Fluorocarbon Carp Rigs –


What is a Fluorocarbon or Fluoro Carp Rig?

Simply put it is a carp rig that is made from Fluorocarbon, they can either be D Rigs (where your bait is attached to a loop of Fluorocarbon on the back of the shank – A rig favoured by Danny Fairbrass for reasons I will go in to later, Or they might be whats called a German rig where the bait is attached directly to the shank, this increases the reaction type slightly or a Hair rig, this provides you will a loop of fluorocarbon that hangs below the curve of the hook, normally for method feeder rigs. Fluorocarbon can also be used for booms on hinged stiff rigs, ronnie rigs, spinner rigs, combi rigs etc due to the stiff nature of fluorocarbon.


What actually is fluorocarbon?

The science bit, Fluorocarbon is made from a single strand of fluoropolymer. Fluoropolymer has several advantages over monofilament, it sinks much faster, has less stretch but most importantly the way fluoropolymer allows light to pass through is nearly the same as light passing through water. This makes is practically invisible in water.

Fluorocarbon can come in a range of breaking strains and also stiffness, for say a D rig you want something in the middle so its not too supple but again its not to stiff. You need just enough stiffness to prevent tangles but enough suppleness to allow the hook to flip and take hold. A excellent example would be Korda IQ2,

If you want something more supple for Barbel fishing for example the Tiger Line from Gardner tackle would be a good choice. The Tiger line is actually a mainline hence its suppleness but also makes a very good fluorocarbon rig for fishing the rivers.

Whilst being heavier than monofilament, the added advantage of fluorocarbon is it actually quite resistant to abrasion making it a good option for rough bottom fishing.
Stiff Fluorocarbon is perfect for making booms.
Fluorocarbon does have a few downsides:

It is more expensive than monofilament

Can get weak at the knots if the correct knots are not use (a figure of 8 is a good knot for fluorocarbon)
Sometimes it can need a wipe with a clean soft cloth to maintain its invisible properties in the water.

Fluorocarbon can also become brittle over time.





When to use Fluorocarbon?

Fluorocarbon comes in to its own in clear water and in the winter or when fishing for pressured fish because the fish simply don't see the line on the bottom. Some lure anglers will use a length of fluorocarbon as a leader due to the abrasion resistance and the invisibility in the water.
When carp fishing you would only really want to use a D rig or Fluorocarbon German rig when fishing over a clean bottom, if you are fishing on a rough bottom like stones for example a stone can cause the rig to kick up due to the stiffness.


You can view a range of Fluorocarbon Carp Rigs here