Short Range Rig for Carp Fishing

Ken Dallow explains a short-range carp rig that’s worked for years.

For short-range carp fishing, Ken Dallow explains his simple carp rig. Ken lands two 40s with it, which proves classic carp rigs still work today.

Carp Fishing Rig Components – Business End

Starting at the business end:

• 16mm pop up boilie on a one-inch hair
• ‘No-knot’ knot onto a size 8 hook
• AAA shot about one inch away from the hook
• 5-inch hook length of 15lb coated line

Carp Rig Safe Lead Ejection

The safety rig Ken shows in the video is one of the early Fox safety rigs where the swivel is connected to a clip, which is pushed into the rubber. If the line breaks, the lead comes away easily and ejects safely.

Main Line

Ken uses 15 inches of rig tubing and 16lb P-Line as the main line. P-Line is very thin but very strong, with little stretch.

Carp Rig Ready For Casting

The final addition is a piece of foam wrapped around the hook to make sure that it doesn’t get snagged around the line as it goes down in the water.

Effectiveness of the Short-Range Carp Rig

When you’ve been carp fishing for over 4 decades, you get to know exactly what works for you. Ken’s short-range carp rig landed him two 40lb carp in succession during his first fishing holiday at Oakview Lake in France.

A Carp Fishing First

Just as Ken Dallow sat down after the final scene was filmed, a budgie landed on one of his rods. No doubt an escapee, given that a budgie is a small parrot native to Australia. Ken comments that in 41 years of carp fishing, he’s never seen a budgie on his fishing rod before. You're never too old to experience a carp fishing first!

Watch the video to see Ken explain his short-range carp fishing rig in detail and of course the brief visit from the budgie at the end. Lucky the camera was still rolling.