Why the Snowman Rig is one of the best to use

Wow! What a great presentation this is! Offering numerous benefits that really suit the type of angling I do most, which is predominately boilie fishing, but can include the application of mixed beds of feed, where again this rig is extremely adaptable. Being able to critically-balance a standard bottom-bait-boilie with a second, buoyant pop-up is one great benefit. Another being the fact that this can also combine bright, high-attract baits, with savoury food-source style boilies or items from a spod mix like a tiger nut. The best of both worlds rolled into one!

Rig mechanics

My first choice of hooklink material for this rig is a supple, coated braid, where I’ll use a colour to match the fishing situation, which in most cases seems to be gravel brown. I’ll always start by removing around six-inches of the coating from the hooklink material to expose the soft inner braid, into which I’ll tie an Over-Hand-Loop to form the Hair loop.

Now, as I’ve already mentioned, the hookbait really is the star of the show, when it comes to this presentation, which for me will be the combination of two boilies in most cases. So a bottom-bait-boilie the same as those being used for feed will go onto the Hair next, followed by a pop-up slightly smaller in size. Tipping a 14mm bottom bait with a 12mm mini pop-up is probably my favourite combo, as they balance out perfectly. The double hookbait will sink slowly onto the lakebed, but also fly-up quickly into the mouth of any investigating fish and will react in a similar way to the ‘safe’ freebies not attached to a weighty rig.

As for the colour of this pop-up, I can’t remember the last time this wasn’t white or yellow. In my experience they definitely help the hookbait in getting picked quickly within a bed of feed and are also attractive to non-feeding, inquisitive fish.

Yellow and white mini pop-ups are my out and out favourite colours for the top bait

With the hookbaits secured via a Hair-stop, I’ll separate my desired length of hooklink from the storage spool next, which on average will result in the rig being seven to eight-inches long once complete. A small rig-ring is then fixed onto the Hair, just above the hookbaits with an Over-Hand-Knot. I’ll then thread a size 8 long shank hook through the ring, so the ring sits on the hook shank level with the point. This adds movement to the hookbait, as well as creating a ‘blowback’ effect, which I believe dramatically increases the hooking potential of the rig.

The small rig ring incorporated on the Hair provides a ‘blowback’ effect

With the hook tied to the hooklink using a simple Six-Turn-Knotless-Knot, I then like to steam a short piece of shrink tubing over the knot onto the eye of the hook. This ‘kicker’ as its often known, really enhances the super-fast turning speed found with longshank hooks and helps guide the hook point towards the bottom lip area of fish for a solid hook-hold.

The section of shrink tubing on the hook eye or ‘kicker'

Again to aid hookbait movement and turning speed, the next inch of hooklink coming from the hook, will be kept supple with the soft braid exposed and the outer coating removed. An anti-tangle sleeve is then added to the hooklink before tying a Figure-Of-Eight-Loop-Knot to the end for quick and easy rig attachment. Around halfway along the hooklink I’ll wind-on a few turns of fine lead wire saved from splicing of leadcore leaders, onto which a small blob of rig putty is moulded. This ensures it’s pinned down to the lakebed, well out of sight and completes the rig nicely.

To hold the Hair in position I’ll secure it with some PVA tape

A small PVA mesh bag of boilies completes the Snowman set-up perfectly

Best uses

“If I feel the carp of a certain venue are happiest feeding tight to the lakebed or I’m fishing clean feeding spots, such as gravel or clay then I will choose this presentation. When faced with silt, I have also used this rig with great success, especially on one particular venue where all the carp showed signs of natural scarring down their gill-plates.

Caused by the fish encouraged to feed head-deep in silt by the natural foods that live there, such as bloodworm. Combined with boilies, mixed baits or even fished as a high-attract single, the snowman is again a rig I can use to great effect in a multitude of fishing situations.”

Biggest fish

‘The Hamster’ at 47lb 1oz