ANGLING TRENDS: RONNIE-MANIA!

CARPOLOGY: When did you first become aware of the Ronnie Rig?
LEWIS READ: “Gary ‘Ronnie’ Archer and Ian Stott were using it on Wellington Country Park before other syndicate members found out about it. That would have been around 2013–2014. I’m dreadful with dates, but after looking at my old pictures I’d say it would have been around that time.

“It didn’t become widely known about until a year or so later, though. In fact, I remember asking Gary if it was okay to write about it once word had got out and before anything else had appeared in print.

“I remember being sent a picture of it the year before, by my mate, Sam Meeuwissen, but it didn’t really register in my divvy brain! I recall looking at the image of it constructed with clear shrink tube and thinking, Yuk! It was a macro-style shot, and I just didn’t like the rig aesthetically. What an utter fool, eh? I certainly know better now.”

CARPOLOGY: Did you jump on it quickly or take some convincing?
LEWIS READ: “Oh, believe me, I didn’t take much convincing, not after seeing fish being caught on it at the Boot Lake. A small hookbait offered on a nice sharp size 4 curve shank proved simply sublime. Hook-pulls were non-existent. In essence, it was new to them. Bites eventually slowed slightly, but the set-up continued to be effective, as it is still. That’s the hallmark of something special, isn’t it? It’s just right, and it works.

“Heli set-up with a stiff boom, or clip with a soft boom, it didn’t seem to matter. As long as you presented a bait they liked in the right area, the rig would nail them. Those ‘Welly’ fish had definite preferences when it came to boilies, and despite the venue’s reputation, quite often, new anglers would struggle until they found one the fish liked.

“I remember landing a pukka forty-pounder, and the hook was 5–6 inches down its throat. That scared me! Fortunately, the hook out came cleanly and with minimal distress to the fish, once I’d found a suitable tool to push down to the inside of the hook. That was an exception, though. Most of the time they were hooked firmly in their bottom lip or in the scissors.”

CARPOLOGY: How has the rig developed since you first saw it being used?
LEWIS READ: “The common Ronnie/Spinner Rig, with a swivel attached to the hook eye, is a simplified version of what Gary and Steve ‘the Apache’ Cliff originally tied, with a Slip-D coming from the ‘cradle’ they used to attach the swivel to the hook.

“In terms of a rig for the consumer, shall we say, I honestly felt that promoting it in its original (albeit very effective and quite lovely) form, was risky, due to the braided connection. The principles of the presentation haven’t changed a lot since, although the components used have. That’s true, though, of most great set-ups, like the Multi Rig, the Blowback and the Hinge, for instance. Rigs evolve and there will be subsequent variations. That’s a result of many minds thinking about possible refinements and the rig’s application, which is great.”

CARPOLOGY: Just how effective was the rig when you first started using it? How did it compare with other groundbreaking set-ups you got on early, like the Hinge Rig and the Choddie?
LEWIS READ: “It’s up there with the best of the best! I’d suggest it had an even greater and more far-reaching impact, given how easy it is to construct. It’s accessible, shall we say. Anyone can get the Ronnie right, can’t they?”

CARPOLOGY: What are your thoughts on how the hookbait should be mounted, i.e. on the shank with a hookbait swivel, or on a Slip-D arrangement, as it was on the original set-up?
LEWIS READ: "In reality, the difference in the rig’s performance when tied with a shank-mounted hookbait compared to that with it attached via a Slip-D is negligible. Also, the benefits of the ‘Metal Mickey’ construction in terms of ease of tying and, most importantly, tangle-free use and resetting, largely make up for any perceived advantages of the Slip-D version (in most anglers’ hands). To be brutally honest, the Slip-D set-up’s separation probably results in fish being hooked better, but if the rig casts like a bag of spanners and everything wraps around the shank, it’s worse! Try both, see which one you get on with and then reap the rewards. Confidence is the key, whichever you prefer.”

CARPOLOGY: Looking back, can you date the peak of ‘Ronnie-mania’?
LEWIS READ: “Has it actually peaked? I think it’s still a hugely popular rig. Having gone through the loved and hated phases, it’s come out the other side and has become accepted. Components now marketed by Thinking Tackle, for instance, have made it even easier to construct. Their QC Ronnie Sleeves and purpose-designed PTFE swivels, for example, have seemingly made the set-up evermore popular with anglers of all levels of experience. It’s so easy to tie now, and it’s uber-effective. Some will knock it because it’s not for them, and that’s fine. As a rig for the carp angler’s general arsenal, however, it’s a must-have and it always will be.”

CARPOLOGY: Do you see any potential downsides with the rig?
LEWIS READ: “During our Cypography interview on Yateley West, Terry Hearn mentioned that its main limitation is the set height at which the pop-up sits. As the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), as usual, he’s dead right. It’s possible, though, to adjust the height a little by using hook patterns with either longer or shorter shanks, and by positioning the counterbalance either on the hook shank—in which case the rig sits a little lower—instead of the more regularly shown hooklink side of a ring-style swivel. Fine-tuning is required, as is an understanding of its nuances, and that’s the case should you wish to get the best from any presentation.”

CARPOLOGY: Do you believe the rig could be improved in any way, perhaps by refining the components currently used to construct it?
LEWIS READ: “There’s always room for improvement, isn’t there? Whilst there’s already an abundance of recommended hook patterns, I guess more will come. Some day, one might make a difference, but for me, the curve shank is yet to be surpassed. If anyone reading this comes up with a really substantive tweak, however, please send me a message… I can then reap the benefits with you!”