Ask Bailiff

What rig for river carp?

Bailiff's answer, from the Carp Army rig library and what members have caught on.

Bailiff says: Solid PVA bag rig

Rivers often have uneven, silty or debris-strewn beds where you cannot see the bottom, and a solid PVA bag guarantees your hookbait lands cleanly in a pile of food wherever it settles. The compact package also copes well with flow and lets you present confidently on unknown ground.

Tweaks

  • Use a slightly heavier lead (3-4oz) to hold bottom against the current
  • Keep the hooklink short (4-5 inches) inside the bag
  • Match a size 6-8 wide gape hook with a small wafter or pellet

Solid PVA bag rig

A short supple rig inside a solid PVA bag of pellet or crumb. The hookbait lands in a pile of food, wherever it lands.

MainlineInline leadWide gape hookSolid PVA bag, pellet packedSmall pop-up or wafter

Parts

Wide gape hook, size 8 to 6
Supple braid, 4 inch
Solid PVA bags
Inline lead, 2 to 3oz
Size 8 swivel
Small pop-up or wafter, 10 to 12mm

How to tie it

  1. Tie a 3 to 4 inch hair rig with a small hook and a small hookbait.
  2. Attach to an inline lead on a short swivel.
  3. Put a little pellet in the bag, then the lead, then pack around the rig with more pellet.
  4. Lick and stick, squeeze out the air, and trim the corners.

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