The carp hair rig
A hair rig hangs the bait, a boilie or a few grains of corn, off the bend of the hook on a short loop of line called the hair, rather than on the hook itself. The hook is left bare to take hold as the carp sucks the bait in. It is the standard carp rig, fished behind a feeder or a running lead.
| Component | Spec |
|---|---|
| Main line | Monofilament around 12 to 15 lb, or braid around 30 lb with a leader. A shockleader is sensible if you are casting a loaded feeder a long way |
| Lead or feeder | A running lead of 60 to 110 g (2 to 4 oz) on a run ring or inline; or a method feeder, or an open-end feeder, packed with groundbait |
| Swivel | A small swivel to join the hooklink to the main line below a running lead |
| Hooklink | Coated braid or soft braid, around 15 to 25 lb, cut to 15 to 25 cm |
| Hook | Wide-gape or curved-shank carp hook, size 8 to 4 to match the bait: size 8 to 6 for corn, 6 to 4 for a 15 to 20 mm boilie |
| Hair and bait | A short hair off the bend, with a bait stop. A boilie (15 to 20 mm), or two or three grains of corn. Match the hair length to the bait so the bait sits just clear of the bend |
What it's for
Carp, on the bottom, with a boilie or sweetcorn over bait. The trick of the hair rig is that the bait is not on the hook at all. It sits a short way off the bend on a fine loop of line, so when a carp mouths it the bare hook is drawn in cleanly and pricks the lip, instead of being masked by the bait. Fish it behind a method feeder packed with groundbait, or an open-end feeder, or simply behind a running lead on a clear bottom. It is the rig to learn first for carp, and it works in warm reservoirs and big rivers alike.
The rig at a glance
Read from the rod down to the bait. The main line comes from the rod to the lead. With a running lead, the line passes through the eye of a lead or a run ring so the lead slides freely, then meets a small swivel that the hooklink ties to. With a method or open-end feeder, the feeder takes the place of the lead and the hooklink trails behind it. The hooklink is a 15 to 25 cm length of coated braid or soft braid, around 15 to 25 lb. At the end is the hook, size 8 to 4, tied with a snell knot so the line leaves the back of the shank. Below the bend hangs the hair, a short loop of line carrying the bait, a boilie or two or three grains of corn, held on by a small bait stop. The defining detail is that the bait sits off the bend on the hair, leaving the hook bare to take hold.
How to build it
- Form the hair and tie the hook. Tie a small loop in the end of the hooklink for the bait, then lay the hooklink against the hook with the loop level just past the bend. Tie the hook on with a snell knot, whipping the hooklink down the back of the shank so the line leaves behind the eye and the hair hangs from the bend. The snell makes the hook turn and take hold as the carp moves off.
- Mount the bait on the hair. Thread the bait onto the hair loop with a baiting needle: push the needle through a boilie or two or three grains of corn, hook the loop, draw the bait down onto the hair, then trap it with a small bait stop pushed through the loop. The bait now sits just off the bend, free of the hook.
- Join the hooklink to the lead. For a running lead, thread the lead or a run ring onto the main line so it slides, then tie a small swivel to the main line with a Palomar knot and clip or tie the hooklink to it. For a method or open-end feeder, attach the feeder in line and let the hooklink trail behind it, then mould the groundbait around the feeder over the hooklink.
How to fish it
Bait the swim first, then cast the rig to it. With a method feeder, mould a ball of groundbait around the feeder so the baited hook is buried in it, and cast to the same spot each time to build a bed of feed. With a running lead, cast out, let it settle, then tighten down to the lead and set the rod on a rest with a bite alarm or a bobbin. The take is usually a fast, hard run as the carp feels the hook and bolts against the lead, so make sure the lead is heavy enough to set the hook on its own. Pick up the rod, let the run develop, then lift into it and keep a steady pressure. Play a big carp patiently and use a large landing net. Unhook it on a wet mat, support it, and return it carefully.
Where this rig works
The hair rig is the standard carp rig wherever carp feed on the bottom over bait. Across the atlas it is fished on the Ebro in Spain, for the big commons and mirrors below Mequinenza; on Lake Balaton in Hungary, over the shallow margins and reed edges; and on the Alqueva reservoir in Portugal, on the long, warm points and flooded ground. As the atlas grows, every new water that uses a hair rig will link to this same page.
Carp hair rig questions
Presenting a boilie or sweetcorn for carp with the bait off the hook. It hangs on a short loop of line, the hair, just below the bend, so the bare hook is drawn into the carp's mouth and takes hold cleanly as the fish sucks the bait in. It is the standard carp bottom rig.
So the hook is left bare to take hold. If the bait is on the hook, it masks the point and the carp can eject it. On a hair, the carp sucks the bait in and the free hook follows, turns on the snell and pricks the lip. That is what makes the rig hook so reliably.
A wide-gape or curved-shank carp hook, size 8 to 6 for corn and 6 to 4 for a 15 to 20 mm boilie. Match the hair length to the bait so it sits just clear of the bend, roughly the width of the bait below the hook. Mount the bait with a baiting needle and a bait stop.
Two. The hook is tied with a snell knot, so the line leaves the back of the shank, the hair hangs off the bend and the hook turns to take hold. The swivel below a running lead is tied to the main line with a Palomar knot, strong and simple on mono and braid.
Yes. The method or open-end feeder replaces the lead: the hooklink trails behind it and you mould groundbait around the feeder over the baited hook. Cast to the same spot each time to build a bed of feed. Behind a running lead works too, on a clear bottom, with the take coming as a fast run.