ASK THE EXPERTS
Dear Panel,
I would like to make my own combi rigs. Could you suggest materials I might use? Do they always have to be made from stiff or supple materials? I feel this may limit their use to clear bottoms. What lengths of materials would you suggest?
Thanks for your help.
A. Evans,
Devon.
Dear Mr. Evans,
For a long time anglers who wished to fish with combi rigs would normally start with the very stiff material, such as Amnesia or the Stiff Bristle Filament. This, in turn, would be either tied, or with the use of a small Micro Rig Ring, connected to a short length of around 2-3ins of a supple braided material. What this gave the anglers was a very effective rig that totally confused the carp once they had picked it up. I suppose the reason was that for years the fish had been fished for with rigs made out of materials which were readily available to one and all; this in turn meant the carp learned how to deal with said rigs. When the idea of the stiff/supple combi rig hit the carp scene, well, let’s just say it then turned the odds back in favour of the angler somewhat!!
You mention the use of the stiff or supple materials. I supposed this is subject to a certain amount of change. I know anglers who will change the rig around completely and use the stiff section at the hook end, with the braided section making up nearly 80% of the hooklink.
Combi rigs feature in nearly 99% of my fishing these days. Hybrid is one of the finest coated materials on the market.
As years have gone by, and new and revolutionary materials became available, the combi rig slightly moved on in the sense that it started to be manufactured in the way that the stiff outer coating of the hooklink could be peeled back to expose the supple braid inside. You then simply attach your hook with whatever knot you choose, steam the hooklink, and away you go – an instant combi rig!! I, for one, have used the coated braids since the day I could get my hands on them. They certainly are a lot easier than making your own, and basically they behave, and cause the carp problems once they’ve picked up the rig in just the same way that the Amnesia rigs did back in the day.
There are several varieties available on the market today, from a variety of manufacturers, but the one I’ve used extensively over the last few years is the Hybrid from the Korda stable. The outer coating is made from a fluorocarbon material, and, once steamed, is nigh-on invisible once submerged. The inner braid is available in either Weedy Green or Gravel Brown, so you can always be sure that you’ve matched it to the exact colour of the lakebed over which you are fishing.
A peach of a common, caught whilst using the Hybrid from Korda.
So there you have it. My answer would be to experiment with one of the mass-produced coated braids; they will basically do the same job as the first combi rigs that you asked about.
Be lucky,
Iain Macmillan 
