| A small cage feeder was attached to the swivel and to the second loop an 0.16 dia Shimano Ultegra Silk Shock hook length was prepared with a Preston PR27 size 16 hook which was tied to the line by way of the knotless knot.
   
A B C D
Tying Knotless knot as explained by Steve.
Firstly cut off a piece of hook length to your required length. Here it is about 15" long. Tie a small loop at one end, this is to be your hair (A). Slide your chosen hook along the line (B). Decide on the length of the hair (C) Remember bigger baits require a bigger and longer hair. Whip the line down the shank 8 turns and whip it back on it self again towards the eye 8 turns. Thread the line back through the eye, wet it and gently pull it together. You will be left with a hook length tied as (D). Tie a loop at the other end to use for attaching to your main line and jobs done.
The final hook length Steve prepared was finished at about 12" long and the rig was attached to the main line to complete the set up.
Bait preparation.
As explained, Steve was to use the small groundbait cage feeder which was to be filled with expander pellet and plugged with groundbait. I don't think I have to explain what his chosen pellets and groundbait were, but for those that don't know he used Ringer bag up carp mix, and Ringer bag up Pellets that were first soaked in water for a couple of hours.
  
The groundbait was mixed on the bank, as he explained there was no need to mix it the night before as very little was to be used and as such would only be used to plug the feeder to stop the pellets coming out on the cast. Hook bait were to be tub pellets, made by Ringer baits of course, and everything was ready to go.
First Chuck.
At 11.20am, some 20 minutes after arriving at the peg, the feeder flew through the air for the first time, with a double pellet as hook bait. Steve had positioned himself facing to his right with his back into the wind. The feeder hit the water with little disruption and the rod was soon on the rest. Such was the strength of the wind, he was constantly having to tighten the tip, putting a slight bend into the 2oz glass tip he had inserted into the rod. 11.22am and the rod pulled round, his first take of the day and a small carp was soon in the net. An encouraging start considering the conditions, and both our spirits were lifted.
Technique.
I asked Steve on his thoughts re hair rigging and the different styles and techniques anglers use in fixing their bait to the hair. He explained that his chosen method was to use 'Hair stops' or 'Boilie stops'. He reasoned that with practise you can bait up and be out again within a few seconds. The art being in preparation, he explained. " Have your bait already set up on the baiting needle ready to go. I will split the segments of the hair stops and have a few ready and waiting in my mouth. That way I don't have to mess about looking for them or breaking them from the stem wasting time when the feeder is on the bank. When you bait up, thread the bait onto the hair and then fill the feeder."
 
Having put the pellet on the baiting needle, attach it to the hair and push the bait onto it.
Attach the boilie stop and this is the finished article.
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