Losing a fish can be heartbreaking, the worst of course is when the hook pulls at the last second. But there are also times just after picking up the rod, or midway through playing, when the line just mysteriously goes slack and you're left standing there stunned.
Everytime this happens you question yourself, "what could I have done different?", "how can I prevent this from happening again?". And often the answer is to carry on, put it down to bad luck (because most of the time this doesn't happen), except when it does and it's monster on the end.
Although satisfied in the most part with how I fish, I am always looking to improve and be able to adapt. Often these things don't come in huge leaps like 'The hair rig' but smaller much less significant steps.
Leverage if you look it up means "the exertion of force by means of a lever", In our case we have a boilie fixed to the hook by use of a boilie stop. So given the right circumstances, the boilie can be used to exert force on the hook and used for leverage against the hook hold.
Through habit I guess I have always used a boilie stop, but then the original reason for it was to stop the bait coming off during the cast, not to keep it on.
I'll explain.
Before hair rigs (pre 1983) the bait (say a cube of luncheon meat) was threaded onto the hook. To keep it on during the cast we used all sorts of things but my favorite was a piece of fine dry spaghetti. The reason? It held like rock on the cast but softened so the hook would pull through on a strike when you got a run.
It was this that got me thinking about all the above and so now, whenever I can, I do without the boilie stop.
Since starting to do this I have noticed after catching a fish, that the boilie has been pulled off the hair...
It's simple, but the theory I think is sound and if it saves me from losing fish?

Update 23/05/2026
Since most of my fishing is done within 50 yards, hard casts are not required. Obviously if I have to punch it I put on a boile stop.
If I've got problem with birds diving on me I fire a boile over them to scare them away, however I'm not afraid to make a recast if I need to and I think this idea that you've got to cast out your Baits and leave them out there for 24 or 48 hours isn't really necessary, it seems to have become another one of those trends/methods that force people down routes which are not necessarily productive.
If I have to hardcast then I often use a PVA boilie stop as I still like to have the boilie slide off when pressure is put on it.
Testing it by pulling on the boile I have it so it needs a good pull to get it off hence the barb or a double tied knot when using braid type hairs.
It's all about reading the situation you are fishing in, adjusting as necessary and using the method that suits but keeping the ability for the boilie to slide off when put under pressure.
If you leave your Baits out for long periods they can go soft, so in this case I might use a hard hooker to counteract that problem because obviously the boilie will slide off much easier when the bait is softer.
Like I say I make adjustments determined on what the fishing situation is, it's not a hard and fast rule, I'm not religious about it I try to think about my fishing an adjust accordingly to give me the best options.
And I have to be honest I've never had a problem using this method because like I say I take into consideration all options, although some people would have you think that I don't and that it's a silly idea. But then they said that about the hair rig and now everybody uses it nobody would think of casting out a bait without using a hair rig. And you have to remember back in the day it was a one pound piece of nylon line!