The Hinged Rig

Firstly you’ll need to note that I’ve not called this ‘The Hinge STIFF Rig’ as it is often referred to. This is because my version would need a dose of Viagra before it could perform that way, and so would be better known as ‘The Lazy-Lob Rig’ as I prefer my version to be semi-stiff. To explain the reasons for this, it’s probably best to take a look at how and why I put the rig together next.

Rig mechanics

Starting with the hookbait, which will always be a 15mm pop-up and it’s extremely important that this pop-up is reliably buoyant. Firstly because this rig is constructed from monofilament materials and therefore quite a heavy rig, but also because the nature of the rig lends itself to be left out in the lake for long periods, a tactic I use frequently and will touch upon again later.

Okay, the pop-up is then floss tied to a small rig ring running on a ‘D’ formed by taking the tag-end of the stiff mono used to tie a Six-Turn-Knotless-Knot back through the eye of the hook. The tag end is then blobbed with a lighter to secure a rounded ‘D’ above and behind the hook eye.

In my opinion this really helps the superb hooking potential of the rig, as the hookbait can only be ejected over the top of the hook eye. This not only directs the hook, point-first, but also keeps the pop-up hookbait clear of the hook’s gape. Meaning it can’t become trapped between the hook and mouth of the fish and leaver or weaken the hook-hold during the fight.

The all important ‘D’ ensures the hookbait is ejected over the eye of the hook

As I’ve said I use a Knotless-Knot, which including the tag end forming the ‘D’ passes through the eye three times, rather than only twice when using a whipping style knot. It may be a tight fit, but that’s what I like, as it prevents the line from rotating or rubbing within the eye and becoming damaged. This knot is tied to a size 6 stiff-rig style hook with an out-turned-eye. The size 6 hook suits a 15mm pop-up perfectly and I have never found cause to scale this up or down. For me the rig works best with this size ratio.

I tend not to scale this rig up or down, a size 8 hook, 15mm pop-up works best

An aggressive curve is then shaped into the stiff mono used for this shorter section, which is secured to a standard size 11 swivel with a two-turn-blood-knot.

It’s easy to shape an aggressive curve into the stiffmono with your thumb

To counterbalance the pop-up, some putty is then moulded around the top of this swivel running on a loop formed at the end of the rig’s boom section with a Figure-Of-Eight-Loop-Knot.

A little putty moulded over the Loop-Knot and swivel to fine-tune the counterbalance of the rig

This then forms the ‘hinge’ the rig is famous for, which creates the disjointed effect that carp find so difficult to deal with. Whichever way you move the rig it just wants to grab hold!

The disjointed effect of this hinge is what the carp find so difficult to deal with

This is also where my version of the rig becomes semi-stiff, as I like to use a supple, fluorocarbon mono for the boom section and not the stiff mono used for the shorter part. This supple boom works much better with the leadclip arrangement I prefer to use with this rig and also allows the boom to follow the contour of the lakebed or sit over weed.

I prefer to use a supple boom and a leadclip with my version of the Hinge Rig

Best uses...

“As long as I can get a drop on my lead, this is my favoured rig for weedy situations, as the supple boom allows the shorter, stiff hooking section to settle nicely in this environment.
The great thing about this presentation is its ability to re-set itself. So I’ll often use it at low-stock venues, where I may want to leave the rig undisturbed for 24hrs-plus or a venue where I need my rig to withstand the attentions of nuisance fish.
Such is the reliability of the rig, I’ll simply use it on any occasion where a pop-up forms my hookbait choice and generally combine this with ascattering of boilies.”

Biggest fish...

‘Kev’s Linear’ at 42lb 14oz