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How to tie Adam Penning's subtle maggot rig

The maggot arrangement you see before you is a subtle and tailored version of a rig that James Armstrong showed Adam almost a decade ago. “Although James took me through the steps on how to tie it, I believe that big-carp man, Nigel Sharp, originally designed it,” explains Penners.

1. First off, take a length of braid and tie on a size 12 hook.
1. First off, take a length of braid and tie on a size 12 hook.
2. Push a baiting needle through a grain of corn this way.
2. Push a baiting needle through a grain of corn this way.
3. Pull it down the link - the hook will slide into the corn.
3. Pull it down the link - the hook will slide into the corn.
4. Slide a small section of silicone tubing onto the braid.
4. Slide a small section of silicone tubing onto the braid.
5. Poke the hook through the tubing and set your Hair length.
5. Poke the hook through the tubing and set your Hair length.
6. Take some mono and place the tag through the eye.
6. Take some mono and place the tag through the eye.
7. Begin to whip over the braid using a Knotless Knot.
7. Begin to whip over the braid using a Knotless Knot.
8. Take it back through the eye and it will look like this.
8. Take it back through the eye and it will look like this.
9. Blob the braid with a lighter to secure it properly.
9. Blob the braid with a lighter to secure it properly.
10. Roll a dollop of putty around a Sinker like so.
10. Roll a dollop of putty around a Sinker like so.
11. Take the hook out of the corn and thread the maggots on. 
11. Take the hook out of the corn and thread the maggots on. 
12. Now place the hook point back into the corn.
12. Now place the hook point back into the corn.

MAGGOT ATTACHMENT
The presentation starts with tying a small size 12 hook to a length of supple braid. This hook must be barbless so that you don’t burst the maggots when threading them on. With the tiny hook tied on, you then thread down a grain of buoyant corn. Take note of how it is threaded (the fat end at the base); this is important to the way that the hook sits inside. 

THE REST OF THE RIG
Adam is all about finesse in winter, so he uses a light, thin mono for the hooklink material. Push the first tag through the eye of the hook and whip the monofilament Knotless Knot style over the braid, before going back through the eye and then trim the tag end. Finally, blob the braid with a lighter to secure and neaten up. Add putty an inch from the hook. 

NOW THE CRAFTY BIT
To attach your maggots, simply remove the little hook and begin to nick them on one-by-one. Adam usually adds five or six maggots before sliding the point back into the corn. It takes minutes to do unlike a conventional maggot set-up, which usually requires a sewing needle and dental floss. Not only that, it’s neat and tidy too and the corn balances the rig. 

DIFFERENT COLOURS
Certain waters will respond better to particular colours so Adam always has a plethora of different colours in his armoury: white, red, green or some of the more conventional yellows and oranges all have their day. He also loves the glow-in-the-dark corn; the extra bit of colour it gives off at night could be just enough to tempt that valuable coldwater take.

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