Let’s face it, rig concealment is one of the most important aspects of carp fishing, especially on waters where the fish have seen it all before. As they get wiser, we need to develop tactics that make it just that bit more difficult for the fish to suss out which is the danger bait. Obviously, fooling the fish is a vital part of being able to put a few on the bank, but perhaps just as importantly, if you can make your presentations that bit better concealed than the guy in the next swim, then it stands to reason you’re always going to be just that one step ahead – and that can make the difference between a fish on the bank or another long blank.
A new range from Korda which might help you achieve that aim is the Dark Matter range, consisting of tungsten rig tubing and a newly formulated rig putty – both designed to get everything pinned down on the bottom.
The tubing is manufactured so that the tungsten runs along its length, meaning it will lie flat on the bottom keeping everything on the deck as far back away from your rig as you like, so that any inquisitive carp won’t spook on mainlines coming up off the bottom. It’s easy to thread onto your line, whilst remaining soft and supple enough to hug the contours of the lake bed nicely and not hamper your efforts on the cast. Korda Dark Matter Rig Tubing comes in 2m lengths – available in weed green or gravel brown – and retails at around £4.99 per pack. Tungsten tubing is a nice alternative to leadcore or heavy leaders, allowing you to get everything down on the bottom, but should a breakage occur, the tubing will simply slide of your main line nice and safely. The tubing can be incorporated into safety clip rigs, inline set ups, or running rigs.
Korda Dark Matter Tungsten Rig Tubing
Another way of dropping hooklinks, leaders and mainlines is to use rig putty. OK, it’s nothing new, but it always amazes me just how few people use it. Just a few blobs can make all the difference and stop lines or links looping or sitting up off the bottom. I use it every time out, and can honestly say it’s made a big difference to my results over the years.
You basically tear a little bit of putty off the block and work it in your hands until it becomes malleable, at which point you can shape it into the desired piece to mould over a shot, weight down a link, line or whatever! A neat trick if you don’t want it showing, is to rub it up and down a length of leader or hooklink to increase its density, which will then drop it down in the water nice and neatly.
Putty can be a little difficult to work in the colder weather and that’s one area the boys at Korda have really worked on, and the result with the new Dark Matter range is a putty that can be used easily and quickly in any weather. Like the tubing, the putty is available in weed green and gravel brown, and sells for around £6.99 per block.
Korda Dark Matter Rig Putty
Both the tubing and putty are out now.
Julian Grattidge
Northwestcarp.co.uk
January 2012
