Mocked by some anglers, idolized by others, the Spinner Rig is far from being just a 3.0 "English lawn" leader. One of its great strengths is that it can cope with any playing field, provided the materials used are adapted. It really deserves our attention.
A floating leader par excellence, it has a 360-degree field of action. This freedom is enhanced by the use of a large-ring quick swivel at the base of the hook. At first glance, the swivel looks heavy, not discreet... But that's precisely the strength of this leader: an optimum degree of freedom for flawless aggressiveness whatever the angle of attack/aspiration of the fish. The weight of the assembly is no stranger to this accentuated aggressiveness. The Chod Rig, for example, does not offer the same degree of freedom.
This Spinner Rig offers a whole host of benefits, which it would be a shame to overlook out of mistrust of the many new products that come out year after year.
The first advantage, as I mentioned earlier, is its aggressiveness, far superior to any other rig, which considerably increases the percentage of bites. Another significant advantage is that it doesn't tangle when cast on all parts of the leader. It also resists entanglement by crayfish or catfish. Thirdly, for a technical leader, it's easy to make. Also, like the Multi Rig, you can change the hook (and the sheath) without having to redo the rest of the leader. But there's no denying that it's not as quick or as practical as its counterpart in this respect. But it's still worth noting, given the number of leaders that force us to throw everything away as soon as the hook is out of order. Last but not least, it can be adapted to all types of fishing, from the strongest to the finest.
Let's take a look at the different steps involved in making one. To make a Rig Spinner you will need (choose the size or diameter according to the type of fishing):
- A Power Hook Curved Shank
- Du Shadow
- Thermo tube
- Hook Ring Kit
- Quick Change Heli Chod swivel
- A mini ring swivel
- Lead paste
- Hair Braid
1) Choose the right size Power Hook Curved Shank for the situation.
2) Thread thermo tubing long enough to cover the hook/shackle assembly.
3) Insert the Quick Change Heli Chod swivel, opening towards the tip.
4) After covering the hook/shank assembly with thermo-sleeve, run it through boiling water to shrink it.
5) Thread a mini-ring swivel and a Hook Ring Kit bead to stop it in the right place.
6) Cut the desired length of Shadow. Here again, the choice of diameter depends on the location.
7) Tie a simple knot, taking care to leave some excess.
8) Pass the excess through the Quick Change Swivel ring.
9) Then iron the excess into the knot created in step 7.
10) Burn the end of the excess (without turning too black, otherwise it will become brittle) and press a mushroom at the end with your lighter. This will act as a stop to hold the loop in place (make sure you tighten the assembly so the mushroom does its job).
11) Use the same procedure to make the opposite loop on the leader.
12) Place the lead paste at the "mushroom knot".
13) Put some Hair Braid on the micro swivel of the shank to eschew your Pop-Up.
14) Spinner Rig ready to fish.
Important note: the "mushroom knot" made with Shadow is extremely strong. I've caught fish of all sizes with this knot!
You can go for it with your eyes closed, whatever your fishing style. It's all a question of the right choice of materials and the right size/diameter to suit the fishing of the moment. This "mushroom knot" has the enormous advantage of not producing the memory so characteristic of fluorocarbon. I prefer to point out that there's no need to use 25-hundredths fluorocarbon in rivers (for example), whatever the knot!
For some, this rig is a real technical innovation; for others, it's just another leader among the others, of no interest. It's a question of personal conviction. Of course, a leader can never replace knowledge of the environment and the approach, but as far as I'm concerned, it's an integral part of my tackle box and serves me proudly on many a fishing ground! And not just in the floating version...
