Tie a hair rig that hooks carp properly
Course pack: Hair rig tying card and rig-check list. Coach Willy, our virtual AI coach, can explain each step, set you a practice task and check your understanding.
Who it's for
New to this? Perfect — no experience needed. Aimed at carp.
Where and when
Mostly done at home before you go. Best in: all.
What you'll work through
- 1Pick the hook, hooklink and bait size
- 2Tie the knotless knot and set the hair
- 3Check the rig turns and pricks
- 4Fish it on a safe lead set-up
Step 1: Pick the hook, hooklink and bait size
Alright mate, let's get stuck into tie a hair rig that hooks carp properly. I'll walk you through what to look for, what to try and how to tell whether it helped. We'll start with pick the hook, hooklink and bait size, then work through a proper practice job at each step. Take it at your own pace and keep a few notes so you've got a useful plan for next time.
By the end of this step
Have a go at: pick the hook, hooklink and bait size.
Willy’s take
Picking the hook, hooklink and bait size is the bit that makes or breaks a hair rig, so don't rush past it to get to the knot.
Start by matching your hook to the bait: a size 6 to 8 wide-gape hook suits a 14-16mm boilie as a sensible starting point, and the bend should sit just clear of the bait once it's mounted, not buried behind it.
Coated braid around 12in long gives you enough to strip back and work with, but you'll trim it down once you know your hair length. Think about the lakebed too: a stiffer hooklink helps on silt or light weed, while supple coated braid is a good all-rounder on clean, firm bottom.
None of this needs to be perfect first time, just sensible.
Kit I'd start with
- For your first hair rig sessions at home, keep the kit simple and focused on getting the basics right rather than buying every gadget going.
- You'll want a spool of coated braided hooklink material around 15lb to 20lb as a sensible starting strength, a pack of wide-gape carp hooks in a couple of sizes such as 6 and 8 to match different bait sizes, a tub of your chosen boilies or wafters in 14-18mm, hair stops or bait screws, a baiting needle for pulling the hair through the bait, sharp scissors, a coating stripping tool, and a few anti-tangle sleeves with matching quick-change swivels or beads.
- A small bucket of water on the kitchen table lets you test buoyancy and how the rig turns without wasting a trip to the bank. Skip exotic rig materials and multiple braid types until you've tied a dozen or so rigs confidently on one reliable hooklink, since changing everything at once makes it hard to tell what's actually working.
- Always check venue rules on hook sizes and barbless requirements before you buy, since some waters are strict about both.
On the bank
Worked example
Say you've bought a bag of 15mm boilies and a pack of size 10 hooks left over from match fishing. Those hooks are too small and too fine in the wire for proper carp hooking, so before tying anything you'd swap to a proper wide-gape carp hook in a size that suits that bait, around a 6 or 8.
Your turn: Pick the hook, hooklink and bait size
- 1
Match hook size to the bait you're actually fishing.
- 2
Choose hooklink material to suit the lakebed, not just what's in the packet.
That's the free sample — this is where it stops
The full step keeps going with the rest of the practice job, common mistakes and fixes, a check-your-understanding quiz and your Hair rig tying card and rig-check list. Then 3 more steps, each with its own task, and Coach Willy on hand to talk it through.
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