This forms a stand off loop in a rig body line which can be used to mount a hook trace to. Ideal for rough ground fishing where tackle losses may be heavy.

It's also a useful knot for creating stand off points for attaching short traces to boat rigs when you want to fish two Mr Twister type lures, redgill artificial eels, or plastic squid skirts above a metal jig or pirk when rough ground or wreck fishing. In the UK we call this "killer gear" as it's so effective with cod, pollack and ling to record size.

For the average beach rig take a 36" length of 60lb mono. Some 20" up from one end, pull the upper short free end down and around to form a large loop. The free end is now passed over and behind the held line and brought through the open loop, then twisted around the upper loop section 6 to 8 times. Now tease open the middle of the twists at the top of the loop. Grip the bottom of the hanging loop and form it in to a sharp loop shape passing this lower loop fully through the open twist and pull tight the loose ends. This forms an open loop that stands out from the rig body line.

Built on heavy 60lb plus mono expect a strength factor of about 85%, but this knot is not recommended for full power casting as, under heavy casting pressures, the knot continues to try to tighten which can impair rig body strength resulting in a breakage a fraction of a second prior to lead release.

The best way to attach hook traces to this loop is to form a loop with two overhand knots in the end of the hook trace. Pass the hook trace loop over the stand off loop and bring the hook upwards and through the inside of the stand off loop to form a solid connection. Done like this, it presents the hook trace in a stand off position eliminating any possible tangles.

Alternatively, make the stand off loop large, then cut just one end of the loop line near the knot to create a single stand off length of line. Now attach a lighter hook trace by using the tournament leader knot described above. The heavy stand off line acts like a boom and keeps the hook trace further away from the rig body. This can be useful in clear water conditions when fish are shy.