Sea Angling Rig Book Read online

  Copyright Mpdawn Publications

  This edition written by D.A.Weaver,

  printed and published by

  Mpdawn publications

  2016

  All rights reserved;

  no part of this publication may be reproduced

  or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic

  or mechanical including photocopy, recording,

  or in any information storage and retrieval system,

  without the prior written consent of the publisher

  INTRODUCTION

  Just Beginners

  Although most of the rigs/traces are self-explanatory they can be a little daunting to the beginner, this small chapter is here just to explain a few of the basic parts used in greater detail during the making of the rigs in this book.

  Beads/Sequins

  Beads are primarily used as stops, either side of a swivel on a pulley type rig or before a stop knot etc, one of the other uses for both is as an attractor on a hook length, these, used in the correct way can be deadly for flatfish etc.

  Bait clips/Shield

  Bait clips and shields are not a necessity but are a very useful item to add to most rigs, the clip basically slides on to the line when making the rig, these act like a small hook that you can clip your baited hook length on to and helps during the cast. When the weighted rig hits the sea bed the baited hook is released, these are held on the line by threading the line through the bait clip and then sliding the small piece of rubber tubing over thebase of the clip.

  Bait shields are slightly more expensive but do a better job during the cast and during the release of the bait, to use these on a rig you need to place the shield at the bottom of the rig before the lead link, slide a single bead up the line, and thread the bait shield on followed by the small piece of rubber tubing and then tie the lead link to the end of the rig, unlike the bait clip this has to be semi fixed in place, to do this first attach your hook length complete with hook, when this has been done place the beak of the hook between the line and the bait shield, this action is only to hold the hook in place and not how the shield is normally used, now pull the bait shield down towards the lead link or clip until the hook length is tight, push the rubber tubing on to the bait shield at this point and with the small bead now sitting at the top of the shield tie a stop knot above the bead, once this has been done you have finished.

  Lead clips/Snap links etc.

  Lead links/clips are mainly used for attaching the chosen lead to the base of your rig, these enable the angler to quickly change the lead being used for another more suitable one depending on sea or weather conditions, these come in a range of sizes and should be matched to the weight being used.

  Another use for the lead link/clip is to use it in the same way as you would use a snap link and that is attached to the swivel if used at the top of your rig/trace, again this enables the angler to quick change between rigs, these can all be replaced by split rings, however these tend to be hard to open with cold hands.

  Swivels

  Swivels are used to cut down the twist in rigs/traces during fishing as the weighted trace gets washed around on the sea bed, there are quite a few different makes sizes and patterns of swivel and like the lead link they are all assigned to their own weight limit. Standard swivels are mainly used at the top and bottom of the rig or trace, three way swivels are used in the main body of the rig or trace and the free eye is used for the hook length attachment.

  Care must be taken when choosing swivels, use the shockleader guide later on in the book to decide the size you require, but the average is around the size 4 to 1.

  Zip slider/Booms

  This is primarily used for making running ledgers, these can be used either from the beach or the rocks and are ideally suited for use in steady flowing estuaries.

  The other main type of boom used from the shore, mostly from the rocks are the standoff boom and the pivot boom, these help to cut down on the hook length tangling up with the main body of the trace by holding the hook length away from the rest of the trace during the cast and whilst it is under the water.

  RIG MAKING EQUIPMENT

  Before you start to make your own rigs, there are a few useful tools that you may find helpful, these can be purchased from many angling shops and tool suppliers and best of all they do not cost the earth.

  Nail/Line cutters

  Nail cutters are probably the best tool to use for cutting line, particularly when trimming knots, the two types shown will both do the job, however the plier style are the easier to use particularly if you suffer with hand

  problems, the lever type will however trim knots that little bit closer.

  Crimping Pliers

  Crimping tools come in various shapes and sizes, however the ones needed for rig or trace making are the lighter domestic type, these can be found cheaply in some fishing shops, tool shops and internet outlets.

  Using these is quite straight forward, however you may need to practice on a piece of scrap line, crimping it wrong here will result in snapping the line, crimping it wrongly on a finished rig or trace could mean losing a fish and end tackle.

  When using crimps first make sure that you use the correct one for the size of line, this will cut down on mistakes being made and it’s a lot easier to crimp than an oversized one, below is a basic pair of crimping pliers.

  don't be fooled in to thinking that using crimps is a quicker and easier way to make rigs and traces, it’s not, you will use more materials like beads etc and you will make some rigs or traces using crimps that will just not be as strong as a tied rig, but don't get me wrong crimps do have their uses, it is almost impossible to tie a knot in wire trace line, this is where the crimps and tool comes out on top.

