Knotless Knot: How to Tie a Hair Rig for Carp
The knotless knot is how carp anglers tie a hook with a hair for the bait. It turns the hook as the fish takes, for more solid hook-holds.
The knotless knot ties a hook to a hook link and leaves a short "hair" below the bend for the bait. It is the standard way to tie a hair rig for carp. Because the bait hangs off the hook, the point stays exposed, and when the fish sucks in the bait the hook turns and catches in the bottom lip.
What you need
A hook link of braid, coated braid or fluorocarbon (15–25 lb for carp).
A wide-gape or curve-shank hook sized to the bait.
A baiting needle and hair stops.
How to tie the knotless knot
Make the hair. Tie a small loop in the end of the hook link and thread a boilie onto it with the baiting needle; lock it with a hair stop.
Set the hair length. Pass the hook link through the hook eye from the point side so the bait hangs about 1–2 cm below the bend. The gap between bait and hook should be about a bait's width.
Whip down the shank. Hold the hair against the shank and wrap the hook link tightly down the shank 7–10 times, trapping the hair, toward the bend.
Back through the eye. Pass the hook link back through the eye from the point side. This makes the line leave the eye on the inside of the shank, which is what turns the hook.
Tighten. Pull the hook link firmly and check that the hair comes off the shank on the inside of the hook, opposite the point.
Tips
Shorter hair = quicker hooking but more wary fish may feel it; longer hair = more natural but more missed takes. Start at one bait-width gap.
With coated braid, strip 2 cm of coating just above the hook for a hinge.
A small piece of shrink tube over the eye kicks the hook down for even better hook-holds.
Find carp waters near you on the fishing map and read the common carp guide for baits, hours and seasons. More knots on the fishing knots page.
