The hair rig was originally invented for big carp, but nowadays it’s extremely popular in match and pleasure fishing too.
The original idea was that the fish sucked the hookbait in and then, when it tried to blow it back out as it realised something was wrong, it felt the hookpoint and bolted.
As the fish charged off it would hit the weight of the lead or feeder, pulling the hook home and hooking itself.
Nowadays, hair-rigging your baits is a must for any type of feeder fishing on commercials, but it’s not just a case of tying a bait band to the hair and then casting out – different baits lend themselves to different presentations.
In my fishing, I have three ways of hair-rigging for three different scenarios, depending on the type of hookbait I’m using on the day.
Band hard baits
My favourite way of hair-rigging is with a latex Guru Bait Band tied on to the hair or in a small loop on the end of it. A band suits hard pellets, but they also work well for wafters on the tip or casters when fishing shallow on the pole for carp and F1s.
Stops for soft baits
Using a Speed Stop has gone out of fashion a bit, but they’re good for drilled pellets, worms or punched meat – anything that’s too soft or too big to have a band stretched around it without damaging the bait or breaking the band.
Spikes for natural
If you want the bait to look very natural to fish, a band can put them off. The solution for wafters or mini boilies is a Bait Spike – a length of wire that’s pushed into the bait. Not only does this make the bait look safe, but it’s quicker to prepare.
Hook maggots
There are, of course, some baits and indeed some methods where hair-rigging isn’t possible. Maggots and corn immediately spring to mind, especially if fished on the pole, and your only option here is to hook them in the normal way.
