The Rigs Page ? Rik?s Helicopter Rig

[GrahamM]

I'm glad somebody else thinks the oft-quoted remark that a helicopter rig causes a too-acute angle where the hooklength comes away from the main line is rubbish. I mean, you can hardly get a more acute angle than where the line goes round the eye of a hook or swivel on a hooklength can you?

 

[Cheese Paste]

Whats the benefits of an helicopter rig then?

 

[Stephen Mc Cormack]

Forgive my innocence but is this rig only for use on still waters ? as in any sort of flowing water wouldn't the bait juust keep spinning.

 

[Carp Angler]

Firstly you get a reasonably tangle free bolt rig.
Secondly, with the feeder presentation, you're not fishing a potential tether rig like the fixed paternoster.
Some also say that you also have less things dangling <ooeeerr> with less chance to catch in weed or snags.
I feel the last point is open to debate.

 

[john conway]

When the rigs on the bottom and settled down, imagine a straight line from your feeder to your rod tip. The hook length in flowing water will take up a position stationary down stream of your feeder, unless you are in very fast water, were it may flutter a wee bit. But it will not rotate. Unless you are in extremely fast water such that the bait is lifted off the bottom and even then it is the swivel that would be turning not the hook bait spinning around the line.

 

[Carp Angler]

Steve,
the pressure of the flow will make the swivel lay against the beads and cease any rotation.

I have used this rig on rivers, but it wouldn't be my first choice on fast flowing rivers.
Deep, wide rivers (e.g. John Conway on the Lune after those bream) would be ideal for this rig.

 

[Carp Angler]

aha, John beat me to it.

 

[john conway]

If you move the top two float stops up so that you have a foot or so gap between the beads then you’ve very quickly converted your rig into a free running rig. Like Rik says it’s a very versatile rig.

 

[Stephen Mc Cormack]

Thanks John & Carp Angler, I was thinking of using it on my local Canal, theres only a slight flow so it should work fine, I'm hoping to target some big Roach hiding under some canal boats, this might just be tha answer.

 

[Carp Angler]

Keep us informed Steve.
You might want to replace the feeder with a trilobe style lead, these tend to plane under water and may well dive further under the boat.

 

[Ian Whittaker]

Hi Rik would you ever fish this as a double hook rig?

 

[Carp Angler]

Yes.

Just put on the float stops, beads etc, slide them up and then put the same on again before tying on the quick link.

Now I'll sit back and await the barrage of hatred for two hook rigs.

 

[Ian Whittaker]

Nice one Rik, horses for courses!

 

[GrahamM]

Most of my mates who I regular fished for bream with on the Cheshire meres always used two-hook rigs. I never did, not because of any 'moral' reason but because I suspected the trailing hook could catch in a snag while playing a fish, or catch on something during the bite.

As it happened my fears were groundless, for I never witnessed any of them lose a fish (or foul-hook any fish come to that) because of using two hooks.

It also happened that they never (overall) caught any more bream than me, so you could possibly draw the conclusion that two hooks was not an advantage.

 

[Gary Knowles]

Rik,

Do you think the float stops would hold sufficiently to stop a hooked bream (on the top hook) from sliding down whilst playing the fish in ?

I use a variation on this rig, its almost identical exept I use the drennan in line ledgers stops. Obviously they are only lightly pressed together to prevent it becoming a tether rig...

 

[Carp Angler]

That's the fine dividing line between holding it in place and not making it a tether rig.

2 or 3 stops will hold it firmer, but......

Personally, I don't actually use 2 hook rigs for anything larger than roach, because I don't fish venues where it is appropriate. (e.g. too much weed, lillies and tench)
If I did, then I would use it more and then I may have some more worthwhile input.

 

[Paul Williams]

I find a great variation in how float stops grip, some seem to hold and others slip all to easily......interestingly i find the larger sizes grip better but i can't remember the manufacturer.......another good way to make a roach/bream helicoptor rig is to trap (with tightish rubber beads) a small ring or swivel on a bristle from a broom......the mainline is passed through the beads before they are pushed on to the bristle.......the bristle is one of those thickish green ones.
As Rik said it's a fine line on what is a tether rig.
I also have used a two hook rig and can honestly say i haven't had the free trailing hook also catch the fish, i don't think it will in practice due to it standing away and bieng "slack" , the only way it can pull in is if the mainline is slackened during the fight and then pulled with the free hook taking hold....imo the biggest threat of it catching would be in the net.......of course in theory it could catch on snags but it doesn't seem to happen in practice.

 

[Carp Angler]

Thanks to Graham for pointing me towards the Drennan ones, which are very good and probably the best ones I have used.

 

[Paul Williams]

Yep, i think the ones i use are Drennan (i take them out of the bag and forget the make.....i recognise the bag in the tack shop when i want new ones!......little poly bag blue label!!!

 

[Carp Angler]

That's them.