Rigs According To Rob Hughes

Who influences you when it comes to rigs?
“We chat regularly in the office about rigs, and obviously they’re a huge part of the England camp’s plans. I’ve also got some very good mates who are always on the ball, so I’m going to say everyone and no one for this. Weird answer, eh? I know what I’m happy with and what I normally use, but if someone has something that really catches my eye, or more importantly, carp, I’m prepared to look at it. Having an open mind is vital, but I’m definitely not a fad-follower. When you fish as many different venues as I do, you have to be prepared to change as rigs are so often venue-specific.”

How often do you change from a rig you have total faith in; i.e. from a Ronnie to Hinged Stiff Link, or a KD Rig to a standard Combi, and if you do, what dictates that change and when was the last time that happened?
“I suppose the answer is rarely. I have five very solid rigs that I have total faith in, and these cover almost every angling situation. If it’s a clean bottom, I like to fish a straight bottom-bait or wafter on a German Rig. If I need to get the hook point off the deck because there’s a bit of rubbish around, or I want to use a bright pop-up, then it will be a Ronnie. If there is crap on the bottom like weed or chod, it will be reversed Combi; i.e. a Choddy on a soft-coated hooklink. Add a Zig, and a short, supple solid PVA bag rig, and that’s almost every eventuality covered. It will take a lot to prize me away from one of those.”

Do you remember the first time you caught a carp after doing something new (rig-related), that you’d not seen before?
“I’ve been around carp fishing long enough to remember the first time I put a Hair Rig on. That was a bit of an eye-opener, and it was the same with the Multi Rig, too. I was a huge fan of that when I first saw it, especially when using two really big bottom baits and a huge hook. It’s devastating for big fish. I prefer the German Rig these days, unless I’m using very big hooks. The other rig, of course, was the Zig. That was an absolute game-changer!”

Have many of your beliefs regarding rigs changed over time (i.e., and just as an example, that you’d never use a pop-up, but now you wouldn’t cast out a bottom bait)?
“They haven’t, really. My rigs have moved with the times, and choice of hooklink materials and hook patterns may have changed too, depending on what’s been available. My principles remain exactly the same, though. I like a sharp hook with a decent gape and look for good mechanics. Most importantly, it’s about understanding what to use and when. Knowing what’s on the bottom is the first and most important part of the equation, not the last. Good presentation is king, and that can only be achieved by knowing what’s on the deck.”

From all your underwater observations, what are the two biggest myths when it comes to rigs? 
“Countless times I’ve heard anglers say that you can cast a solid PVA bag into weed and it’ll be fine. That’s just crazy, and it’s a sign of lazy angling. Weed is variable. Tall, thick Canadian pondweed coming all the way to the surface is very different from silkweed on the deck which completely envelopes a rig. That casual “Yeah, but I’ve caught in the weed”comment is naive and it shows a lack of breadth in weed fishing. Understanding the weed, how it lies, and most importantly, using a proper rig to fish over it makes a huge difference. I can recall at least two international events when our weed rig won us the match whilst other teams fished ‘normally’.”

“The second myth is tangles. To get a decent presentation, unless you’re using a solid bag, you simply have to make sure that the rig enters the water on a tight line and lays down nicely. If you don’t, it will almost certainly become tangled in some way. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter. Other times it does. Given the law of averages, though, you’ll get fewer bites if it does present badly. Many fantastic presentations we
see explained look quite different when they are cast 100yd out into a pond in
a crosswind.”

Do you put much emphasis on hookbait choice these days—balanced, straight out of the bag or weighted, for example—and does colour play its part?
“Absolutely. My hookbait choice dictates my rig, and in turn, the hookbait choice is dictated by the lakebed. Where possible, I like to fish a bottom bait, sometimes straight out of the bag, but most of the time it’ll be a match-the-hatch wafter. Over sand, hard clay or anything that the bait and rig won’t sink into, it will be a straight bottom bait. If there’s light weed or it’s fine gravel, it’ll be a critically balanced pop-up to keep the hook point safe. Light weed means a longer link and a full-on pop-up on a Choddy-based Reverse Combi Rig. The key is to use something that ensures good presentation. As for colours, once again it’s dictated by the lake, but this time, water clarity. Pink’s always a winner, but sometimes
it’ll be reds or whites, according to light levels.”

What’s the neatest rig-related tweak or trick you’ve seen from your peers in the last five years?
“Probably the way some rigs have been adapted to fish naturals like worms, maggots and bloodworm. Worms in the saddle on a Zig is now known about a fair bit more. That was, and still is, to be fair, an amazing edge, one that was kept quiet for a while. My England teammates Wayne Mansford and Ryan Need have adapted a rig to fish worms on the deck so effectively it’s criminal. They slay almost everywhere they go with it, and the few people they have told about it do the same. Sadly, we are not allowed naturals in international competition, otherwise it would be game over on most venues.

“I’ve got to say, though, that in recent times, one of the things that helped make my life much easier is the bait screw on a micro ring swivel. Screws pins and swivels have been around for a while, but the swivel-mounted bait screws are game changers. They make things miles easier than having to blob, and they’re so much faster when you’re using a single pop-up. I love ’em!”