How to Tie a Hair Rig For Specimen Carp Fishing

Arguably, hair rigs are the most effective rig to catch carp, bream and tench and whilst hair rigs may look difficult to tie, in reality they are very easy and require little practice. Tying a hair rig is easy to learn and is a skill that every carp angler should have, therefore there should never be need to buy another ready-made hair rig again.

The materials required to make a hair rig include the hook length, which is usually monofilament line or braid, a hook, a swivel and a sample of the bait that will be used on the hair. The bait is kept on the hair using a hair stop, which is little more than a small piece of plastic.

To tie a hair rig take a length of the hook link material and tie a small loop at one end using a standard overhand knot. The tag end should be cut as close to the knot as possible, however make sure the loop cannot slip. To ensure the loop cannot slip tie the knot as tight as possible, cut the tag end and then dab the knot with superglue for extra hold. This loop forms the hair.

The next stage is to thread one of the intended bait, such as a boilie or nugget, on to the loop using a baiting needle and hair stop. Putting the bait on at this stage will ensure the hair is the correct length and will sit below the hook properly.

With the bait on the loop thread the tag end of the hook length through the eye of the hook. The hook length should always be threaded through the front of the hook to ensure the hook sits at an angle on the completed rig. Slide the hook down the hook length all the way down until the bait is sitting just below the bend of the hook. The bait should not sit up against the hook, nor should it sit way below the hook.

Once the hook is in position the hook length should be wrapped around the hook shank, i.e. the straight part of the hook, five or six times from the bottom up. Once the hook length has been wrapped around the shank it should then be passed back through the eye of the hook. Attaching a hook in this manner is called a knotless knot. The knotless knot won’t slip and undo, it is very strong and is arguably the best way of attaching a hook to the hook length. The tag end of the hook length should be attached to a swivel, which the main reel line is tied to.

If the angler wants a stiff hair and stiff hook length the hair rig should be made out of monofilament line. Tying a hair rig using monofilament line is quite fiddly and the overall rig is messy, although it will still catch carp in the right situations. If a more supple hair and hook length is required braid should be used, and this is often the hook length material of choice.

The advantage of braid over monofilament is that it is not only more supple, and easier to use in making hair rigs, but it is also much thinner. 5lbs breaking strain braid is much thinner than 5lb breaking strain monofilament line, therefore the angler can use exceptionally strong braid that is still very thin.

The disadvantage of braid is that it doesn’t stretch as much as monofilament line, therefore there is more chance a carp can be ‘bumped’ off a monofilament hook length therefore care needs to be taken in playing carp when using braid.

Ultimately, the choice of using braid or monofilament line in tying the hair rig will depend on the individual angler. In reality, neither hook length material catches more carp than the other and the material used is entirely down to the preference of the angler. Some anglers prefer monofilament and others prefer braid. It is best to experiment and try both and find out which is best for you.