Tie the ultimate big-carp rig – Luke Vallory

Sticky’s Luke V Vallory lifts the lid on a rig that he’ he’s used to catch loads of big carp this year

IHAVE been using this variant of the hinged stiff rig for quite some time, and absolutely love it. The rig is a cross between a hinge and a multi-rig, taking certain attributes of each and combining them to make an extremely effective set-up. I started using it last year on a lake heavily stocked with bream. Despite using pop-ups, I was still pestered by slabs and it began to get a little tedious having to tie up a new rig after each fish.

Impossible to eject

This rig has the same principles as the hinge, but it enabled me to change the hook without having to tie up a whole new hooklength. After I had caught a few carp on it, I was convinced it could be superior to the hinge. The doubled-over stiff filament meant the curved pop-up section was even more rigid and the chance of a carp ejecting it was slim. I was using it with a size 4 Choddy hook, which helps me land more fish. It also grips the filament nicely when it has been passed through the hook twice to create the multirig effect. I can also set the size of the ‘D’ to how I want it. With a normal hinge, you have it set in a similar size, but with this rig I can have it running up most of the hook, creating so much more movement.

Rig construction

I start off by taking a decent length of N-Trap Soft in 30lb. The supple nature of this material means that it will sit nicely over any light weed or debris on the bottom but it still have enough stiffness to kick the rig away from the lead. I strip off a good 7in of the coating and leave it to one side. I then take a length of 25lb Mouth Trap. I double this over and thread it through the eye of the hook. Next, I add a small Thinking Anglers Hook Ring Swivel before pulling the loop down over the hookpoint, as you would with a multi-rig. I use a Puller tool to make the shape of the ‘D’ and put it in position. I bend the tag ends back on themselves at the length I want my pop-up section to be. Then, take the supple end of the N-Trap soft and wrap it round the section of the Mouth Trap seven times, then three times back down. Next, I put the tag end through the loop in the Mouth Trap and moisten it before gently pulling it all down to complete the Albright knot. I then make a figure-of-eight loop on the other end of the hooklink, at the length I want the rig to be, before blobbing the tag ends. Finally I place a little shrink tubing over the knot and steam that down. And that’s it. Just add hookbait and tungsten putty and the rig is ready to cast.

The stiff pop-up section makes the rig incredibly hard for carp to eject