salokcinnodrog

You may also find mainline braids are abrasive and can cut as the weave is often made up including Kevlar fibres. I've used Kryston coated braids myself for a long time, what is available in USA?

Every fish has been well hooked in the bottom lip. Since using it I have had a total of 3 hookpulls and some of them could be down to me putting too mch pressure on to keep fish away from snags. I've also had to cut the hookshank on a couple it has been so well hooked in the bottom lip.

Hi Nick can you run me through the pluses of this set up and reasoning behind it in more detail ? Thanks Phil The idea behind it was I knew the lake I was moving onto was fairly well pressured and had seen a lot of anglers, therefore a 'basic' rig could possibly have been sussed, especially if I couldn't get much bait out near the hookbait. I wanted a rig that I could use with or without bait around it. I was pretty positive that most anglers fished either bottom baits or pop-ups, and didn't bother putting much bait around the hookbait. The rig ring was to give total movement to the bait up and down the shank. I wanted a longer hair for the reason of not much bait going in, and highly fished for fish may well have gotten used to short hairs. Longer hair with a rig ring, even with an 18mm bait missing, I think that the bait was 15mm or so from the hookshank, and the ring gives total movement, and can be sucked in without twisting around the shank which may happen with a shank tied hair. Is it an advantage? I seemed to pick up a lot of fish that weren't being caught regularly. I think on my first season on the lake out of 9 trips I had something in the region of 15 carp, compared to local anglers who had on average 10 carp, on more nights than I was fishing. More than anything, it was my rig; I had the advantage of I could tie on a fresh hair without having to cut the rig down as I would if I had used a knotless knot or tied the hair on to the eye and then covered it with rig tubing. edited due to error of image quote NG

I mention my rig earlier in the thread, about the sliding ring on the hook shank. I came up with the idea after thinking about a totally free hair rig, and remembering a Rob Maylin picture years ago with a revolving hair, but the hair was above the hook eye on a ring, and could slide from a distance set on the hooklink, basically a pop-up rig. What I wanted was a set-up that I could use with a bottom bait, a pop-up or a snowman (critically balanced), using the pop-up to counter the bottom bait or weight of the hook. Since then I have used this set up with a combi rig, a braided or coated and stripped braid hooklink and it has worked on a number of waters. I'm not sure if it is my own rig, but it is my adaptation; I don't recall seeing anyone else use the idea, although I have no doubt that someone will lay claim to it : The rig pictured did actually have a snowman set-up, but when I retrieved it with fish attached the bottom bait had come off.

I'd worked on roughly 1/3rd of the depth past the marker float to be hitting the spot next to the marker float, can't remember where I got that figure from, Rod Hutchinson maybe. It likely means that we are also ending up well short of snags as well I believe Gary alluded to it earlier, yet maybe could have extended his ideas a bit more on the coiled or straight out hooklink? I was wondering, a braided hooklink is less likely to fall 'straight' out as opposed to a coated, or even combi-rig. Would that 'extending' presentation be more helpful on confidence? It is something that Jim Gibbinson did with concertina'ing braided rigs with Superstiff, so that after it dissolved, the rig would continue extending or unfolding past the 'safety point'.

That Ripslider, he really did some experimentation to prove or disprove things A person sorely missed on the forum I don't know if you have seen December's Carpology? In the Under the Surface series with Dennis MacFetrich (? spelling), a cast that didn't hit the clip or wasn't feathered, the hooklink ended up tangled around his anti-tangle tubing, presentable, but definitely a tangle. It takes hitting the clip or feathering to make sure that it doesn't tangle when PVA free. Also in the same issue, something I've said before, if the hook and bait is the second item(s) to hit the lakebed after the lead, then the hooklink, no matter what the material may loop up from the lakebed unless weighted down. It may be enough to put you or the fish off, but if the hook and bait is held up a while with a piece of foam, will sink down more slowly and naturally, or may need putty to pull it down. Another method I use when tying my stringers, is to attach the stringer near the lead as well as the hook, but in the process, throwing a loop or 2 around the hooklink. So I have a line of boilies from lead to hook (and beyond), but the looped PVA with boilies attached will also pull the hooklink down. It also obviously helps reduce tangles, and doesn't appear to put the fish off

