20 Essential Rig Items

Aside from the obvious items like baiting needles, leads and bait stops, here’s the 20 must-have end tackle items you need in your tackle box so you’ve got every situation and opportunity covered – and with maximum effect. They all interlink with one another and they’re the best of the best when it comes to rig construction – for example, using Solar Tackle’s Ball Bearing Swivels for your Chod Rigs and Mugga hooks so you can tie the 360ş Rig and have a fabulous KD Rig hook. Scroll down now, flick through our slider, see what you’re missing and then get it ordered!

Nash Missing Link
Use: A perfect all-round hooklink material. Stiff enough to prevent tangles yet soft enough to lie over any bottom debris.
Other Uses: It can be used for a softer boom section on Elliott Gray’s version of the Hinged Stiff Link

Korda Mouthtrap
Use: The user-friendliest stiff link material on the market, which is perfect for Chod Rigs.
Other uses: As long as you’re fishing on a really hard bottom or move the top bead on your leader up, this material can be used for creating boom sections too.

Gardner Trickester Braid
Use: This is your supple hooklink material – ideal for solid PVA bag rigs or when using the Method feeder.
Other uses: If you want to use the Mouthtrap as a hooklink, then use the Trickester Braid to create a lovely supple Hair.

ESP Super Bait Floss
Use: For tying on pop-ups to ‘D’ rigs – i.e. Chod or Hinged Stiff Links.
Other uses: Not so much other uses, but why this is better: it’s stronger, has a flatter surface area so it grips better and it’ll go invisible when you run a lighter across it.

ESP Stiff Riggers
Use: The number one hook choice when it comes to creating Chod Rigs. The out-turned eye means it sits perfect when coupled with a stiff hooklink material like Mouthtrap.
Other uses:A good hook choice if you’re using large hookbaits and need to open up the gape.

Korda Wide Gapes
Use: A great all-round hook, but perfectly suited for bottom baits – especially when used in conjunction with a piece of shrink tubing over the hook’s eye to act as a kicker.
Other uses: In smaller sizes, this is an idea floater hook too – something like a 10 or 12.

JAG Stones
Use: Two files for sharpening and touching up hook points. It’s an investment which means you’ll end up using less hooks but…
Other use: …More importantly, you’ll have a much sharper hook which means you’ll catch more. Fact.

Ring Swivels in sizes 8 and 11
Use: Size 8’s for lead clips and the 11’s for the connecting swivel on Hinged Stiff Links. Opt for the ESP ones – they rotate much smoother.
Other use:Remove the ring from the swivel with a pair of pliers and use as the connection for a Rotten Bottom on drop-off Chod Rigs.

Solar Ball Bearing Swivels
Use: The ultimate swivel for Chod Rigs/Hinged Stiff Links. They have, as their product name suggests, ball bearings inside.
Other use:Forget the fact they’re not ‘Teflon coated’ – you don’t want Teflon, as it stops them spin so quickly.

Avid Carp Flat Clips (plus Avid Carp Speed Links)
Use: A lead clip with a difference. They incorporate a quick clip, so your whole lead arrangement is so much neater and tidier.
Other use:Use the quick clips for casting out mesh bags when baiting up.

Thinking Anglers Hook Ring Swivels and Hook Beads
Use: These mini swivels give you an alternative way of mounting your hookbait. They rotate 360ş, giving the carp something else to deal with.
Other use: Use the Hook Beads to create 360ş Rigs. These are a personal favourite of top carper, Gaz Fareham.

Rig Rings
Use: Go for a medium sized ring then it can be used for a multitude of uses: from connecting two hooklinks together to going on ‘D’ rigs.
Other use: They have endless uses: to mount a hookbait to the hook’s shank; mini Rotten Bottom links… it goes on and on.

Solar 4mm Leadcore Backstop Beads
Use: A very easy to use and angler/fish-friendly product for when you’re using helicopter set-ups. They are a simply top bead which when wet will move easily.
Other use: More in terms of safety: make sure you use a Needle Knot to connect your leadcore to your main line as this is a small, neat knot and everything can pass over it.

Shrink Tubing
Use: Shrink tubing has so many uses; it’s a tackle box essential. Its main use though is for creating a ‘kicker’ over a hook’s eye to help it turn.
Other use: If you’re using the helicopter rig and not got any Solar 4mm Backstop Beads, then a piece of shrink tubing can be used to hold the top bead in place.

Korda Krimping Tool
Use: This gadget has made tying Chod Rigs child’s play. If you’ve not used on yet, you’re missing out – an outstanding piece of kit.
Other use: It can also be used for creating the stiff boom section on a Hinged Stiff Link.

PVA Tape
Use: PVA is a carp angler’s Godsend. It can be used for everything from tying off rigs, to holding Hairs in place and sealing solid PVA bags.
Other use: Make sure you opt for PVA tape and not string. Tape obviously has a larger surface area so dissolves much better.

Putty
Use: Like PVA tape, putty is a modern-day essential. Not only do we use it for balancing pop-ups etc., but it’s now common practice to mould a piece along your hooklink.
Other use: When balancing your pop-up, use a pair of scissors to trim tiny pieces off until it sinks really slowly. Using scissors means it’s a lot neater.

ESP Braid Scissors
Use: A decent set of rig scissors is a must and during a recent CARPology (Maximum Carp’s sister title) long-term test, they proved the ESP ones were by far the best.
Other use: To prolong the life of your scissors, only use them to cut sensible things. Trying to remove swivels from leads etc. will just blunt them in no time.

ACE Multi Tool
Use: A brilliant gadget which you can use to test knots – both hook and swivel ones, along with creating lovely round loops on your Chod/boom sections.
Other use: Before you try and curve your Chod Rigs, take two Multi Tools, place your hook into the loop and the swivel into the hook on the tool and pull before curving.