no.1 the kd rig - carp

No.1 The KD Rig
Designed by one of the top anglers around, Kenny Dorsett,
the KD Rig is ultra-effective, due to its magnifi cent hooking
ability. It’s now become a very popular rig for a number of the
leading names in the game and is widely seen in carp fi shing
magazines and DVDs. The beauty of the KD is that it’s not only a
very effective rig, it is also incredibly easy to tie and can be used
with many different hookbait presentations, such as a Snowman,
pop-up with a shot on the Hair, or a bottom bait balanced with
a cork insert. The basic principle of the rig is that the hook is
whipped on at such an aggressive
angle that the carp fi nd it almost
impossible to eject. Due to the
angle that the Hair comes off the
shank so close to the eye, it makes
the hookpoint heavier, making it
more likely to drop into the bottom
lip and take hold. It’s vital that you
make your hookbait critically-balanced, so that it just sinks under
the weight of the hook. This helps to not only make the eye lighter
but also means your hookbait will behave much more like your
free offerings.
I fi rst used this rig at the Carp Society’s Horseshoe Lake.
Because it is a barbless hook water the carp fi nd most rigs very
easy to eject, and after dropping three bites in a row I knew it was
time for a change, so I got to thinking about the KD. The following
morning I tied one up and after that the hookholds I have
been receiving have been amazing, sometimes an inch
back, and that has given me total confi dence in the rig.
It is very simple to tie up the KD. Start off with a 12ins
length of a soft coated braid hooklink, strip off
around 4 or so inches of the plastic coating
material and tie a small loop in the exposed
braid, then thread on your chosen hookbait.
My fi rst choice here is a boilie with a cork
insert. I get the cork insert inside by using
a nut drill and removing the core of around
36 Crafty Carper
As part of our new-look Crafty Carper Under-21s, we have
enlisted the services of former British Young Carp Angling
Champion Jake Wildbore to detail a different rig each month
that will help you catch more carp.
“The basic principle of the rig is that
the hook is whipped on at such an
aggressive angle that the carp fi nd it
almost impossible to eject”
Short,
curved shank
hooks are vital to
get the best out
of this rig.
A recent KDcaught
stunner.
6-7mm. I then
place a sliver
of cork inside
the core, which
adds buoyancy
to the bait. Now, there are two different ways to present the
hookbait. One is to have the cork section nearest the hook on
the Hair, which will make it sit at a different angle, however, my
preferred way is to have the cork at the boilie stop end of the Hair
so the bait sits up like it would
with a Snowman presentation.
Choosing the right hook
for the KD is vital. The rig is
recommended to be used with
a short curved shank hook, with
the Korda Kurv Shank a fi rm
favourite for many anglers, and
it is my number one choice. Before tying on the hook you must
always remember to check the sharpness of the point. After
checking the hookpoint thread your hooklink through the back
of the eye and leave a gap of about 1cm between the bait and
hook. You then need to start tying the normal Knotless Knot, but
only make three turns around the Hair and shank and then lift
up the Hair and make a further fi ve or so turns solely around the
shank. Then simply bring the hooklink back through the back of
the eye to complete the knot. The result should be
that the hook sits at a very aggressive
angle. The fi nished rig can be used in
a multitude of situations, whether it’s
fi shed over a spodded area with a small
balanced particle hookbait or over a
large spread of boilies with a balanced
boilie hookbait, which is my current
preferred way of angling. I have had two
personal bests within the fi rst month of
trying the rig in this manner!

HOW
TO...
www.ccmoore.com
The No.1 choice for thinking anglers
CREATE A BALANCED HOOKBAIT
You will need a purpose-made nut drill and cork
inserts to create a balanced hookbait.
Next, gently push a cork insert all the way into
the hole you have created, like so.
HOW
1 2 3
Take the drill and carefully start to bore out
the core of a 15mm bait, as shown here.
4 5 6
TO...
TIE JAKE’S PREFERRED KD RIG
Strong hooks and coated braid are the only two
components that Jake uses to construct his KD.
Now take a pair of scissors and trim away the
excess cork close to the surface of the bait.
1 2 3
Jake cuts 12ins of Hybrid Soft, and then strips
away 4ins of its outer coating.
4 5 6
Thread your balanced hookbait onto the loop
and secure in place with a boilie stop.
Next, take a hook and thread the hooklink
through the back of the eye, like so.
7 8 9
Lift the Hair, making fi ve whips around the shank
and bring the hooklink back through the eye.
Tie an overhand loop in the other end of the
Hybrid for use with quick-change clips.
Crafty Carper Under-21s
You needn’t drill all the way through, just 6-
7mm is enough so you are left with this.
You should then be left with a semi-buoyant
boilie hookbait that looks like this.
The next step is to tie a simple overhand loop
in the exposed braid to form the Hair.
Now start to tie a Knotless Knot and whip
three times around the Hair and shank.
You have now created the perfect KD
– look how aggressively the hook sits.
Now turn
over to read
two-time BYCAC
winner Rob Sutton’s
monthly blog
>>
Crafty Carper 37