How to tie Ian Chillcott's Hinged Stiff Link
It’s an all-time big fish rig classic...
The Hinged Stiff Link: it’s an all-time big fish rig classic, but like every rig that’s ever been invented, there’s a multitude of different ways to tie it - a fact proven in this very supplement, with this very rig. Ian Chillcott is a ‘fished there, caught that, doesn’t-get-caught-up-in-the-hype’ type of angler, so his way of constructing this presentation is simple, yet solid and effective.
What you need (rig):
Edges Short Chod Rigs Size 5
30lb Illusion Trans Khaki
Flexi-Ring Swivel
Power Grip Rig Putty
What you need (lead arrangement):
Buffer Sleeve
Tungsten Mainline Sinker
Tungsten Bead (5mm)
Exocet Lead (3.5oz)
“Why do I use this rig? Because it works. Simple really!” jokes one of carp fishing’s biggest legends. “Most of all, though, it never tangles, so I can settle down and wait for a bite without worrying about it!” Like the vast majority who use a Hinged Stiff Rig, Chilly always fishes it on a helicopter arrangement, adjusting the top bead up the leader to suit the lakebed he’s fishing over.
“I use the ready-to-go Edges Short Chods, because like the actual rig, they just work! They’re beautifully tied with razor-sharp hook points. The hookbait is attached using old braid - I thread it as a loop through my 15mm pop-up, along with either a Mainline Topper or a piece of plastic corn. It is then tied onto the ring on the ‘D’ after I have removed the swivel section.”
For the boom section, Chilly uses seven-inches of 30lb Illusion Trans Khaki Fluorocarbon which is incredibly stiff, and to get that boom sitting perfectly straight, old Chillbert has a great tip… “Using two Fox Multi Tools, sharply move them apart to force-stress the material. Repeat this ten times and your boom will be super stiff (said the actress to the bishop!).
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