The Homer Rhode loop is an easy loop knot that puts a loop right above your lure or hook, and in this How 2 Tuesday I tie it in braided coated wire instead of mono. You tie an overhand in the wire, pass the tag through the hook, run it back through the overhand, and tie a second overhand around the standing line to form the loop. Three Homer Rhode loops in 30 pound Berkley braided coated wire averaged 30.41 pounds, an impressive 101% breaking strength.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
You tie an overhand in the wire, pass the tag end through the hook, go back through the overhand you created, then tie another overhand above that around the standing line. Pull the knots together and you have formed a loop right above the lure or hook, just like the mono version.
In my test it averaged 101% breaking strength, which is remarkable. I tied and broke three loops in 30 pound Berkley braided coated wire. They failed at 29.18, 30.81, and 31.24 pounds, for an average of 30.41 pounds against a 30 pound rating.
In fluorocarbon the Homer Rhode averaged 68.1% for me, but in 30 pound braided coated wire it averaged 101%. The braided coated wire holds the knot differently than slick mono, so the same loop knot that gave up strength in fluoro essentially retained the full rating of the wire.
I used 30 pound Berkley braided coated wire. It is the kind of toothy-fish leader where a clean, easy loop knot is genuinely useful, and it is what produced the 101% average across three knots.
Based on this test, yes. Averaging 101% in 30 pound braided coated wire means the knot essentially held the full strength of the wire while still giving your lure a free-swinging loop. That combination makes it a strong choice for wire leader.
A loop above your lure or hook lets the bait move freely, which can matter a lot for action. The Homer Rhode gives you that loop and, in this braided coated wire test, did it without sacrificing strength, which is the best of both worlds.
When I tested the Homer Rhode in fluorocarbon it gave up a lot of strength, so I was genuinely curious what would happen in braided coated wire. Wire behaves nothing like mono in a knot, and I wanted to see whether the same loop knot would hold up differently in a material designed for toothy fish.
Here is the sequence I use to tie the Homer Rhode loop in braided coated wire.
I walk through every step on camera in the episode. Press play in the player above.
This is what made the test fascinating. The exact same Homer Rhode loop that gave up nearly a third of its strength in fluorocarbon came back at 101% in braided coated wire. The material under the knot changes everything. I dig into why the coated wire grips the turns so well in the episode, so press play in the player above.
If you are chasing toothy fish on braided coated wire and you want your lure to swing, this is a knot worth knowing. Getting full strength and free movement in the same connection is rare. I talk through the leader situations where I would tie this in the episode. Watch the tie and the test, and press play in the player above.
A day after this one, the lesson that stuck is that a knot and its material are a team. The Homer Rhode that struggled in fluoro thrived in wire.
Never assume a knot's number carries over to a different material. Test it in what you actually fish. This one earned a 101% in braided coated wire, and that surprised me in the best way. Press play in the player above.
Homer Rhode loop knot · braided coated wire · 30 pound Berkley braided coated wire · wire leader · breaking strength testing · How 2 Tuesday
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
I’m Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast’s How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill or lesson at a time, from fishing technique and gear to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
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