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IGFA Corporate
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 SAFE AND EFFECTIVE RIGS
Bait presentation and rig mechanics are key factors to our success rate, and should be devised with great thought. But rigs are also one of the components of our armoury most likely to harm fish if we don’t include carp safety in our plans.
There are far too many rigs today to attempt to dress up a list and rate them in terms of safety, if only because it takes dozens of outings and catches to establish how safe a single rig is. I have decided instead to run through two of the rigs I use most, and detail why they are both effective and safe carp rigs.
I really believe that the effectiveness and the safe aspect of a rig are strongly linked, as both lie on the location and the strength of the hook hold. It is paramount that the mechanics of your rig ensure the hook does not penetrate in the sides of the fish’s mouth, close to the fragile barbules or by the scissors where the skin is softer and thinner (area circled in green). Upper lip holds are also detrimental to the fish, as they create a real risk of tearing up the curtain running alongside and above the upper lip (circled in red). |
 A strong hook hold centred beyond the bottom lip really is what we’re after, giving us plenty of chances to land the fish, and reducing dramatically the risk of mouth damage at the same time. To achieve that we need a presentation and overall buoyancy allowing the bait to get sucked fairly far in, and with mechanics that turn the hook point downwards on ejection.
The blow-back snowman rig
This rig offers fantastic hook penetration exactly where we want it, time and time again, whether it is fished with bottom baits or balanced baits. The way the bait is allowed to travel far back (beyond the eye of the hook) leaves the hook point completely clear for a good penetration. The bent piece of shrink tube exaggerating the in-turned eye ensures the point turns downwards. I like long shank patterns as they ensure a strong hold and prevent sliding and rotating movement of the hook once it has penetrated, thereby minimising the risk of both hook pulls and mouth damage.
-This rig is most effective fished fairly long and with hooks ranging from size 9 to 5.
- It is vital to match the size of the bait to the size of your hook, and also to match the size of the rig ring to the size of the hook eye, so that the ring can’t slide over the eye.
-I use Coretex® coated braid, the new Armapoint® LS hook and Fox round Teflon rig rings of 2 or 3mm diameter depending on hook size.
It is best to strip back about one inch of the coated braid in order to increase the capability of the hook to pivot upon ejection. |
 The 360° swivel rig
I have used this rig with great success on many waters where fish are more finicky and where people tend to experience more hook pulls than usual. I use a hook pattern that has had bad press in the past, I think mainly because it was used in the wrong types of set ups. I have used this pattern with this particular set up since 2003, and it has always delivered the same, clinical hook hold that ensures no damage is caused. This rig is a perfect trap, it even looks it when you put it in the margins and watch at the undertow making the hook rotate slowly around the swivel. The success of this rig resides in the fact that the hook pivots every time and that it is impossible for a carp to get any tension on the hook.
-This rig is most effective fished fairly long and with hooks ranging from size 9 to 5.
- It is vital to match the size of the bait to the size of your hook, and also to match the size of the swivel to the size of the hook eye, so that the swivel can’t slide over the eye. Finally, it is also vital to match the size of the swivel to the size of the bait, as it counterweights it, allowing the hook to stand straight on its eye.
-I use Coretex® coated braid, the new Armapoint® LSC hook, “rig’n’ring stops” kits and flexi ring swivels.
As the braid is left coated all the way through, I like to put a bit of rig putty along the rig to make sure it is all pinned down and doesn’t bow.
Achieving the cleanest possible hook hold will ensure both landing the fish and doing it safely. To increase fish safety, the type of materials we use to build our rigs is also very important:
-Coated braids prevent cuts around the lips and scissors that can otherwise occur during long powerful fights. Sharp, low diameter braids should never be used for tying hook links.
-I am firmly against the use of barbless hooks in the query of large fish, as they slide, rip and double hook easily, when a barbed hook offers a strong, firm hook hold. It is always easy to crush the barb prior to unhooking if necessary. Bigger hooks with extra strong gauge are prone to leave the fish injured, and they are not really justified, even on big continental waters where big, strong fish are regularly landed on size 5 or even 6 hooks.
-Strong hooks with immaculate points will ensure a steady hook hold, so I discard hooks as soon has they have lost sharpness or registered the slightest bend.
-Protecting the swivel linking the rig to the leader or leadcore will also prevent damaging the fish, and the new Fox sleeves used in conjunction with the “kwik link” swivel do a perfect job. |
 Nowadays I really tend to leave pop up rigs for single bait tactics, as presenting a popped up bait on a bed of free offerings can often result in foul hooking, as the carp get hooked whilst rolling on the bait or “hoovering” it in , and the resulting damage can be nasty.
I believe we should always discard a rig that has provoked some damage to the fish, and ban it from our weaponry.
Both the “Carp Rigs” DVD and the guide to Modern Carp Fishing” edited by Fox contain a mine of information on safe, effective carp rigs.
I believe there are no excuses for the mutilated fish we can still come across on the continent or in the UK alike, when the rules to apply for tying hook links that are both safe and effective are known. I believe the more experienced anglers have a duty to promote fish safety in general and safe rigs in particular, at a time when our sport welcomes more newcomers than ever before. So join us on the blog to share your views on effective rigs!
I’ll be back to talk about safe lead arrangements, until then tight lines! |
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Stefan Hanff
