End tackle according to Nigel Sharp

“Do you think anglers give carp too much credit when it comes to them noticing rigs?”
“Without a doubt we have all been guilty of this and a lot of it is down to the way we have fed a swim rather than the fish clocking the rig. Sometimes I know I have got it wrong and fished a blatant pop-up on clear shallow water and scared the fish off when they have approached it, but sometimes it has worked. The rule of thumb is to tailor your rigs to suit the situation.”

“Do you think hook patterns make a great deal of difference when it comes to hooking fish or is it the sharpness alone that is key?”
“In my opinion, having a sharp hook is the most important thing when it comes to hooking a fish, but you have also got to set the rig up right. This is why there are so many different hook patterns on the market to cater for all the different rigs. I could go on about this and rack up a couple of thousand words but to keep it short, take for instance the ESP Stiff Rigger hooks, they were made for Hinge and Chod Rigs. Likewise, when using a KD Rig its best to use a curve shanked hook. Yes, you could use other hooks but the rigs just simply don’t work as effectively.”

“Beaked or a straight pointed hook pattern and why?”
“Well, I must say I do prefer a straight pointed hook because they tend to prick more fish and work better with my favourite rigs. That said, I also know that a straight pointed hook is far easier to eject than a beaked one. The only time I do prefer to use a beaked is when I’m fishing on waters like Sandhurst that have a lot of gravel and silver fish in them. The reason I prefer to use them on those types of waters is because it’s blatantly obvious that bottom bait presentations work better but the silver fish also knock the hookbaits around and subsequently wear the points of my hooks quicker if I’m using a straight point.”

“When it comes to bottom bait fishing do you just fish a straight Knotless Knot or are there adaptations like rings, silicon and shrink tubing?”
“This is going to be a bit of a boring answer for the readers that are looking to find the next best rig. No, I don’t like to add all the bells and whistles to my bottom bait rigs and try to keep them fairly simple. I tend to rely on the shape and the weight of the hook and just Knotless Knot it. Occasionally I might KD it on or maybe use a small bit of silicone or a ring to trap the Hair round the bottom of the bend, but generally I prefer to keep bottom bait rigs very simple.”

“Do you prefer fishing a pop-up rig or a bottom bait presentation?”
“If I can get away with using pop-ups then I will. The reason why I like using them so much is the fact that you definitely get much better hook holds. On some waters they can be hard to get bites on, but that’s all down to the way the fish have been conditioned to feed by the anglers.”

“When it comes to lead arrangements what is your preferred style and why?”
“Being a great fan of fishing on silt and using Hinge and Chod Rigs, I tend to use the helicopter or rotary rig type set-ups. Another reason why I like this type of set-up is because, in my opinion, when using leadcore it’s the safest for the carp if, God forbid, the line breaks or a rig gets cracked off. The only time I tend to use lead clips or in-line leads is when the rules of a fishery don’t allow leadcore or I’m fishing a shallow gravel spot in the margins.”

“Everyone has their own views when it comes to the weight of their leads, some go small and some opt for heavier leads, what size leads do you prefer and why?”
“To me the size of the lead is always selected by the distance I want to fish at. Some anglers are convinced that heavier leads help with the hooking potential of the rig but I personally think it’s all down to the sharpness of the hook. Going back to my answer in the last question, a lead plugged in the silt will increase the hooking potential anyway.”

“Are we at the peak of tackle development or is there more out there?”
“I would like to say that there is more out there but from what I can see, a lot of tackle is just tweaked to make what is already developed a little better. This is why there are so many MK2, 3 and 4s about. On the other hand, though, over the years there have also been a few great additions to our armoury like the Korda Krusha and the Spomb, so there is always the odd bit of innovation worth looking out for.”

“Are you a fan of fishing with high-viz baits or do you always match your hookbait with the free offerings?”
A bit of both for this one. I like to use a visual pop-up over foodbaits but there are definitely times when a matching bait works better. It seems that the spring is the best time for the combination of a bright hookbait over foodbaits, but when the carp become more clued up and you get to the ‘scratching time’ during the warmer summer months then it definitely pays to match things up. As far as high-viz goes, I’m not a great fan of really bright fluoros and tend to use dull yellows, creamy white or standard orange as hookbaits.”