Short to medium distance rig
The bristle boom rig is a short to medium distance shore rig also useful for scratching from the boat either uptiding or casting about with rolling lead.
The rig is widely used in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Bristle Boom Rig Components
Main Body
1 x Medium Swivel
3 x Bristle Booms
1 x Lead Link
Approx. 1 metre length 60-80lb BS main line
Snoods
3 x 450mm approx. lengths 10-20lb BS snood
3 x 6 to 1/0 hooks
Bristle Booms
Prepare the booms by dabbing the end on a hot surface such as a soldering iron, shown in full in this tutorial. This will form a blob which will be used to secure the boom to the trace line and hold the snood.
By applying heat to one end of the boom and slightly stretching the nylon a swivel can be added and secured in place with low temperature shrink tube.
You can find suitable nylon bristles from street sweeping brushes or alternatively they can be ordered over the net from UK Hooks or from Holland and Belgium.
The Rig Body
- Tie on the swivel or oval split ring to the top of the trace body and lead link to the bottom.
- Tie a four or five turn blood loop towards the top of the trace body but instead of threading the loop through the knot body insert one of the bristle booms as shown. Moisten the knot and pull it tight round the boom.
- Repeat for the bottom and mid-trace booms.
- Tie the snoods to the free end of the boom using a Uni knot or whip knot as shown; the snood lengths should be around 300mm with a 1 metre trace body. If you need to fish with longer snoods then it will be necessary to either lengthen the trace body, which may restrict casting. or reduce the number of snoods to two.
- Beads and / or sequins can be added to the snoods as attractors before adding the hooks; buoyant beads can be effective on the upper snoods.
- The breaking strain of the snoods and size of the hooks will depend upon the target species.
Click on image for larger version
There are numerous sources of terminal tackle both locally and on-line, here are a few suggestions –
