RIG CLINIC NIGEL WILLIAMS
RIG
CLINIC
Nigel Williams reveals how, contrary to popular belief, longshank hooks can be used
to great effect when fished D-Rig style on a Chod or Hinge Stiff Rig.
When people first see me using
longshank hooks for my Chod
Rigs and Hinge Stiff Rigs, they
look at me like I’m a little bit
strange. I can totally understand
this though because, in most
magazines these days, nearly all
big-fish anglers are encouraging
anglers to use a hook pattern
that boasts an out-turned eye.
Although I totally understand the
concept and idea behind their
hook choice, I’ve found that my
trusty longshank hooks have a
lot more applications than most
anglers give them credit for. Now
I’ve never been one of those
anglers who thinks up weird and
wonderful presentations just to
be different than the next bloke,
but I can honestly say that I think
longshank hooks are one of the
most effective hook patterns out
there for Chod Rigs and HingeStiff Rigs.
One of main reason anglers
use a hook with an out-turned
eye for rigs with a stiff section
is because they don’t want to
reduce the gape of the hook.
I totally get this and couldn’t
agree with the idea more, so I’d
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January / February 2014 avidcarp.com
never use a swept-shank hook or
conventional wide gape hook with
a Chod because the combination
with the stiff material would most
certainly reduce the gape and
hinder the hooking capabilities
of the rig. That said though, due
to the length of the shank on
a longshank hook, you can get
away with using a super-stiff
material, without reducing the
gape of the hook. In fact, as far as
I’m concerned, a longshank hook
fished on a Chod Rig actually
creates a much larger gape and
one that I’m certain will hook
more carp.
For me, the main advantage
of using a longshank hook on
a Chod Rig or Hinge-Stiff Rigs
is the fact that it allows you to
create a presentation similar to
the old bent hook rig. As some of
you may probably remember, the
bent hook rig was an extremely
effective presentation for large
carp, but it did cause a little bit
of controversy when it came to
hooking smaller fish. For that
reason alone, lots of venues
banned the rig and anglers
simply don’t get the chance to
use this devastating presentation
anymore. Fortunately though,
when using longshank hooks like
I’ve described, anglers can now
create a rig that boasts all the
great attributes of the old bent
hook rig, but the presentation is
extremely safe and isn’t going to
pose any danger to the fish.
As well as this, I’ve found that the
hook holds are much better with
longshank rigs than conventional
style hooks with an out-turned
eye because, when a fish picks
up the hookbait, the hook travels
much further into the carp’s
mouth. I’ve lost count of the
amount of anglers that have told
me how they regularly loose fish
on chods and I’m certain this
can sometimes happen because
the rig doesn’t travel far enough
into the carp’s mouth to obtain a
good hook hold. Have you ever
experienced a hook pull when
using a chod seconds after lifting
into the fish? This is a common
occurrence for most anglers and
I’m convinced a longshank hook
could eliminate this completely.
twitter.com/avidcarpers January / February 2014
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RIG CLINIC NIGEL WILLIAMS
HO W T O. . .
TI E NI GE L’ S LON G S H A NK D-R IG
0 1 . A ttach an LSK hook to a length
of Captive Stiff Rig Filament
using a knotless knot.
0 4 . N ow create a small loop in the
Stiff Rig Filament as shown
above.
02. N ow pass the tag end of the
knot through the back of the
eye on the hook.
05. P ass a length of 20lb Pin
Down hooklink through the
loop like this.
0 3 . C arefully blob the tag end with
a lighter so that it can’t pass
back through.
0 6 . C arefully whip the Pin Down
hooklink down the length of
the loop six times.
0 7 . N ow pass the Pin Down
08. M oisten the hooklinks with
0 9 . T o ensure the hooklink sinks
1 0 . P ass a quick-change Bait
11. N ow attach the hookbait of
12. F inally attach the finished rig
hooklink through the loop in
the stiff material.
Screw through the D on the rig
like this.
some saliva and gently pull
the knot tight.
your choice. Super-buoyant
pop-ups are essential.
As well as aid hook holds, I’m
certain that the nature of the
hook means that it spins quicker
when a carp picks it up. If you
look at the shape of the rig tied
with a longshank compared to
a conventional hook, you can
see that it sits at a slightly more
prone angle, which I’m certain
will aid the spin factor. I’ve
watched how the rig performs
in the margins and the smallest
bit of movement under the water
causes the hook to turn extremely
quickly. Perfect!
I’ve tried a variety of different
pattern longshank hook over
the years but, nowadays, I’m
completely sold on the Avid
Carp Reaction Range LSK
hooks. Although it doesn’t really
matter when using Chod rigs,
I absolutely love the fact that
they boast a green non-glare
coloration that makes them much
more unobtrusive on the bottom.
As well as this, I simply cannot
fault how sharp and strong they
are. I’ve always been a fan of
sharpening hooks for many years
but, if I’m honest, I’m happy to
use these ones straight out of the
packet. They’re that good!
Using longshank hooks may not
be everybody’s cup of tea and I
totally understand that. If you’re
experiencing hook pulls or dodgy
hook holds with standard hooks,
give a longshank a try. On venues
that are getting hammered on
Chods and the carp are starting to
approach them with more caution,
I genuinely believe longshanks
could catch you more carp.
and to tidy the rig, mould
some putty around the knot.
to a lead clip and it’s ready
to use.
@nigel_avidcarp
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January / February 2014 avidcarp.com
LSK hook
are Nigel’s
first choice.
This stunning 25lb-plus
mirror was bagged on
a Chod rig tied using a
longshank hook.
ANGLER PROFILE:
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Longshank hooks
sit at a more
aggresive angle.
Nigel Willia ms
U K P B : 4 1l b 10oz
O c c u p a t i o n : Sel f E mpl oyed
instagram @avidcarp January / February 2014
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