A safety bolt rig

[calopteryx]

Hi all,

After some research and thought, I’ve decided that a bolt rig approach would be a good method to try on a couple of lakes that I’m fishing. Not being very experienced in these set-ups I when to the local tackle shop and they sold me some “safety” lead clips, (Two kinds). The guy in the shop fully explained their use and principles; they seemed to be an excellent idea and just what I wanted.

However after assembling and testing them, I fail to see how they can become detached, even under extreme provocation! So I attacked them with needle files, scalpels and even a hot soldering iron. I eventually concluded that they were about as safe as a poke in the eye with a sharpe stick!

To be fair I did eventually manage to get them to fall off with what I thought was a reasonable amount of force, similar to that which a fish might be able to exert, if it found itself trailing one after a line break. But then I figured that it was very likely that I would lose a lot of leads and guaranteed to lose it if I hooked a fish!

 

Not being very happy with that prospect, I experimented with the now considerable collection of rig components I seem to have acquired! And come up with the set-up shown, (I hope!) in the photo below. It should self explanatory, but is simply a Nash run rig, (for mono), with stop bead mounted the opposite way round. The run ring can be wedged on the stop bead, but still comes off with anything more than a playful tug from the hook end! I have tested this set-up and it seems to work very well, I’ve caught several fish with it now at least. The other good thing is you do not lose the lead, unless the line breaks.

 

Any thoughts and opinions from you guys will be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

Mickt..

 

[666carpcatcher]

The lead clips are not suppose to pull of the swivel it holds tight so the lead is discharged if it becomes snagged

these are the new korda hybrid lead clips where the swivel is permantly attached into it

 

but if you want something that will pull free try looking at the fox safety run rigs

[calopteryx]

Hi 666carpcatcher,

Thanks for the info! Yes the ones at the bottom there look just the job, a bit neater and tidier than my solution as well. A pity I did not know that these were available a few weeks ago! I’ll defiantly check them out in the near future.

 

The other ones though, I could not get to discharge under any circumstances!

Clamping the lead in a vice and then pulling as hard as possible on the line didn’t shift it at all. After cutting off the little lug that sits behind the lead, it was then possible to pull it off, with a pair of pliers and some wriggling. Only after reshaping the lead retaining hook, so that lead can slide down to the clamping tube and reducing the length of the clamped area, did it discharge by pulling on the line.

 

I will only fish with a set-up that I’m 100% certain will drop the lead, (snagged or otherwise), in the event of a line break. So in the bin they went, best place for them in my opinion! I kept the tail rubbers though; they may come in useful for something in the future.

 

Thanks again for the heads-up on the Fox parts.

 

Best Regards,

 

Mickt..

[666carpcatcher]

I can say luckily, I have never had a problem with lead clips but if i'm fishing a weedy or abit of a snaggy area i will trim the length of the lead clip down and only just push the tail rubber on quite often aswell the lead will discharge as it hit the water not that i want it to but it just goes to show you that they will pull off in the event of a breakage

[salokcinnodrog]

Blooming Lead Clips are a Bad point as far as I'm concerned. When they do actually what they say on the Tin, (after experimentation) then in actual fishing situations they don't work. It may only take a little weed and the whole safety clip effect is negated.

 

I prefer Running Leads and if there is any possibility of a Lead getting snagged then I attach the Lead to the Run Ring with a Paper Clip. The Paper clips opens out in the event of it getting snagged under very little pressure. The other option is a length of fine nylon and the lead attached to that, held in plac ewith PVA on the cast.

 

The Running lead rig I use are the Solar ones, but they also do make full Semi-Fixed set-ups.

 

http://www.solartackle.co.uk/

[neilscatchin]

Nick,never had a problem with an ESP lead clip not discharging especially in the water I'm fishing at present which is choked with weed.I've taken 6 fish in 3 outings and the lead has discharged on every fish as it should,putting me in direct contact with the fish enabling the weed to only collect round the head of the fish if anywhere.

Certain makes have experienced problems and I believe even the new Korda Hybrid ones need doctoring to remove a small lug which hampers discharge.

If the lake wasn't weed choked I'd be on the running lead setup as I prefer this along with slack lining where possible,plenty of kits out there for it.

[charlieg]

agree with neil, the e.s.p clips are great for getting rid of the lead.

i always wet the clip and test it befor putting it out and it comes off with ease. sometimes if using pva bags i tie some pva string/tape to stop the lead from coming off on the cast. thats how easy they do come off.

They get a thumbs up from me.

[jemsue5]

Along with the esp clips I have also never had a problem with the new fox clips discharging the lead due to the peg that fixes the clip to the swivel. For me these have been 100% effective and they have lost the lead on every fish I have taken using this setup. In weed losing the lead is the most important thing to make landing the fish easier. To me losing a lead is of no importance compared with landing a carp, yet to some people the though of losing a lead and having to spend 50/70p on another one seems to be there main concern.