Flatfish are often sought at short range with light tackle and small hooks, but it is the addition of sequins, beads and small spoons that really attracts these inquisitive fish.
Luminous floating beads will lift baits clear of bait-robbing crabs, while poly balls are becoming a feature of summer rigs aimed at surface species, such as garfish. Rattle beads can be used, while heavy plastic or metallic beads will pin the baits to the sea bed to combat tide.
The number and sequence is a matter of choice, but a common choice is to thread on a sequin, then a small luminous bead, another sequin and another bead onto the hook snood.
The normal rig body rule is to use 10lb breaking strain per 1oz of lead being cast, but this rig can be made lighter when fishing at short range with light tackle or casting gently overhead.
This rig is a flapper, meaning the hook snoods dangle when you cast rather than being clipped up or down for aerodynamic purposes. If you need to cast long for flatfish, use the one-up, one-down clipped rig (January issue) or a wishbone rig which will appear in a later issue.
This rig can be converted to two-up, one-down) by the addition of an extra snood at the top.
● Rig mainline - minimum 30lb for a 2-5oz lead.
● Hook snoods - 10-20lb low memory copolymer or fluorocarbon (a rig incorporating booms is recommended for using lighter snoods).
● 1 x Gemini Genie lead link.
● 1 x 60lb swivel for the top of rig.
● 2 x 30lb Berkley, Mustad or similar snood swivels.
● 4 x micro rig beads.
● 3 x crimps (the shortest crimps are the most suitable for this rig).
● 2 x hooks (size 1 or 2 Aberdeens are best for flatfish, size 4-6 or smaller for catch and release.
● Assortment of coloured beads and sequins in different sizes.