Ok, so this weeks take was on the running lead, a combi-rig of about 15cms, which I must admit is fairly short to my usual way of thinking, and was fishing over dead weed with a snowman set-up. The carp was hooked properly in the bottom lip, and the run was an absolute screamer, even in the wind. The indicator pulled up, and line was continuously being taken until I hit the rod. Is this any use? http://www.carp.com/carp-forum/viewtopic.php?t=9536&highlight=complicated

Whoops Typo''''''''Foot''' I never got on with ' and " for feet and inches either I always get it muddled up - mm are much easier to work with. Although I do switch between the two! Depths and rod lengths in feet and inches, rig lengths in milli or centimetres. Fish weights and breaking strains in lbs and ounces (or lbs only in my case), yet most other weights in kilos. Confused? I sure am

I'm also a fan of braided or coated braid and stripped back section for hooklinks. I feel that the supple and soft feel is more like a piece of weed than a stiffer hooklink material should the carp be able to differentiate. Years ago I tried the silly experiment of putting a piece of braid across my lips, I could hardly feel it, yet do the same with mono or fluorocarbon and I could feel it. I also think that hooklink materials may also need to be considered in how you are fishing or the fishes feeding action. If a fish is lifting straight up then a straightened or stiffer material may be felt faster than a coiled up or naturally landed braided material. Another advantage with braid is that even longer hooklinks can be put in a PVA bag for when the fish are wary of shorter hooklinks.

Whoops Typo''''''''Foot''' I never got on with ' and " for feet and inches either

I've got a feeling I may be missing out when fishing pop-ups as I do prefer the bait tight to the shank. For ages I felt that a fish mouthed the pop-up to take it, rather than sucked it in. Yet reading through this thread, and also on something I read in Tim Paisleys Big Carp ages ago with a pop-up on a long hair as Brian Garner was fishing on The Mangrove, may produce some big fish that wouldn't otherwise often get caught. It may also explain why I missed out on a couple of particular fish from Brackens that I never managed to catch on my favoured set-up, (mind you, there could be other potential reasons, or I could also have lost them). Yet strangely my favoured hook set-up with a snowman also produced 3 30's that had never been caught before. I write "hook set-up" as the hook patterns and attachment were the same, although 2 were caught on a combi version of the rig, and 1 on a coated braid with a stripped section.

I don't think that there are many adaptations of the basic hair rig that will catch you any more fish than the standard hair rig, but there are a couple of useful tweaks Many anglers say that they are fishing a hair rig, yet the truth is that they are fishing the bait so tight to the hook shank that they may as well be fishing a shank mounted bait, or the hair is so short with minimal gap that the hair is not being fished as it was originally worked out by Kevin Maddocks, Lennie Middleton et al. In most cases simply by lengthening the hair then results can be improved. Sure it takes confidence to fish a bait 25mm or more away from the hook if you have been fishing the bait tight to the hook, but it does work I use pretty much the same rigs for all of my fishing, but I fish a set-up that I can alter the hair length to suit my fishing. It may mean that I have a rig ring on the hook shank, but it is not necessarily fished on the "blowback" principle, but more so I have an easy attachment to change the hair length to suit. As it stands, I also think that with how or where I attach a "stop bead" or mini float stop on the hook, when the bait is sucked in the hook point drops naturally into position for going into the bottom lip.

