has the full line-use table.

4 mistakes that ruin a uni

Tag too short. Under 4 in., you run out of tag at turn 4 or 5. Start with about 6 in.
Turns outside the loop. Each turn has to pass through the loop. A turn that misses it leaves the knot with nothing to bite on.
Pulling the standing line first. Close the turns with the tag in step 4. Then slide the knot with the standing line in step 5.
Tag trimmed flush. Leave about 1/8 in. A tag cut right at the knot has no room if the turns settle a little.

Each one is easy to spot on the dock. Look at the barrel before your first cast. You should be able to count every turn.

Then give it a test pull. Hold the hook with pliers, not fingers, and pull the line steady for 2 or 3 seconds. If the barrel moves or the tag creeps, retie. A uni costs about 6.5 in. of line. That's cheap next to a lost lure.

One more habit for crankbaits and jerkbaits: retie after a few snags on rock. The line just above the knot takes the scraping. Cut back 6 in. and tie fresh.

When to skip the uni

Braid to fluoro leader with 1 uni. You need 2 unis, which is the double uni, or an FG knot.
You want no turns to count. A Palomar has none.
Heavy line above 30 lb. The turns get hard to seat. Other knots may suit that line better.

Common Questions

Can you tie a uni knot with fluorocarbon?

Yes. Wet it well and close the turns slowly in step 4. Fluoro is stiffer than mono, so the barrel can bunch if you rush.

At 15 lb and up, 5 turns is often easier to seat than 6. Check the knot after step 5. If the turns look crossed, cut it and retie.

What's the difference between a uni and an improved clinch?

Both pass 1 strand through the eye and wrap the tag. In a uni, the tag wraps inside a loop around both lines.

In an improved clinch, the tag wraps around the standing line and tucks back through. On braid, the clinch tends to slip. The uni with extra turns is the usual choice there.

Why does a uni knot slip?

Most slips trace back to 3 things. Too few turns for the line, crossed turns, or a knot pulled tight dry.

Count the turns before you close them. Wet the line. Pull the tag first, then the standing line. On braid, go up to 8 to 10 turns.

Gear for this page

Seaguar Invizx Freshwater 100% Fluorocarbon Fishing Line 12lbs, 200yds - 12VZ20012 lb fluoro that seats well in a uni knot.
Stren Original Monofilament Fishing Line, Clear/Blue Fluorescent, 10lb | 4.5kg, 10 lb mono for a uni knot or arbor knot to the spool.
SpiderWire Stealth Braided Fishing Line, 10lb, 125 yd, Moss Green, 1 CtLight braid you can join to fluoro with a double uni.
Rapala RSD-1 Line ScissorsTrims the tag after the uni knot is seated.

Next knots

Sources: published uni knot instructions for steps and turn ranges. Seaguar InvizX diameter chart on Tackle Warehouse. Method on our methodology page.. Berkley, "Fishing knots 101"; Animated Knots, Uni Knot; PowerPro knot guide, for turn counts.