Whip Rigs

[eggy_bread]

Hi,

I've just bought my first 4m whip, and I'm thinking about taking it for a test run on the canal on thursday. I don't have much time free before then, so I'm going to have use shop bought rigs. The whip came with a carp rig already, and the line is what I'd consider too long for the canal. If I go buy appropriate rigs tomorrow for the canal, what's the best way of adjusting the line length to suit where I'm fishing, do I trim off the excess, or when I get to the tackle shop will I find that they are supplied in varying lengths?

Hope you can help...

Cheers

Eggy

[BoldBear]

If the whip came with a Carp rig then it may be what is wrongly called a 'Carp whip' which is not be the best whip for canal whip fishing when after silver fish like Roach, Dace, Rudd, Bleak etc..
It may be OK for Carp and it might even be elasticated (which a true Whip is not) and if you are after larger fish then that may be fine.

A True Whip (which is used for silver fish) has no elastic and has line of a length just slightly shorter than the length of the whip so that you can lift the whip and swing the small fish to hand.

A true Canal Whip has a fine responsive tip and is cast out either overhand, underhand or with a side cast and is NOT shipped out like a 'Pole' and is NOT elasticated.

Some people like to use normal pole floats but I prefer to use very small bottom only wagglers ie small 'Canal Greys' which cast well and can enable you to sink the line if necessary.

If you are match fishing you can build up a routine of 'feed, cast, strike, swing in fish, rebait' and can catch upwards of 3 or 4 fish every minute. and if you are pegged in a swim without many larger fish then you can still figure well in the match.

Although a normal Whip is not really for larger fish; I have caught a Carp of 6lb+ on a 5mtr whip with a 1.7lb hooklength but the whip was a good quality one with a putover extension and a fine responsive tip.

tight lines
BB