travisbickle

one doesnt .... .....you loop the hooklength back up your mainline and secure with either pva tape or pva foam to hold secure for the cast...this will melt freeing the rig up.....

surrounding trees dont really affect your approach but would suggest a longer hooklink...say 12-16" with a 2-3" hair....and try a bottom bait....a basic confidence rig...mix it up...and break from the norm

Hi mate...you dont actually NEED to use short rigs....its all dependant on how riggy your fish are...also...pop ups or bottom baits work with a solid bag...its all a matter of experimenting...if your fish are riggy..then i would use a long hooklength and a longish hair too...but if they are true water pigs...go with a shorter approach for both...is it a hard water or fairly commercial???

I favour combi rigs...utilising mantis gold and hinging into multistrand....yes multistrand...I still have five bulk spools of the stuff and it is without doubt my preferred hooklength...I never ply it with anything other than natural fish gelatine though...which holds it tight for the cast and for around five mins in the water...at which point the gel dilutes and breaks away leaving the added bonus of trace elements for chemoreception. The only deviation from this is to use a 12"section of merlin threaded through, and held coiled, in a 6"length of fine soft silicone tube in place of the mantis...on a fixed lead ...to act as a spring back...coupled with a tiemco shrimp hook with a running hair....I find this all but impossible for them to eject once taken