  Hook Tier

  Let me start by saying that this item is not normally found in the sea anglers tackle box, however what a lot of sea anglers do not realise is that these will work with the smaller sea fishing hooks, in fact these will quite happily tie a size 2/0 hook to 15lb breaking strain hook length.

  The only thing you have to remember when using one of these on a standard sea hook is that there is an eye at the top of the hook and not a spade, to combat this all you need to do is thread the hook length material through the eye before wrapping the line around the various parts of the hook tier. There are a number of different hook tiers on the market that all basically do the same job as the standard match hook tier shownbelow, these can be picked up for as little as £2.

  Fly tying vice

  A strange piece of equipment to have floating around a tackle box you may think, however when making some rigs or traces it would be great to have a spare hand just to hold that hook or swivel, this is where the fly tying vice can come in very handy.

  One of the best uses for this is if you intend to tie your own feathers; however it is possible to use the above hook tier above to do the same job along with a rig making board.

  Again fly tying vices come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, however again it is the smaller one that you would need, either clamped on a bench or desk or the stick on variety will do the job.

  DIY Rig/Trace Making Board:

  A rig/Trace making board can be one of the best things that you ever manufacture and can be an indispensible piece of kit enabling you to make rigs and traces of all lengths and types whilst being held in position.

  One of the easiest ways to make this is to first find an old plank of pine, like an old floor or skirting board approximately 36 inches in length and around 4 inches wide, the reason for pine or similar types of wood is that the pins used in this board are not fixed and can be moved between the holes, these will pull out and wear in chipb
oard etc.

  Any way you have your board, now all you need is an electric or hand drill with a 2mm wood drill bit, drill a hole about 10mm deep at one end of the board about 25mm from the end and approximately in the

  centre, now leave a gap of 150mm and drill a line of holes about 20mm apart and 10mm deep all the way to the other end. Now drill a further two rows as shown below.

  The pins used in this board are 2mm x 25mm round wire nails; this is the reason for the 2mm holes.

  When finished use a pin to secure a 3 way swivel in the top hole, work out the length of trace you require and fix a swivel of lead link using a pin in a hole down the other end of the board, now tie a length of line between the two swivels held in place, this gives you the trace or rig body, now whilst this is still attached tie a hook length to the top swivel and work out how long you want the hook length to be, use a pin in one of the side holes to hold the hook whilst you tie it on, remember to use a bit of spit whilst tightening knots etc.

  The items below are the main parts used for making the rigs featured on the following pages. Most of the parts on this page can be substituted for a similar type, Ball weights and Barrel weights are available in various sizes, the ball weight is mainly used for float fishing, the barrel is mainly used for spinning rigs.

  RIGS INTRODUCTION

  The main rule for making rigs or traces is that you use the same strength line for the main body as you have shockleader. For safety reasons this rule is printed below.

  1oz lead = 10lbs strength line.

  2oz lead = 20lbs strength line.

  3oz lead = 30lbs strength line.

  4oz lead = 40lbs strength line.

  and so on.

  There are a few items that you will need to build the rigs in this book, they are as follows:

  * A spool of shockleader up to 60lbs

  * An assortment of floats complete with weights.

  * An assortment of hooks, sizes 2 - 6/0.

  * beads large and small.

  * An assortment of swivels, rolling and barrel, sizes 8 - 4.

  * Bait shields or clips.

  * Snap links, purchased complete with swivels.

  * Crimps, these help to cut down the tying of knots.

  * Material for making stop knots, e.g. power gum.

  * Line for making hook lengths.

  * Zip sliders or other booms.

  * Lead lifts for rough ground fishing.

  If you have followed this list then you should have enough materials to make the rigs, or variations of the same in this book. The art to making a good rig is to be able to tie a good knot and to tie the correct knot in the correct place, the use of crimps will work well on the right line, however if these are put on to tightly they can cut through the line, so although these may cut down on the tying of knots, these are not always practical.

  The type of lead used with a rig is also very important, if you are fishing for flat fish it is best to use a dumpy lead as this will roll around the bottom and cover more ground, fishing a storm beach with a lot of current it is best to use a grip lead, this will hold the bottom and save the bait and weight from being washed onto the shore.

