salokcinnodrog

I just use a Thumbnail. If you get a pair of those plastic Child Safety scissors they are supposed to be good for breaking the coating.

Have a look at Carp-R-Us Nailers, they are available in Barbed and Barbless. I used them at Earith a couple of years ago, due to the Barbless only Rule. I liked them so much after use that I use them for a lot of my fishing now by choice. Over 2 years I had 1hookpull on them, and that could have been my fault as I put a lot of pressure on to hold a fish away from a reedbed. (may have been a rig problem though). Either way after lengthening the hair I didn't lose another fish. In 2 seasons I lost count of the fish I landed on them it was so many. The biggest Carp I landed on them was a 25lb Common, with no problems Longshank Nailer for Pop-ups and ordinary Nailer for Bottom Baits.

Fox, and Carp-R-us Shrink Tube are the best 2 I have found.

Wasn't the original Multistrand by Nash and had to be split down for use as it had a Green weave through some of it? Snakebite, Multistrand with a coating, untwisted.

You must have gone forward onto it. and just stopped there. Besides, how many people got on with it effectively? easy to tangle unless you take care with Superstiff or thick tubing and Stringers. Not many people took the trouble to think about it's use. Less pressure on Multistrand users to be different as the lack of numbers using it mean its different anyway. :D Seriously why change something that works for you?

I have a 3rd edition I was very kindly given. Carp Fever, while about fishing in the 70's and 80's, much/most of it is still relevant today. Kevin Maddocks and the other contributors were responsible for some of the most important advances in Carp Fishing. Their Bait Development, Hair rig Invention and even Tackle Development are still in use today. Kevin Maddocks was streets ahead of some of the other names when it came to catching fish and his ideas that would put fish on the Bank. Rod Hutchinson's "The Carp Strikes Back" is another book that even today is a must read. His Bait knowledge and research are still in use today as well. Dacron is really the first step out from Mono Hooklinks that were in use, as there were few viable alternatives; although Richard Walker had used Braided Nylon as it was not so stiff as MonoFilament. If you think about it we are heading back full circle and the Pressure Cycle is trying to confuse the Carp as to what they are used to picking up. After Dacron do you go back or forward to Multistrand? lol:D :D

Kryston Super Mantis in either Gold or original, depending on the Bottom colour.

Or as Jemsue says, use a piece of Shrink Tubing over the eye, another pic attached. This rig has accounted for a 23.8 Fully scaled from my Reservoir. The hook is a Size 8 Carp-R-Us Nailer.

Pic attached, simple Hair rig tied with 15lb Kryston Merlin. Size 8 swivel, Mustad hook ( pre-release sample) knotless knotted and hair formed from continuation of braid. Incidentally this is actually one of my Bench Test rigs, not one I've used in actual fishing. Although I use the same rig, just not with the Hook shown, I have been using Carp-R-Us Nailers for my actual fishing. The hooks have now been released and there is a thread on Mustad Carp hooks

Nice to see a debate on zig rig hooklengths that doesn't degenerate into Name Calling! I must admit that I use the Carp-R-Us Clearwater Fluorocarbon as it has stretch and no memory, although in the past I have used Match Hooklengths. The only reason I changed is because on 1 water I fish the Carp are heavily fished for by Match Anglers with suspended baits, so I looked for something different from what they were doing.

Thats the thing. Most rigs were designed to do a specific job on a specific water. The Hutchinson Sliding Hair Rig, the Withy Pool Rig and The D-Rig are all examples. A simple hair rig WILL work on most waters, but once the Carp start getting wary the majority of the time the easy way to start catching again is to lengthen the Hair and/or Hooklength. The Withy Pool Rig if I remember rightly was designed for Fish that were not willing to take High Pop-ups that were needed to counter the Crayfish in Withy Pool, i.e the pop-up was being ejected too easily, so a long curved extension was added to make it difficult to eject. Who is to say that the Savay Rig would not have worked? Incidentally I believe it was Zenon Bojko who designed the Helicopter Rig, not for fishing in Silt, but for its Tangle free Long Distance Casting Properties. (Beekay's "Carp" by Rob Maylin). It was discovered that by having a top bead set further up the line that a good silt set-up could be created, and was published by Tim Paisley in Big Carp, over 10years ago.

