Have you been wondering about how to make a hair rig? If so, then you’re in the right place.
The hair rig is one of the most basic and efficient fishing methods used by carp anglers today. So, in this article, we’ll explore the steps needed to make a hair rig and some tips to help you perfect the process to increase your catch rate.
Ready? Let’s go!
Short Answer
You can make a basic hair rig in the following easy steps:
- Tie a small loop
- Cut off the end of the tag
- Insert the hooklength into the eye of the hook
- Allow some space between the hook and the eye of the hook
- Join the hair and the shank
- Wrap the hooklength up to 7 rounds through the hair and the shank
- Pass the hooklength into the eye of the hook
- Pull your knotless knot tight
- Attach the hookbait
- Put a boilie stop
Making a Hair Rig
Now that you’ve seen the steps required to make a hair rig, here are the full details.
Step 1: Tie a Small Loop
Cut a bit of braided hooked link fabric and attach it to your hair rig. The portion should be between 7 and 10 inches long.
Make a tiny loop with one of the hook length ends. This will be your hair loop for the boilie stop. After that, make a regular overhand knot because it’s recommended not to expose the boilie stop to any stress or pressure.
Step 2: Cut Off the End of the Tag
Grab a pair of scissors and snip the tag end closest to the knot once the hair loop is tied. The hook bait you plan to use on the hair should cover this loop so that the tag end isn’t exposed.
Step 3: Insert the Hooklength into the Eye of the Hook
This is where your fish hook comes in handy. You could use a size 4 wide gape carp hook because it fits most carp boilie sizes (15-18 mm). If you’re unsure what boilie size is ideal for you, check out this video!
Grab the other tip of the hooklength and thread it through the hook eye’s back.
Step 4: Allow Some Space Between the Hook and the Eye of the Hook
Thread the hook length through the eye of the hook until the little loop reaches the opposite end. Stop here and dangle around 1 – 1.5 inches of the hook eye. The hair will be the final part of your hook length.
The number and length of your hook bait would determine the size of your hair. And below is a quick guide to help you figure out how long you should go:
Hair Length on a Hookbait
- For a single boilestop of 15 mm, a hair length of 1 mm is required
- For a double boilestop of 15 mm, a hair length of 1.3 mm is required
- For a single boilestop of 18 mm, a hair length of 1 mm is required
- For a double boilestop of 18 mm, a hair length of 1.5 mm is required
Always allow up to 5 mm while dealing with the end of the hook and the border of the boilie stop nearest to it, no matter how big or the number of hook baits you have.
This will improve the hooking mechanism of your rig by giving your hook baits a bit more flexibility and mobility.
Step 5: Join the Hair and the Shank
Once you’ve determined the correct length for your hair, tightly hold both endpoints on your hair and the shank properly.
Your hair should be perfectly aligned and tightly attached to the hook shank. Doing so will help make sure that the bait’s appearance and the hooking process of your hair rig are both perfect.
Rig the hair is a common term for this procedure, and it’s a crucial one to remember.
Step 6: Wrap the Hooklength Up to 7 Rounds Through the Hair and the Shank
Take your hooklength and wrap it up to 7 rounds counter-clockwise around both the hair and the shank.
Curl it firmly while retaining the hair near the hook’s shank. Your hair rig will hold better if your knotless knot is tight.
Step 7: Pass the Hooklength Into the Eye of the Hook Once More
After those 5-7 rotations, run the end of your hooklength through the rear of the hook eye once more to make it an eight-knot hook.
This method is the heart of your knotless knot, which results in very strong carp knots you can count on during a carp battle!
Step 8: Pull Your Knotless Knot Tight
With your hook length, begin drawing out from the hook. Pull the hair and the hook shank firmly with your thumb and index finger while at it. Make sure the hair is centred and linked to the hook shank as you tighten your knotless knot.
According to many anglers, this procedure makes hair rigs more durable and reliable while carp angling.
Step 9: Attach the Hookbait
Now you may add your hook bait(s) to view the look of your hair rig once it’s ready and baited up.
Hook a baiting needle to your loop after putting your boilie. Then, simply grab the bait in your hand and pull it through the hair with your boilie needle.
Step 10: Put a Boilie Stop
Now that your carp fishing rig is finally complete, the next and final step would be to secure the hair loop with a small rubber or plastic boilie or bait stop.
When throwing out the hair rig, or whenever the carp takes the hair rig up and pulls it into its mouth, this stop will keep the hook bait from slipping off the hair.
That’s all there’s to it! You’ve completed the incredibly effective and simple hair rig. So, you can now put your perfect hair rig to the test next time you’re on the bank engaging in carp fishing.
Some Tips for Perfecting Your Hair Rigs
The following tips could aid you in making that big win or catching that bigger fish you’ve always wanted.
Place Your Pellets in a Band
A small elastic band is a common method of attaching a hard pellet hook bait to the hook in commercial fishing. The band is placed over it and wrapped into a loop at the end of the hair to secure the pellet.
The hook is now clear, and even if the fish ejects the bait, it’ll almost always get stuck in the fish’s mouth.
Try Using a Corn Stack
A Method feeder is an excellent way to use a hair rig. As a fish digs around the lake bed to feed on a bait, a side-hooked bato will be quickly ejected, while a hair-rigged bait will pull in without hesitation.
When angling for carp and bream using Method feeding, try a ‘corn stack,’ consisting of three sweetcorn grains. To support this bait, you’ll need longer-than-normal human hair.
Use Worms With Your Hair Rig
In recent years, top carp match anglers like Steve Ringer have been hair-rigging worms for bream feeder fishing. He does this to avoid active worms finding their way over the hook’s point.
You can use a bait stop or a little piece of a rubber band to hold the hair through two worm sections.
Also, if you’re interested in maggot rigs for carp, see Carpquest.co.uk for a full guide!
Make a Snowman
A ‘snowman,’ a hair-rigged combo of a sinking boilie and a buoyant pop-up boilie, is a terrific method to trick wary, big carp. The hair is strung first on the sinking boilie, then the pop-up, such that the hookbait rises from the bottom.
It’s a terrific bait for silty lakes, and don’t forget to play around with the colours!
Take a Different Approach
Once it pertains to hair-rigging baits, the sky’s the limit, and your creativity only limits your options. For example, consider hair-rigging a mussel, a chain of casters, or even a group of dead maggots.
Adjust Your Rig According to the Nature of the Lakebed
Make a loop around 6 inches (15 cm) from the bait’s end for traditional carp fishing. Tie a loop knot approximately 8–10 inches (20–25 cm) away from the bait in siltier waters.
However, it should be around 4 inches (10 cm) away from the bait in regions with many weeds on the bottom.
Conclusion
The hair rig is one of the most versatile and straightforward methods for carp fishing. It’s pretty easy to use and effective at catching carp fish.
A good hook coupled with a functional boilie stop and a hair rig in your tackle box is all there’s to successful carp fishing.
We believe that if you follow the steps provided in this article, it’d indeed account for your success as a carp angler.
Feel free to ask questions in the comment section if you have any.
