How to tie a Mega Slip-D Rig

The Slip D Rig has accounted for thousands of carp across the UK and mainland Europe and was first invented by Martin Clarke way back in 1986-87 season at Woburn Sands. At the time the rig was first tied using a large ring and dental floss as a hooklink and although it looked a little crude it worked from the off. Although the materials that are used to tie the rig have advanced to Ultra Skin or Ultra Skin Stiff and ultra-sharp Covert Dark Mugga hooks, the ultra-effective mechanics of the rig remain the same. The presentation has accounted for thousands of fish across the country and for Martin personally around ten forties and fifty to sixty thirties, which goes to prove its effectiveness.

The rig is tied up using a coated braid, with the last inch of coating stripped back to reveal the braided inner closest to the eye of the hook. Using mainstream D style rigs tied using fluorocarbon or mono the D is obviously stiff, whereas the D on the Slip D Rig is supple. This allows the hookbait, which is mounted on a ring, to come away from the shank of the hook when blown from a carp’s mouth, helping the hook to prick. When it comes to hookbaits, it works well with standard bottom baits and is also very effective with wafters and pop-ups. Here’s how you tie it…

Rig Tying Bushcraft

How to tie the awesome Slip D Rig in ten simple steps

1. Take a spool of Ultra Skin Stiff.

2. Remove around 150mm of the coating. Cut the entire hooklink allowing for around 75mm for swivel attachment.

3. Fold the uncoated section back on itself to form a loop and then thread the loop through the eye of a size 6 Covert Dark Mugga hook.

4. Thread a large Covert Rig Ring onto the loop.

5. Our preferred position of the rig ring is roughly opposite the barb on the hook, or just a few millimetres higher towards the bend of the hook.

6. Next tie a four turn Knotless Knot and start whipping the knot in the opposite side to the hook closure. After four turns, pass the hooklink through the back of the eye so it exists on the inside of the hook eye and then tighten down the knot.

7. Trim off the short tag end as tight to the eye of the hook as you possibly can. Ensure that you only cut the tag end and don’t damage the actual hooklink.

8. To ensure that the Knotless Knot doesn’t loosen, dab the knot with a tiny amount of superglue. Be careful not to let any glue dribble onto the Slip D or below the eye of the hook onto the hooklink.

9. With the hook end finished, tie a simple Overhand Loop Knot in the other end of the hooklink and tighten down.

10. Tie on your chosen hookbait onto the rig ring.

11. And here’s the finished rig - before...

12. and after it’s been picked up.