Strangley enough the "simple" rigs that work well are the same rigs that I was fishing effectively with over 10years ago. My PB came on a double 18mm bottom bait on a long hair, line aligned braid hooklength of 20cms, those same rigs are still working for me today. The only thing that I have changed is the hook itself, as I found that with a Drennan Super Specialist the point got taken off too easily on gravel. When I caught my PB I actually lowered the End Tackle into the water so I could see that it had gone down safely. The hooks I use now are the Carp-R-Us Nailers, Centurions and Owners, these hooks on the same rigs have produced plenty of Big Fish for me up to 26lbs, and some of them from pressured waters; Yew Tree, Taverham Mills amongst others. The one thing that has changed is I have gone from a Semi-Fixed Lead to a Running Lead, for 2 reasons: 1) Everyone and his dog seems to fish a Semi-Fixed lead or Helicopter rig. 2) I feel I get better and more instant Indication with a Running Lead. Yet I know the best for Indication would be a Paternoster rig, but you actually have to be sat on the rods to hit a take, as many of my fish come at night I can't be awake for 24hours, although someone will say that I seem never to sleep:p I think until someone comes up with something new on this subject ,and there is a lot of it, I'm going over stuff that has been said before.

Joshmac, you need to qualify that statement. Maybe you don't tie your knots carefully enough, you may need to find the brand of Fluorocarbon that suits you. You may even be using the wrong knot for fluorocarbon lines. If you use the wrong knot it will fracture and break at the knot, or even if you don't tighten your knots carefully enough. I have had no problems with it, always use either the loop knot on Kryston packaging or a Uni knot and lubricate and tighten my knots very carefully and slowly.

Glad you got it! Its the knot I use myself, but couldn't describe it myself any better than Coops did. I knew I had seen it on Kryston packaging, but had thrown it away or I would have scanned it for you.

Something that doesn't show up in water! Maybe try a fluorocarbon. I've got some Carp-R-Us Clearwater for Zig Rigs and floater fishing. :D

From the Description Coops gives it is pictured in Kryston packaging I think.

Fish with what you have confidence in. I don't often use fluorocarbon for hooklinks as I am Confident in Braids and Coated Braids. Have a look at the Carp Fishing is simple thread, there is a picture of one of my rigs on there.

Helicopter Rigs are one of the least understood things about Carp Fishing Tackle. First, Make sure you use a Safe system that if the Carp breaks the line it can eject the lead from the rig. What distance you likely to be fishing at? Within reason the further out you are fishing will depend on the Lead size you need to use, but don't overload your rods. I tie the lead straight onto the Tail end of the Shockleader that I use, and cover the join with a Solar Bead or Tulip Bead. The little bead protects the Knot. Then a Ordinary rubber Bead so the the swivel can turn. Then another rubber bead to hold the swivel in place. The shockleader goes through the middle of tubing, which protects the line. I normally have the tubing about 5cm longer than the rig so that even with Braid I don't get a tangle. Notice in the pic I have used rubber beads. This is so under pressure in event of a breakage the Carp can eject the Lead and the Rig will slide off the tubing I have actually cracked off even with a 40lb shockleader, but because the Carp can eject the rig there is no Danger to the Carp. I would not recommend putting Lead wire or Putty to hold the Tubing down as this can prevent the Rig sliding off and make it a Death Rig. Incidentally use a better lead than I have, this was just for explanation purposes. Finally is there really a need for a Helicopter rig? A standard Pendulum Lead set up works far better in weedy waters, and casts nearly as far and if fished properly is Tangle Free.

I must admit I have never used crimped rigs for Carp Fishing, yet do for Pike fishing and Sea fishing. In my case it comes down to confidence and my preferring Braids for Carp Fishing. I could comfortably tie Mono/Amnesia rigs down to about 5centimetres until last year on my occasional need to use them. A few broken fingers later after an accident and I may see a need to change:rolleyes: , or more likely to keep on using Braid;)

Diamond Eye tube threader, easy, job done. Had mine for years, only problem is with some of the very thin softtubing that I like to use. Another way is to make sure that you cut the line at an angle so it goes through the tube and then keep the tubing pointing straight down by hanging a lead from the bottom end. I normally have a paper clip with one end I have filed to a point and push it through the very end of the tubing. Hang a lead on it and the tubing stays straight as you thread it. :D

My thoughts exactly. I just fish with what I'm comfortable with, which is mostly Super Mantis and my standard hooking arrangement.

I know of a few Match type anglers who have been using Braided Hooklinks for quite a few years. Originally heard of them using Kryston Multistrand and splitting it down into the BS they needed. I know now that you have some very fine braids from ESP/Drennan that are about.

Well we've tried telling them! :D MAKE YOUR OWN! lol:p

Me neither, I check every single knot of my own, and if I'm slightly worried about it, cut and retie! The number of times I've caught fish just by lengthening a hair or rig length is amazing!

Still prefer to tie my own! What happens if you need to change/extend the length of a hair or rig?