What rig for fishing tight to the margins?
Bailiff's answer, from the Carp Army rig library and what members have caught on.
Bailiff says: The hair rig
Margin fishing over a known, clean spot is exactly where the classic hair rig shines, giving natural bait presentation with no need for anti-tangle gadgets on a short chuck. It hooks well against a supple hooklink as margin fish often move off quickly once they feel the lead.
Tweaks
- Short hooklink around 4-6 inches
- Heavy lead 3oz+ for instant bolt effect
- Match hook size to bait, size 6-8
The hair rig
The rig everything else grew from. A bottom bait on a hair off a wide gape hook, on a supple braided hooklink.
Parts
Wide gape hook, size 4 to 6
Coated braid hooklink, 20lb
Shrink tube, small
Hair stops
Size 8 ring swivel
Lead clip and tail rubber
3oz flat pear lead
Bottom bait boilie, 15 to 18mm
How to tie it
- Cut 25cm of hooklink and strip 2cm of coating from one end.
- Tie a small overhand loop in the stripped end for the hair.
- Thread the hook on and set the hair so the bait sits just off the bend, then whip a knotless knot with seven turns.
- Steam a piece of shrink tube over the eye so the hook turns.
- Tie a figure-of-eight loop at the other end and attach to the swivel with a quick link.
- Mount the bait on a baiting needle and stop it with a hair stop.
Your swim is different?
Describe it and Bailiff picks for that.