hair rigs (gasp!)

[DontKnowMuch]

A younger friend of mine knowing of my traditional angling exploits was muting the possibility of fishing 'retro' style going back to when he was born in 1981. He then didn't fancy the idea of using glass rods or Mitchell reels but thought early carbon and cardinal 55s (that could be fished with a loosened drag). As the time point was 1981, when the hair rig was first publicised, I asked him wether he'd be fishing pre or post hair rig.

When he answered that he would, "of course", use the hair rig I told him that he may as well just use his modern gear and wear a tanktop :hahaha: :hahaha:

[St.John]

Used to do that, but always forgot or spilt the glue..

[Gary Bills]

I'm afraid I'm sold on the Hair Rig, there's no doubt that, if set up correctly it is a devistating method, but it's not just a case of having a hair dangling beneath the hook....no.......the mechanics need to be right in order for it to be deadly effective.

But surely not for every bait, SK? You don't hair-rig crust at Waggoners, do you...?

[St.John]

I super glue floaters on the hook ....and my fingers.

[GloucesterOldSpot]

I'm afraid I'm sold on the Hair Rig, there's no doubt that, if set up correctly it is a devistating method, but it's not just a case of having a hair dangling beneath the hook....no.......the mechanics need to be right in order for it to be deadly effective.

But surely not for every bait, SK? You don't hair-rig crust at Waggoners, do you...?

Can't say what SK does, but I do know I caught my first ten pound carp on hair-rigged crust, more years ago than I care to think about, from Stanborough Lake. Tackle was all mine, but the technique was borrowed from a friend who'd had a lot of carp there the previous summer, up to seventeen pounds. Nine foot split cane salmon spinner, Mitchell 300, 6lb Water Queen mono (there's a clue!) and size 10 hook, running quarter ounce bomb. Big piece of crust on hair, throw bait high so it separated from bomb in flight, foil cylinder on line above reel as back up indicator in case visual bite detection proved insufficient. Had a ten-four mirror, and ten minutes later a ten-fourteen. My friend had his first twenty that day too, on the same tactics - though his rod was a thirteen foot carbon match rod and his line just four pound bs.

[Mark]

I've never used a hair rig or would do.

[The Sweetcorn Kid]

Sorry FB, I should have elaborated a little more. I pretty much always use hair rigs for bottom baits unless I'm freelining. I do occasionally use a hair rig when fishing a small hook with a single mixer, I don't know what it is but even with a 1 cm gap, the carp seem to disassociate the hook with the bait, in some cases anyway. Can nick a bite when all else fails.

[Gary Bills]

Sorry FB, I should have elaborated a little more. I pretty much always use hair rigs for bottom baits unless I'm freelining. I do occasionally use a hair rig when fishing a small hook with a single mixer, I don't know what it is but even with a 1 cm gap, the carp seem to disassociate the hook with the bait, in some cases anyway. Can nick a bite when all else fails.

Thanks SK, - I've used mixers on the hair too: I just think that there's no need for hair with flake and crust - but as I say, each to their own, and good luck to all.

[The Sweetcorn Kid]

Too right, there is NOTHING to beat a nice inch square piece of crust with a size 6 buried inside it. My farourite method in the world!!!!! :hat: :hat:

[Gary Bills]

Too right, there is NOTHING to beat a nice inch square piece of crust with a size 6 buried inside it. My farourite method in the world!!!!! :hat: :hat:

Right on, SK!