Combi rig - This season’s rig nonsense/improvement

[Lewis Baldwin]

I just tie an allbright knot , less weight less knots and if tied correctly it’s as strong as the main line / braid

Same here, 20lb braid section to 15lb flouro and whatever size hook is suitable to the bait/conditions with a simple knotkess knot.

Never failed me, catches plenty, simple and effective

Thanks

Lewis

 

[Bob Watson]

I posted a similar thread about a combi rig a few years ago and I was also pretty much shot down in flames for it.

If I feel the need for short braid hooklink at the end of a long, heavier trace, I sometimes just tie a micro swivel inbetween the two and put a blob of putty on the swivel. The quicker the flow the longer the link. If it's a real slow pace I reduce the length, I can't help but feel everything lands in a big clump with long hooklinks, slow water and dense baits even when feeling the lead down!

I've often thought about trying helicopter rigs but have never gotten round to it, anyone tried them?

 

[Dimitri Tsakalos]

Me too Kevin, I have absolute faith in this knot.

Last season on a snaggy Ribble swim I had to pull for a break having snagged on the bedrock or a boulder. I was using a size 8 nash fang, so a strong hook, 15lb amnesia to 15lb braid. Pulled, got it all back, only to find the hook had snapped. The Albright knot hadn't given up. That convinced me that it was all i need for a combo rig, which is my preference for barbel.

Have you got an example of how you tie your Albright?
I seem to get inconsistent results with it and looking online, there are so many different variations of it.
Any advice is much appreciated.

 

[Adrian Sadler]

Heresy! I seem to remember being beaten to a pulp on here when I 'came clean' on my combi rig solution (using exactly the components outlined) a few years ago . . . . 'Christmas Tree' was one of the words use to belittle my speed rig efforts. . . . I admit its difficult being so ahead of the curve . . . . . . . . . . lol

Quick tip from the original (tm lol) inventor - rather than tying a fixed loop at the end of the small braided section do as Terry Hearn originally showed me (loop & boom rig from 20yrs+ ago) and double the braid in half before tying the knotless knot. This way you can really hone down the braided 'mini hooklink' length (1-4") and make them consistently the same size, as well as doubling the strength and making it easier to either loop onto a mini swivel / ring or hook onto a Korum Snap Swivel / ESP Ronnie Clip (my preferred method). Bait attachment is usually a bait screw but mounted on a small Korda D Rig Kicker. . .

I prefer the ESP Ronnie Clip over the Korum Snap as although you don't get the 'swivel' element the rubber sleeve is thin and perishes quickly which is obvs a risk . . . you also need to add putty as a pivot counterweight rather than the ESP tungsten which performs a dual function. Only watch out with the ESP set up is particularly snaggy / weedy swims - it really needs to be pushed firmly over the clip to stop it riding up the fluro hooklength when put under pressure; exposing the braided connection and leaving it free to detach under a slack line . . . .in this instance its better to use a simple straight length of coated braid with zero 'junctions' to damage . . . .more expensive in the long run but safer and more likelihood of landing big fish in tough conditions etc

I pretty much agree with Chris.

15lb mainline , 20lb FC hooklink, ESP Ronnie Clip, 15lb braid to hook, bait screw

Sounds a dog's breakfast but:-

The last 50mm or so is the weak link so you get your feeder back. As per Chris I tied it doubled but found it too fiddly for me ;-) and too strong!!...I want to be able to just about break this part if I snag (PS. I don't care if they're not all same length..'cos I don't know what the correct length is...but mostly 'cos In not c**p angler)
It doesn't tangle (much).
One hooklink lasts ages.
If you turn a hook point over you can put a new one on in seconds.
Boilie screwed on with a bait screw.
If it's not a pitch black night I can put a new hook and attach a boilie in the dark ( and I've not lost a baiting needle this year ...or been stabbed by one!)

Drawbacks:-
It took me 30 mins to tie six hooks and three hooklinks just now.
20lb flouro takes a big pull to tighten up ( grinner) the knot fully against the tiny clip. I slide it down to the base of a stringer needle and pull against that with pliers on the tag-end.
I lost one fish last year when the braided loop fell off the clip...I now lark's-foot the loop to the clip and I feel pretty confident it won't ever come off again ( I have only once had to push the tungsten beady-thing back over the clip once this year).
Ronnie Cips are nearly £1 each

PS

 

[Adrian Sadler]

I pretty much agree with Chris.

15lb mainline , 20lb FC hooklink, ESP Ronnie Clip, 15lb braid to hook, bait screw

Sounds a dog's breakfast but:-

The last 50mm or so is the weak link so you get your feeder back. As per Chris I tied it doubled but found it too fiddly for me ;-) and too strong!!...I want to be able to just about break this part if I snag (PS. I don't care if they're not all same length..'cos I don't know what the correct length is...but mostly 'cos In not c**p angler)
It doesn't tangle (much).
One hooklink lasts ages.
If you turn a hook point over you can put a new one on in seconds.
Boilie screwed on with a bait screw.
If it's not a pitch black night I can put a new hook and attach a boilie in the dark ( and I've not lost a baiting needle this year ...or been stabbed by one!)

Drawbacks:-
It took me 30 mins to tie six hooks and three hooklinks just now.
20lb flouro takes a big pull to tighten up ( grinner) the knot fully against the tiny clip. I slide it down to the base of a stringer needle and pull against that with pliers on the tag-end.
I lost one fish last year when the braided loop fell off the clip...I now lark's-foot the loop to the clip and I feel pretty confident it won't ever come off again ( I have only once had to push the tungsten beady-thing back over the clip once this year).
Ronnie Cips are nearly £1 each

PS