tryzard

I think the general view that you should stick to simple rigs which work for you is absolutely correct. It is quite good fun to play around with rigs during the fishless hours of a long session though. On my latest session I had a copy of the May edition of Carpworld in which Frank Warwick describes a fairly complicated affair he calls the Pulley Rig. So I tied one up, put it on one rod and hooked a fish (which was subsequently lost in heavy weed). So the rig worked but would I have hooked it on my usual rig? Therein lies the problem!

I doubt that very much Nick! I've just been lucky so far I guess. Bet your life it'll happen next time out now!

That's strange Nick. I can honestly say I've never cracked off casting a marker float (or a spod come to that).

I've never lost any tackle using a commercial brand of marker braid straight through. Adding a leader is more likely to cause losses as you'll then have a weak point i.e. the knot!

So would I but using a leader won't give me one! Seriously though, I wondered if there was a particular angling problem you were trying to solve. Nick has pretty much hit the nail on the head and I would be reluctant to weaken my setup with a knot above the lead.

May I ask why?

A comprehensive, well-written review Steve. I would comment on one aspect (or is it two?). The soil surrounding the complex is clay based and becomes very wet and "claggy" in inclement conditions. This makes access to the swims to the east (furthest from the A12) side by vehicle impossible at times in summer and almost permanently in winter. By the same token, the banks of some of the swims (whatever their position) can also become very uncomfortable to fish. I recall spending 24 hours on the venue in February walking around with 5lb of mud clinging to each boot!

The whole point of this rig is to be able to use a zig rig in deep water and avoid casting and tangling problems with very long hooklengths. That is what it was designed for - nothing to do with controller floats on the surface. It's simply a development of a setup that pike anglers have been using for a while to present a bait midwater. There is no point in using it in shallowish water. The bait or foam used only has to support the weight of the hook and a short hooklength, the float supports the rest. I suggest you don't knock it until you've tried it - it works, and I've caught plenty of carp on it (so have others, particularly on St Johns at Linear where I think it was first used). On the face of it, it would appear to be a helluva contraption to have in the water but the carp don't seem to mind!

I use it all the time. It is basically a rig for bottom baits but it also works well for popups if you break the coating just below the loop which holds the hook and put your shot/putty behind it. The rig doesn't work with fluorcarbon as the rig ring which is attached to the hair doesn't slide along the loop effectively.

Yes.

The float trapped on a length of stiff link virtually eliminates tangling.

There is absolutely no answer to that!

Yes, if it looks something like this:

Doesn't anyone else use the sub-surface float method fished with a running lead?

Here's a couple of links for anyone wanting to know about zig rigs: http://www.totalcarpmagazine.com/Videos/category_7/video_96/ http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/cheap-fishing-tackle/free-downloads/carp-fishing/the-zig-rig/prod_96.html

Worked this time Jim. Map is on its way.

PM me your email Jim, as I said previously.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it! I get all my fish on this rig so it sure works for me!

I use a Korda Kurv hook instead of the long shank. I also find it works better with a hooklength of around 9".

I've been using Mike Kavanagh's Multi-Rig D-Rig for well over a year now. http://www.bevancarptackle.co.uk/tipstricks.html Anyone else given it a try?

Jimbo, if you PM me an email address I'll send you a map showing the best two swims on the lake!

Jimbo, I wouldn't call it a runs water but you can get a big hit if you get the fish going. I've had as many as 15 fish in a day session. Your proposed rig is fine but I would use a single bottom bait fished over loosefed boilies, at least 18mm. Forget the bag and pellets and crushed boilies or it'll be "Good morning Mr Bream"! Plumb around to find the clear spots but you'll be surprised at how little weed there is round the back end of the lake. My best advice about the weed is don't worry about it, the fish don't! In another couple of weeks it'll be the best time of the year to fish Chigboro, so give it a whirl!

Hi Jimbo, I've fished Chigboro quite a bit over the years. It could be a really nice venue if it was managed properly but it gets more than its fair share of morons. Also, there have been quite a few instances of theft from parked cars. However, there are some nice fish to over 30lb in there. I caught my current PB common of 27.12 there. My first bit of advice is to ignore the main part of the lake where the numpties and manic spodders tend to congregate and try the quieter, deeper areas around the back. There is also less weed here. Secondly, there are loads of bream into double figures present so using pellets, particles etc. will give you a lot of problems. Go with a boilie only approach. I now only fish Chigboro a couple of times in the Spring when the fish are into their pre-spawning munch and ignore the place during the rest of the year. It's rammed with doughnuts in Summer and it's very hard in Winter. Best of luck fella.

It's easy mate, I just make it up as I go along! (Not really!)

There's an awful lot of complicated science on this subject but not much of it relates to fish. Lead split shot and the smaller sizes of lead weights were originally banned because of the incidence of birds (particularly swans) being poisoned by swallowing them. There was then no evidence that larger weights made from lead caused any ecolological problems and, as far as I can tell, this remains the case. In humans, lead poisoning is more commonly caused by ingestion or inhalation. There is very little data on absorption, which is how fish take on these toxins. Lead toxicity is measured in parts per million (ppm). In humans, mild symptoms of lead poisoning may occur at a level of 0.45ppm in the bloodstream. Assuming that all the lead is absorbed immediately into the blood (which it is not) a human would have to drink more than 2 litres of water containing 1ppm of dissolved lead. If this water came from a lake which is 1 acre in size with a uniform depth of 1 metre, there would have to be 47x3oz leads totally dissolved in it to reach the 1ppm level. Given that: 1. Lead dissolves extremely slowly in water. 2. Absorption rates are nothing like 100%. 3. Fish are known to have a higher level of tolerance to toxins. is there a problem? I would conclude there is not, and anglers would have to lose enough leads to raise the water level in lakes to make it one!