What is the German Rig you may ask? It is effectively a modern take on a classic stiff rig, but instead of being constructed from a wiry nylon, this rig relies on the properties of a coated braid. The rig harnesses the behaviour of these more advanced materials, which are used fully intact and have just the right level of stiffness for the mechanics to work. Effectively, the rig was born out of frustration with traditional combi rigs. anglers did not like the way the supple hook section could fold back on itself when a fish picked up the bait. Instead, with a fully coated braid and a bait mounted very close to the bend, the hook almost immediately sets itself in a talon-like position, ready to catch hold in the carp’s mouth, The effect is created not only by the use of unstripped coated braid but also by the deployment of a curved-shank hook and a rig swivel on which to mount the bait. Crucially, a rig sinker, split shot or piece of putty is also needed about an inch or so below the hook to help drag that hook down as quickly as possible. The resultant combination is a very aggressive hooking arrangement that naturally wants to drop into the fish’s bottom lip hookpoint first, Length of hooklink is often a subjective matter, but like so many other rigs it really depends on your baiting approach, When it comes to hookbaits, the German Rig is perfect for wafters or critically balanced boilies, but it also works with bottom baits and snowman presentations. It is not a rig for using with pop-ups, but you aren’t just limited by boilies, fake corn, tiger nuts and other non-spherical baits can be happily accommodated on the back of a German Rig, The rig works very well as a single-hookbait presentation, but it is certainly not hindered by the addition of a PVA mesh bag to add attraction around the hookbait and prevent the hook point from fouling on any debris, The video belows demonstates how to tie the german rig by our very own Tim Reader.

What components do you need to tie the German rig?

• Semi-stiff coated hooklink material
• Curve shank hook
• Hook Beads
• Hookbait Swivels
• Tungsten Putty