Tony Orton's magic knot

Many years ago, while fishing in Costa Rica for mahimahi and billfish, a deckhand showed me a knot. It was being used to connect 37-45kg (80- 100lb) wind-on leaders to 15kg mainline, and was strong, simple, and very easy to tie. In fact, it one of the simplest knots I have been shown.

But, sadly, I forgot how it was tied (not looking too smart now, am I?). This was especially galling as I like to keep my fishing rigs and terminal tackle as simple and light as possible, so this knot would have fitted my MO perfectly.

In particular, I saw this compact mono-to-leader connection enabling more natural bait presentation – perfect for roles such as stray-lining baits for snapper. It would also be well suited for attaching 50-130lb wind-on leaders to monofilament mainline.

So, last year, while back in Costa Rica, one of my goals was to have a chat with the local deckhands and hopefully be shown the knot again – and this time not forget it!

To my relief, this was achieved, and now I’m in a position to pass on the details of this magic knot to you! (See overleaf.)

When first looking at the knot, it seems far too simple to be strong enough, but I can assure you it is. I have caught marlin, sailfish, mahimahi, yellowfin tuna and the good old Kiwi snapper using this knot, and never had it fail.

To this day I still do not know what the name of this knot is – I’d love to hear from someone who does!

Tony’s magic knot

1: Create a loop on your main line with either a Bimini Twist or Surgeon’s Loop. Insert the leader up though the loop and place the tip of your middle finger against the leader so it’s held in place inside the loop’s end.

2:Twist the leader’s tag-end around the back of the loop.

3: Pull the leader tag-end back over the top of the loop and back under the opposite end of the leader.

4: Pull the leader end tight, keeping your finger in the knot for as long as possible to ensure it pulls up evenly.