I'll admit defeat, I wanted to hear I could make the short rig work but only to try to think outside the box since to be fair it does often pay to be different, fished with my dad for years and I fished the hinged stiff this weekend and he fished the paternoster above, to my humiliation he bagged the fish I was after with a proper Cheshire cat grin! However, my opinion is that with my stiff link being VERY stiff, would it not make the link sit at a slope when the lead buries? Also why is leadcore so dangerous? I've never used it as im a tubing man, plus I understand you all hate the choddy but to be fair Tom dove is one of the best young anglers present and he puts the rig on a pedastal as well as ian McMillan, and its not fame, but they have got where they are for a reason guys?