THE REVERSE COMBI RIG

A great set-up for singling out the bigger, more wary fish in your water, the reverse combi takes some practice to tie perfectly, but it’s well worth the effort!

THIS rig first came to prominence when Elliott Gray showed it off on Korda’s groundbreaking Underwater 8

DVD a few years ago. With fish in the swim but hook-ups proving difficult to tempt, Elliott tied one of these rigs for Danny Fairbrass and his then boss duly landed a 41lb 8oz common on it.

Featuring two different rig materials – one supple, one much more rigid – it is a combi rig, but the usual roles are reversed. Unlike traditional combi presentations, the longer section coming from the lead end is tied from a supple coated braid, while the hook section is formed from an ultra-stiff ‘chod’ fluorocarbon.

In many ways it looks like a hinged stiff rig, with the same curved hook section – but this is a much more subtle presentation. The join between the ‘boom’ and the hooklink material is seamless, without the need for a loop and a swivel. That join, covered by putty to counterbalance the weight of a pop-up, is the crucial part of this rig and is formed using an Albright knot (see the step-by-step guide opposite for how to tie it).

Due to its mechanics, this set-up is often seen as a big-fish rig that singles out larger carp and withstands the attentions of tench and bream. The supple boom means it can also be fished over light weed and debris, unlike a hinged stiff rig which can sit awkwardly if the inflexible boom is propped up by a twig or patch of weed.

“THE CRUCIAL PART OF THIS RIG IS FORMED USING AN ALBRIGHT KNOT...”