Carp are powerful, strong and large fish, the process of catching which is a great pleasure. And it doesn’t matter if it is a carp of 2 kilograms or 15 – an exciting struggle and adrenaline bubbling in your blood is provided for you. And in order for carp fishing to deliver only positive emotions, it is important to have a reliable and proven, so to speak, equipment in battle. And as the best option, there is an opinion among carp anglers that it is difficult to find a more reliable rig than a hair rig. So let’s try to confirm or deny this opinion and get to know the hair rig more closely, learn its features and advantages from other types of carp rig.
The principle of operation of the hair rig is enough
The principle of operation of the hair rig is quite simple: the bait (boilie) is not on the hook itself, as in traditional fishing, but on a leash extending from the hook. It is customary to call this leash “hair”, because it feels like the hook was “cut” badly and left one hair.
Carp, scouring in search of food along the bottom of the reservoir, literally sucks in the bait, and due to the fact that it does not have any foreign objects inside, the probability that the fish will spit out the bait decreases significantly. However, swallowing the boilie, the carp also swallows the hook, which is more likely to catch on than if it had bait on it.
Hair Rig Benefits
Ease of manufacture
Making a hair rig is quite simple and not difficult even for a novice carp angler. To make a hair rig at home, you will need: a braid, a carp hook, a silicone tube, a boilie stopper and a broaching needle (if not at hand, you can use an ordinary match).
A small loop is knitted on the braid, which plays the role of a bait stopper. By the way, the braid is taken as a basis because of its strength, softness and low elongation. This allows you to feel even a weak bite at a greater distance from the shore. Next, a small piece of silicone tube is put on the braid and a hook is threaded into it. Having adjusted the required length of the hair, the hook is fixed on the braid, and the silicone tube should be directly opposite the hook’s forend. This is necessary to obtain optimal leverage when playing carp. We pierce the bait (boil) with a needle (or a match) and put it on the loop. For fixing, we use a boilie clip, which can be purchased at any fishing store or we use any available material. Well that’s it, the hair rig is assembled and ready to use. Really simple, isn’t it?
Equipment reliability
The method, tested by our grandfathers, in principle, cannot be unreliable. The peculiarity of carp nutrition is that it literally sucks up all the food from the bottom of the reservoir, filtering it and sifting out debris and foreign objects. And our boilie does not contain a hook inside it, which will not arouse suspicion in the carp and the likelihood of spitting out the bait decreases significantly.
Tool safety
Hair accessories are safer than others. Sucking in the boilie, the carp also sucks in the hook, which is most often caught by the lip, and does not penetrate deep into the fish’s throat. Firstly, the extraction of the hook is greatly simplified, and secondly, this method of rigging is ideal for those who are guided by the principle of “catch, photograph and release.” And it will be safer for carp if the hook catches on the lip, and does not go deep.
Disadvantages of Hair Rig
But with all the indisputable advantages of the hair rig, it also has some nuances that deserve the attention of a carp angler who wants to fish successfully and without “technical” stops. In particular, this applies to leashes used in the manufacture of hair accessories. As a rule, this is braided, monofilament or combination line. The so-called “braids” by anglers, with all their advantages, have one significant drawback – the rather frequent appearance of knots and overlaps.
An equally important factor for successful carp fishing with a hair rig is the location of the boilie and the hook. The closer the boilie is to the hook, the less likely the fish will come off. It is worth remembering this when making equipment. And if the first time it does not work out perfectly, then over time the experience gained through trial and error will make itself felt, and you will be able to appreciate this simple, but passed through fire, water and copper pipes, equipment. Happy fishing!