I believe the original intention was with the hair leaving after just a couple of twists of the KK and a critically balanced bait. Is the KD fashionable because of its supposed effectiveness, or because it has been renamed after Kenny Dorset? (it was first fished long before the current reinvention and re-naming in the magazines) Would getting the feeding "right" possibly with a bit more bait in the first place make the KK or basic hair rig as as effective? Or would a standard Knotless knotted hook work better if it was fished with a line aligner or shrink tube "kicker"? I've not used the KD rig in its current fashionable state, I have simply adapted the standard knotless knotted set-up, or used something totally different, by the amount fed so that I have gotten the fish feeding almost pre-occupied if possible. Or correctly, since I can't see the fish picking up (and likely ejecting) my hookbait in the middle of the pond, I have fed so that I get some takes that lead to proper runs and a hooked fish. That is not in the slightest to say that more advanced rigs don't work, but sometimes there is no reason to change rigs, when possibly getting the fish to feed more comfortably may be a better bet, and just changing the standard hair or rig length could be all it takes.

Always just one thing at a time I know it is a lot to think about, but you have plenty of ideas and experience from a number of good people that will help you catch. Have fun with the daughter and work, they always come first, unfortunately sometimes before fishing

A number of reasons for hookpulls, and even how much you feed could be part of it. You are getting takes, but the fish aren't confident, so it could be a case of making more food available so the fish are competing for it, or aren't as wary. Usually the first thing I do when I get hookpulls is simply to lengthen the hair. I work on the theory that if I am hooking deeply in the mouth then the hair and/or rig length is too long. If in the bottom dead centre the hair is right, and if I'm losing fish then the hair is too short. I noticed that you are fishing fluorocarbon hooklinks, it may be that the rig and hair is too stiff, especially if you are fishing a knotless knot continuation hair. It could be a case that simply by changing to a more supple hooklink or even just hair material you solve the problem. This fashion for fishing the hair leaving the hook at the base of the bend of the hook is also a possibility. Have a look at this: , that may explain hookpulls. I did however notice your last post, and they are occuring when playing the fish, usually to me that is a sign that you are giving the fish a lot of "teddy", (as per my last few fish losses), especially when they are close to the net. The rods may not be at fault, but simply that you are trying to force them in, not allowing the fish to take line when they are too fresh during the fight. Not necessarily slacken off, but don't try to play them so hard, give a little line, let the fish have its head, play around and gain line when they let you, not attempting to gain line all the time, if that makes sense. The hookhold in that case may be a factor, the pressure during the fight from a bait that has not been taken in and then you are really adding to a "weak" hookhold is simply pulling the hook out, so again, look at hair length.

I don't think that with running leads rig length is as critical as it is with semi-fixed. Because the line is able to run freely through the run ring until the slack is taken up, the rig length is effectively infinite. I don't follow into this theory that the lead will scare the carp either, as a lead on the lakebed pretty much looks like a stone, or will sink into the silt or clay. The main reason for lengthening the link is to avoid the lead pulling the whole hooklink into silt, which may happen with extremely short hooklinks, and to avoid the looping up effect that does happen with most hooklink materials. Obviously shorter hooklinks work better for long distance fishing, with less chance or "wrap round". After all that, I don't want a very short hooklink, or something excessively long. I have a preference for a hooklink of around 20centimetres, either a combi rig that is tangle free, can be cast a fair distance without tangling, fished with or without a bag or stringer or a coated braid hooklink that works the same. If I'm going to fish with PVA bags,mesh or stringers every cast then I will often switch back to plain braid.

but this line is misleading...as a hivis pop up i dont think hooks them because they are feeding, it the "what thats" factor and they mouth it,may be with no intention of feeding Your right mate - it is misleading. With a single, hi vis bait or over flavoured bait for instance, you are sort of enticing them to take a taste even though they may not be feeding. That is an act of bait application though - you’re not trying to get them on the munch as you believe, at that moment in time, they don't want a big feed - just an inquisitive taste. Any sort of big baiting approach in this situation would probably hinder your chances? It still wouldn't make much difference if that single bait was presented on a 'standard' pop up rig, a chod or a hinged stiff rig for instance. It’s the baiting strategy that is getting you the pickup. I've been saying that for years the baiting situation and whether the carp will feed on the bait will determine if you get a take or not. If the fish won't pick up the hookbait because they aren't comfortable with what is down there, then you simply won't get a run or any chance. It may be that they avoid massive beds of bait, or it may be that they simply won't pick up a single hookbait fished on its own with nothing around it. I don't think that it is the lead that hooks the fish either, but the speed at which it hits the lead or rod tip (running leads as the line tightens), or the strike.

