I have fished with blow back rigs for many years now and have taken lots of big carp from some low stock waters and also on highly pressured commercial lakes. I think the set up of the rig makes it’s a lot harder for a carp to deal with compared to the conventional hair rig and has always banked a bonus fish or two for me.
The mechanism of the rig works different to a normal rig as when the rig is sucked into the carp’s mouth and the fish tries to eject the hook, the hook will be blown out straight with the bait also following it straight because the small rig ring will be blown up the shank of the hook taking the sting out of the blow that a carp makes when it ejects it, making the hook come out point down. When the ring reaches the eye it will become heavier and the hook will drop down more into the bottom of the fish’s mouth. A long shank hook works best as the ring has more distance to travel, slowing the bait down more on ejection which should leave the hook in the carps mouth for a split second or two longer.  Rig rings work well with pop-ups and give a very good presentation, but can also be used on a  bottom baits too.

Bits and pieces you will need to tie the rig.
.Long shank hooks ( size 8 )
.Small rig ring
.Coated braid
.Shrink tubing
.Swivel

Step by step guide to this carp catching method

1.Take a length of coated braid of your choice to suit your own angling and strip off 3inches of coating and tie the loop for your hair.

2. Thread on the ring, then tie one over hand knot to secure the ring about 1 inch up from the bottom of your hair.

3.Now hook the hook through the ring point first, positioning the ring level with the point, with a knotless knot, going round the shank 6-7 times and back through the eye towards the point.

4.Slide down a piece of shrink tubing roughly ½ an inch long, then steam in place having it just below the eye of the hook with a slight kink in it just to help the hook turn even more.

5. Finaly take a swivel and tie on using a figure of eight loop knot. The rig is finished and is ready to go, very simple to tie but very effected. As the cold snaps have started to set in, it’s well worth a go, you will be surprised at your results. Hope this has helped you to understand the benefits to a blow back rig, and help you catch a winter whacker! All the best and be lucky

Lee Pollard

Long range carp casting and techniques  

 

After fishing the Carp Society’s Horseshoe Lake (65acres) and Watermarks Bradleys (165 acres) for sometime have found that long range fishing has helped me catch when others have been blanking.  Being able to cast long distances has provided me to get amongst the fish when other anglers just cannot reach them due to their casting abilities. Here are a few pointers that will help you gain distance with your casting , which when taught on my tutorials always adds at least 40 yards to the average anglers cast.

When you are selecting your lead for distance choose the right lead for the rod. They used to say stick to a lead weight no heavier than the test curv of your rod, example if you were using a 3lb  tc rod don’t try casting a 4oz lead!  But as the technology of rods and carbon has improved so much over the years, rods can handle a lot more compression being put through them, so you should have no problems what so ever of using a 4oz lead on a 3lb tc rod.  If  I am fishing at range I would go for a 3.5 oz  or a 4oz distance lead, because of the shape of it and its aerodynamics it will cut through the air better than a flat pear,  meaning it will go farther.

I have noticed that the main problem amongst a lot of anglers is there casting technique and where the lead is positioned up the rod before the cast has taken place. Lots of people have the lead way to close to there tip eye of the rod which is cutting down distance and not fully compressing the rod. A longer drop somewhere in-line with the spigot is a good starting place and will gain you extra yards for sure as the rod will be being compressed more and more power can be
put through the blank. A good casting stance is a must, put your left foot forward with your heel slightly dug in the ground with a straight leg, put your right leg behind the left one and slightly bend it.  

When holding the rod keep both your arms dead straight above your head at about 45 degrees,

As you bring your right arm over to cast, pull your left arm into your chest and rock forward onto your left leg and straighten it to put more power into the cast,
(visa versa if you left handed).   

To get your accuracy right, you need to keep your left arm straight when pulling it down into your chest, which will then make the lead fly straight, if your arm veers off to the side that’s when you will lose your accuracy.  
A good supple low diameter mono filament is a must for distance work and with this there should be no need for a shock leader, but would recommend a casting stall or glove when casting long distances.

Coated braids work well with this type of fishing as you can pretty much guarantee it will not tangle on a long distance cast, but remember to slow the cast with your finger and feather the line as it nears your spot in the water to throw your rig forward and straighten it out .

Once it have landed in the water the rig should always fall away from your lead due to this type of hook link material and the slowing down of the rig, so you know that your hook bait will not be sat over your tubing or lead and will be laid out nice and straight, tangle free.

A 29lb 14oz  caught at over a 110 yards using CC Moore XXX.

 

Hope this has helped to get you more distance and confidence,  so get down to your nearest large lake or field and have a practice, measure it out, you will be surprised how far you can cast by using theses techniques.

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