Ali Hamidi's Rig Step-by-Step

The Blow Back Rig
Hopefully you will have read the last two issues of Crafty Carper where I have covered two very popular but also quite simple rigs. If you haven't then ring angling publications and get the back issues! This month we are going to step it up a little and look at rigs which are suitable for the most ‘finicky' carp on the planet! The Blow Back rig is exactly that. When a carp feels that something may be untoward with the rig and spits the bait out at some speed, the shock and reaction is counter attacked by a blow back mechanism that is formed by a very simple yet effective rig making tool, the humble ‘Rig Ring'? Is this true? Well this is the original theory anyway, however when you watch the Korda Underwater films I think this theory is very much blown to bits, certainly when part 5 is out you will see exactly what we mean. The more I watch them and the more I speak to Danny and Damian the more I realise that there is no such thing as a ‘blow-back' rig! However there are rigs that present your baits more effectively than others and this is certainly such a rig. It is a presentation that I use for the more pressured venues that I fish.

How it works:
For this instalment I am going to concentrate on a buoyant/pop-up presentation which will incorporate a Longshank type of hook. This is set-up in a similar manner to the extended line-aligner/shank rig that I covered in my first rig feature a couple of months back. In that instance Korda silicon tubing was used on the shank to keep the hair close to the shank of the hook and also dictate at which point the hair leaves the hook. Now that particular rig is pretty damn awesome, however when it comes to overall presentation, I believe the blow back rig is hard to equal. When using a buoyant bait, the presentation is very clinical indeed. The small gap between rig ring and bait is enhanced by the position that you place the ring on the hook. In essence you a produce a ‘claw like' presentation that protrudes from the lake bed. Whilst the free movement means that when the hook does catch hold it is far more likely to stay put even when a carp goes to blow the whole lot out. Like every rig on the face of this planet, when a carp decides to blow it out when it hasn't touched the flesh in anyway, it stands NO chance of staying in ‘situ'. However when it does prick a fish, the buoyant bait and rig ring mechanism does to a degree compensate for an aggressive ‘blow-out' of the rig, which in turn keeps the hook in place until the fish ‘rattles off'! This type of free movement means it can catch out ‘wary' carp who may have become accustomed to getting ‘rid' of rigs which have limited free ‘hair' movement, even when the hook may have pricked them. In these instances the weight of the boilie can often enhance the chance that a carp has of blowing the whole lot out because of the added momentum that a ‘static' bait tight to the hook can have. This extra bit of movement can put bonus carp on the bank, turning that ‘odd' single bleep into a ‘positive' take?

The Components you need:

The Hook:
There is no better hook on the market to use with this rig than a Korda Longshank X, I mainly use a size 8 for 90% of my fishing. Strong, super sharp and with a Teflon finish you can't go wrong. The reason I'm using a long shank hook is:

• I prefer them when using buoyant baits.
• They also allow the rig ring more distance to travel when ‘blown out' thus making the mechanics of the rig more efficient.

Shrink Tube and Rig Ring:
Again my friends, we don't go without that sacred item; shrink tube. Just like the extended line-aligner, this rig will be complemented with the ‘curved' or ‘bent' shrink tube as it leaves the eye of the hook. This gives the hook that all so important ability to flip into Mr carps bottom lip and give you the best possible chance of ‘pricking them' and overall hook-hold. The Final piece in the jig-saw of the little rig items is the rig rings. This item sits on the shank of the hook and moves up and down. Basically the hair follows on off this ring. This is a simple but vital piece of kit that takes this rig from being a standard hair rig to being a blow-back rig.

Hooklength:
Just like last month, with any rig that concentrates on keeping the hook firmly in position within the carp's mouth, it is important to use a hooklink that gives you a ‘stiff' boom that pushes the link out. This not only gives you excellent anti-tangle properties for casting single hookbaits or tiny bags but also means it is very tricky for the carp to spit this lot out. In-fact I don't think the Hybrid 20lb hook-link coupled with the blow-back can be made much more effective. Leave the last quarter-1inch of hooklink above the eye uncoated so that the hook can move about in the carp's mouth then let the ‘stiff' hooklink boom choke them with its prowess!

There we are for another month folks. This is a real favourite with some of the top anglers in the country. I can remember countless hits that my friends and I have had on this. It has produced some sensational catches from me on Mid Kent Fisheries Mainline Chilham and I also witnessed my best buddy Gareth Fareham have some great results in very dodgy conditions in Oxford during the winter. If you're looking for a pop-up rig that will take no prisoners on pressured venues, then this is most certainly one to have in your armoury. The name that has been labelled at it can be slightly misleading because as I have stated, there is no such thing as a rig that is ‘blow-back' proof if the fish hasn't already been ‘pricked', however there are rigs that can maximise your chances through their enhanced presentation and mechanics, this rig is exactly that.

Ali Hamidi