That's my view as well, but even though you know that they are falsch, you still do it Far better to use a turkey baster style test in the bath to work out how a rig behaves under water

My only difference from Jez is that I often use a rig ring on the shank of the hook. It is not necessarily there for the sliding or blowback properties that it may offer, but for the simple reason that I can adjust the hair length to suit my fishing. I can attach a longer or shorter hair to the ring to suit the fishing. I prefer to use a snowman presentation, it makes it more difficult in my mind to eject a "strange" shaped bait. Rigs often fail the "palm test", yet would pass the "thumb test", but whether they fail both or not, getting the feeding situation right will mean that your hookbait is taken in more often. Then if you have got the hair length right you may hopefully get a decent hook-up and land the fish. It is down, in my eyes, because people don't feed the situation correctly, that rigs become failures on many waters. That is about the one thing that Korda Underwater Series show correctly. The fish get away with it most of the time, but the DVD's have made us paranoid and make us think that we can improve the ratio. The truth is that we can't just by piddling around with rigs.

My only difference from Jez is that I often use a rig ring on the shank of the hook. It is not necessarily there for the sliding or blowback properties that it may offer, but for the simple reason that I can adjust the hair length to suit my fishing. I can attach a longer or shorter hair to the ring to suit the fishing. I prefer to use a snowman presentation, it makes it more difficult in my mind to eject a "strange" shaped bait. Rigs often fail the "palm test", yet would pass the "thumb test", but whether they fail both or not, getting the feeding situation right will mean that your hookbait is taken in more often. Then if you have got the hair length right you may hopefully get a decent hook-up and land the fish. It is down, in my eyes, because people don't feed the situation correctly, that rigs become failures on many waters.

When I look at lost fish, I tend to consider that the hook and bait didn't go in deep enough, so I tend to consider that either I wasn't feeding enough to get the fish comfortable feeding and able to get the bait in properly, or if I can't change the baiting situation I tend to lengthen the hair and/or rig length. There is no reason to change the rig itself, unless you are using something super complicated, in which case go back to basics and a simple knotless knot and hair, or on occasions switch from that simple rig and just add a line aligner. The rig itself is very rarely a problem, just getting the fish to take the bait deeply by giving more separation with a longer hair.

so you cant remember the thread name either?? I can't remember everything

http://www.carp.com/carp-forum/viewtopic.php?t=54261&highlight=knot Maybe that one with the snell http://www.carp.com/carp-forum/viewtopic.php?t=53348&highlight=knot http://www.carp.com/carp-forum/viewtopic.php?t=53343&highlight=kryston http://www.carp.com/carp-forum/viewtopic.php?t=51628&highlight=kryston A few to have a go at

I wouldn't tie a basic overhand knot in a hooklink material, and even if I would, I can't tie small loops very easily as I have arthritis in my fingers An overhand knot is one of the first knots to give way and break under pressure I'd rather use a Rapala/loop knot

While I agree that the Multi rig is useful in that you can change your hook should you need to without scrapping a whole hooklink, it can make for awkward or even difficult rig manipulation in the tying of the loop for the hook. Come to that, on a standard presentation of the kk with line aligner, I have caught a number of same fish all on the same rig. I cast out a rig at Merrington, landed a 26, then used that same rig for a number of other fish at Hintlesham until I lost, or fragged it. We often overcomplicate things for the sake of it, and in many cases probably change hooks when we don't need to due to the "I change my hook after every fish" by whoever in the magazines. Sure, it may be required, but much of that is down to sponsorship, and so and so having to increase tackle sales for his tackle company. Don't get me wrong, I can probably go through a whole list of rigs that I have used and tied up, and caught on, yet in many or even most cases, it simply isn't needed. Knotless knotted rig, and standard presentation accounts for probably 90% of carp caught, and captures of other species as well