What is the best boom section for a Hinged Stiff Link?

Tony Welch says: “I’ve used the Hinged Stiff Rig on weedy lakes such as Horseshoe and also deep open water lakes such as Argal Resevoir. The boom section I favour depends on the lakebed I’m fishing over and which lead set-up I’m using. At Horseshoe I used a lead clip and 12-inches of 12lb Subterfuge for the boom and at Argal a helicopter rig and six-inches of 22lb. I use the thinnest but stiffest material I can get away with at the time and the general rule of thumb being the higher the breaking strain, the stiffer the material.

“Don’t get caught up thinking you must have a really stiff boom section no matter what because you don’t! I’ve caught most of my carp using the 12lb version. Subterfuge sinks, is near invisible and is tough as old boots and lends itself perfectly to the rig. Water clarity doesn’t come into it and I am more than confident using it over any lakebed, it’s more important to balance the set-up to the angling situation than worry about the water clarity, you won’t beat Subterfuge. Sure Flow from Gardner is another great line for boom sections, as it is clear, steams ultra straight and is thinner than most comparable ‘memory-free’ leader materials.”