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Suggestion for hooklength

Are you guys using some heavy metal putty on your combi rig knot???
 
Another option to Kryston's Quick Silver is Gardner Vigilante - cheaper too. Demonstrated it's abrasion resistance to a mate while filing the corner off a house brick with it! Quite wirey off the spool but once wet becomes supple, not as supple as an uncoated braid like Trickster, but more supple than a 10 or 12lb mono hooklink.
Most of the time I stick with the mono mainline and hooklink + braid combi mentioned by a few others already. Big Game/Trickster Heavy for me.
 
I had problems with a combi rig on the Middle Trent on Monday. I lost 4 fish to the braid giving way :mad:
My hooklength was made up of 4ft of 12lb Fluoro and 1ft of 12lb Sinkbraid.The knots were fine but the sinkbraid gave way. I am pretty sure that the braid was fraying but I was not observant enough to spot it!! Reading previous comments I will try shortening the length of braid in the rig.
 
Michael Hall said:
Reading previous comments I will try shortening the length of braid in the rig.
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I find 4-5" about right. Wouldn't go much shorter than that (unlike the classic carp rig) as you risk defeating the object - a big Barbel has a long snout and the braid section needs to be long enough for the fish to be able to get the bait in it's mouth with out coming into contact with the 'stiff' mono section.
 
Never tried a combi link, has anyone got a diagram to show it properly, and, after tying the knotless knot with the stripped back section of braid, ( does the coated part go through the hook eye twice okay ? ), how do you tie the rest of the coated braid to the rest of the mono hooklength ?

Does that make sense :eek:
 
Stuart Prescott said:
I personally would not touch the drennan sink braid either
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I've seen a few bad comments against it now. Each to their own I guess, but it's never let me down. When I've looked about to see if there is anything better out there, it's usually with other braid hook links that I've had snap whilst playing fish. Last season I lost a decent Barbel on the Thames whilst using the Gardener stuff. The spool went in the bin the next day.
 
Derek Funcks said:
Never tried a combi link, has anyone got a diagram to show it properly, and, after tying the knotless knot with the stripped back section of braid, ( does the coated part go through the hook eye twice okay ? ), how do you tie the rest of the coated braid to the rest of the mono hooklength ?

Does that make sense :eek:
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Does anything make sense from you Derek :D
 
I used the gardners that i had off BFW yesterday, didnt have any problems with it at all, it seems pretty good to me.
 
Derek Funcks said:
Never tried a combi link, has anyone got a diagram to show it properly, and, after tying the knotless knot with the stripped back section of braid, ( does the coated part go through the hook eye twice okay ? ), how do you tie the rest of the coated braid to the rest of the mono hooklength ?

Does that make sense :eek:
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Overlap the two ends alongside each other, give yourself enough to work with, about 6'' should do, form a simple loop, and wrap each end in the loop about six turns, pull tight slowly, and moisten before the final pull. Trim the ends, and then you can tidy the knot by bedding the turns. Cover knot with putty.

Well that's what they say.:)
 
I have heard accounts of sink braid parting from other anglers. I think like most uncoated braid, it is fine where there are no rocks or snags but does not last well once it is rubbing against such impediments.

Personally I can't be bothered fussing around with a combi rig and have used coated braid since I lost a fish on such a snag (with 12lb mono) a few seasons ago. Without a combi rig, uncoated braid seems like a perfect was to get a tangle every cast :mad:

Stephen
 
Derek,

Just do 2x Grinner knots;)

As previously said lay the two materials next to each other and then do a 6 or 7 turn grinner with the braid followed by a 3 or 4 turn grinner in the mono end (ensuring to coil each tail round both braid and mono of course) and then wet and very carefully draw the two together;)

The knot is a great place to put some putty or as I do a coil of lead wire on the mono, against the knot with a mouse drooping size bit of plasticine around it (10 x cheaper than putty;))

I would recommend that the braided section is not longer than about 40mm or less if you can get your fingers to achieve it:D

P.S. Nothing wrong with Sinkbraid I've been using it for years but like all braids it will part at the slightest abrasion hence the reason for the shortness of that part of the link;)

Keith
 
Either use the back-to-back Grinner knots to join the braid to the mono, or, as I've found better for short braid sections, use the Allbright knot.
Another tip, use a piece of rig foam or similar to mask the hook point while tying the two lengths together, otherwise you'll keep sticking yourself!

Regarding abrasion resistance, I landed a fish the other night on a combi rig where the mono was rubbed a few inches above the join, that fish already had a hook with a 6" length of uncoated braid in it, the braid was obviously rubbed through.
 
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