Alberto knot (modified albright) failing on cast

[MuskieBait]

Yes...Albright and Alberto knots are prone to slipping and failing.

You have to understand how the knot works in order to understand why it fails.

Both knots depends on tension on the line to hold the knot together. It is basically a Chinese finger trap, where the trap is created by a mesh of material (braid wrapped in criss cross around the leader). The tighter you pull, the more it grips and bites into the leader that is inside the trap.

When you cast, there may be episodes of tension/slack during the cast that tug/release your line. I suspect that it is these moments of "release" where the knot fails. It doesn't take too much of a slip for the criss cross wraps to become loose enough that the leader simply falls out. Tie an Alberto knot, and test it out by pinching your left fingers on the leader, pinching your right fingers on the braid, then repeatedly tugs and releases the line to generate episodes of tension/slack.

Some people reinforces the Albright or Alberto knot with a few half hitches...however, you cannot be careless about properly tightening of the knot before doing these half hitches, as the half hitches is only meant to keep the knot at a tensioned state, but not intended as a jam knot.

You already know which knot I use. If you think carefully about how the knots are tied, and what kind of key properties/elements within the knot are used to keep two lines together, you'll realize and understand how knots work or fail.

The uni-to-uni is a powerful jam knot. However, the knot is massive and the tag ends are perpendicular to the leader/mainline...and the tag end hits the guides on the cast, creating resistance on the cast leading to a decrease in distance. Jam knots are generally not prone to slipping though.

The reason I like my own version of the sebile/PR/slim beauty knot is that it combines elements of an effective Chinese finger trap, a helix of double line similar to a bimini that provides shock absorption, a jam knot that prevents slipping...and most importantly a connection where the direction of the leader tag is inline (parallel) to your braid so it is much more streamlined. The leader tag is never perpendicular to the mainline/leader. While the mainline (braid) is perpendicular, braid is flexible enough to cause little issue passing through the guide on the cast.

If you watch me tie my connection knot, you will see me put an effort to properly tension the criss crossing wraps before I start doing half hitches. You have to always remember that it is the wraps that keeps the knot together, not the figure 8 jam knot, or the half hitches. But tied properly, there are 3 different elements that actually prevent your knot from unraveling. Redundant? Yes...secure? Heck yeah! I'm not risking the biggest fish of my life to some hurriedly tied knot that is prone to slippage.

Yes, it takes time to tie...but "good things come to those who wait"