  When fishing rock marks or places with a rocky bottom, the best weight to use is a plain lead possibly with a lead lift, this will help to retrieve the end tackle from rough ground. If the rig being used is for long distance

  fishing, use a bait shield, this will help keep the bait intact during the cast.

  Shockleader Knot

  Tie a half hitch in the shockleader, now push the end of the main line through the loop and pull slightly up. Now make a five loop UNI knot and using a little spit pull the two knots together and trim the ends.

  Uni Knot

  Push line through hook or swivel eye, pull 5 - 7 inches line through and make a loop, wrap through the loop 4 - 6 times. Now pull the line tight and trim end.

  Tucked Half Blood Knot

  Push the line through the hook loop, wrap around 4 - 6 times, push end of line through loop “A” and then loop “B”, pull up tight and trim the end.

  Clinch Knot

  Push line through hook loop twice, wrap line around itself 3 - 4 times, push back through first two loops, now pull up tight and trim ends.

  Stop Knot

  The stop knot is not used to attach anything to the line such as a hook or swivel, it is used basically as a stop for the float when used and foremost to set the depth that your bait will settle.

  This can be made from 15lb line, however there is a material made for this purpose called power gum, to tie this knot firstly set up your rod and reel with a float system, take a rough measurement of between eight and twelve feet and that is where you need to tie the knot.

  First of all lay about eight inches of the power gum down the shockleader, then whilst holding one end about an inch in, take the other end and take it back towards the end being held so that you have a loop.

  Now wrap the power gum around the shockleader and one side of the loop, you must do this at least four times but as many as eight, you must however wrap it around an even amount of times otherwise the knot will come undone.

  Once this has been done moisten the knot and pull up tight, trim the ends and now this knot should be able to be adjusted up or down the line but will hold firm enough to fix the float depth.

  Braided Knot

  Firstly thread the main line through the eye of the swivel and then follow the diagram over, but pass the braided line through the swivel twice. When finished trim the end of the line but leave about a 5 mm tag, you should end up with something similar to the picture below.

  Rig tips

  The number and different variations of rigs used by sea Anglers can often be bewildering to the novice or beginner. Readymade versions of many popular rigs can be purchased from most sea angling retailers, however, making up your own rigs, not only provides knowledge and experience but also immense satisfaction, they can also be repaired or rebuilt whilst out on a fishing trip.

  The most basic of rigs are the Running ledger and the Paternoster designs, once mastered, these are the key to making the more complicated set - ups, however, bear in mind that the simple rigs are usually more trouble free and productive in most situations.

  1, Torpedo type lead, used mainly for distance casting.

  2, Dumpy, this is used for fishing over clean sandy ground, where the weight can roll with the current.

  3, Barrel lead, used mainly for spinning; however this can be used with a float system.

  4, Pyramid weight, used for holding the bottom, over clean sandy ground. Not recommended for rock fishing.

  5, Grip lead, Breakaway type, this lead is best used on beaches where there is a strong current. The wires can be set to break out easily if required.

  General

  Before starting to make any rigs, try tying a few practice knots. A third hand or a handy nail to hang the rig from as it is being made can simplify the process.

  Use a pair of nail clippers for trimming end tags as these cut the line clean and close. When tying Paternoster rigs with bait clips or shields, try to use beads and crimps instead of 3 way swivels, totally build the rig, but do not crimp up the crimps until all is together complete with hook.

  Now pull the swivel up the main body of the trace and crimp in place. This will make sure that the hook length is the correct size for the bait clip or shield. Never over tighten crimps as this can weaken or even cut through the line.

  When using crimps to fix hooks to heavy snoods, loop the line through the hook and crimp twice for a stronger connection, it is best to use crimps when making up wire traces.

  Snoods

  The strength of snoods is very important and should be selected to suit the tide and weight of fish being sought e.g. many anglers use a snood of 4 - 8lb, breaking strain when fishing for Mullet, snoods of between 80 and 200lb are commonly used when fishing for Conger eels. The snood length, can als
o be of great importance for Example, Cod tend to take bait more easily if the snood length is between 24 and 40 inches. One of the best rigs for this is the up and over, or the beach Cod rig as the length of the snood can be tremendously varied.

  Bass can react in the same way, however, many are taken on running ledgers or plugs. If making Whiting or Mackerel traces it is best to have a snood of between 6 and 9inches long.