Getting hairy!

Probably one of the fiddliest things about tying your rigs up is getting the length of your hair exactly as you like it. I use the knotless knot attachment for all of my rigs these days, so the hair is pretty easy to attach to the hook. The difficult part is tying the loop in the hair so that it’s just the right length for the size of bait I want to use and the pattern of hook I use, which is usually Solar‘s Stronghold X-Wide Gape.



For this set-up, a lot of lads favour tying the loop first, then attaching the bait, and forming the knotless knot attachment. Well, personally I find this method awkward, and once I tie the knotless knot to the shank of the hook, the length of the hair slips as the knot tightens, meaning the length isn’t exactly how I want it: it ends up either too short or too long, meaning I either have to tie a Granny knot into the hair to shorten it or attach a smaller loop of line to lengthen it.

I like the top of the hook bait to just touch the base of the hook so to prevent the slippage mentioned, I used to tie the knotless knot to the hook, leaving the length for the hair until last. I’d then take a bait and basically try to estimate how long the hair needed to be by comparing the two, and then tie the loop. I say that in the past tense there because Solar have now invented a fabulous new gadget which is a ‘must have’ item for all tackle boxes which makes this job so much easier.

Known as the Hair Gauge, it’s perfect for getting the length of the hair exactly right, if you fish with the knotless knot like I do. It helps you perfect your hair length down to a fine millimetre, whether it’s a 10mm or 40mm hook bait you’re going to be using. The photo included herewith is self explanatory on how you use it, and it really is perfect for helping you get those hairs exactly as you want them.



Check them out at all Solar stockists as they’re in stock now!