the hair rig

[Phone]

I'll jump right in with an old story that is circulating again here in the US.

 

The history of the hair rig goes something like this:

 

"The first known hair rig was invented at a Davie County NC paylake in the 1940 - 50's by a couple service men from the area. Somebody said "WTF is THAT???. Looks like something to snare a rabbit with.". Locally (North Carolina USA) it then jokingly became known as a "Hare Rig".

 

The Brits probably didn't know the story and mispelled it as "Hair Rig"."

 

Do you believe this story? You know I kinda believe it, maybe(?) What is the UK version of the history of the "hair rig".

 

Phone

[Peter Waller]

Hi Phone, I take it that you are the same Phone as inhabited this forum a few years back. That being the case then welcome back, kinda missed you.

 

Phone, it goes back to medieval times when monks kept carp as food. You will have noticed pictures that show that all medieval monks were bald, that's why they had warm hoods on their cassocks. The hair rig was made of human hair, and the monks either went hungry or tore their own hair out, hence that well known expression.

Edited March 21, 2009 by Peter Waller

[ayjay]

Hi Phone, I take it that you are the same Phone as inhabited this forum a few years back. That being the case then welcome back, kinda missed you.

Possibly, but that was Phonebush.

 

The first hair rig was made with pubic hair for crabs fishing.

[Phone]

Yes, I'm the same guy. "Phonebush" I couldn't figure out how to get a new password and forgot mine. So I just signed up again as Phone.

 

I'm not buying the monk story even 1%.

 

You buying my story?

 

Phone

[Newt]

Phone, I dunno about the Brits but if you're selling, I'm buying. :D

 

Glad you are back under any name.

[Peter Waller]

Newt, us Brits tend to be less gullible!!! We make our snares for hares out of brass picture wire nicked from the 'big house'. Phone, how do you reckon monks caught their carp then?

[Dog Fish]

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/Boilie-...n-t1138951.html

 

It was a German invention in the 1930's they must have got fed up with not catching so ''HEIR'' Hitler had another solution

[Vagabond]

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/Boilie-...n-t1138951.html

 

It was a German invention in the 1930's they must have got fed up with not catching so ''HEIR'' Hitler had another solution

 

AN debated the origin of the hair rig back in 2007

 

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/invents...French+hair+rig

 

The current edition of "Classic Angling" (No 58 March/April 2009) has an article on this very subject.

 

It was also the subject of an article in "Waterlog" by Dexter Petley some years back.

 

It is only the angling comics that think it is a recent invention.

[Vagabond]

It was a German invention in the 1930's they must have got fed up with not catching so ''HEIR'' Hitler had another solution

Yes, not only was the original rig the "Herr" rig, but the spherical baits attached to the "Herr" were called "Go-balls" (as an improvement on "Dough-balls")

 

Inevitably, the British Army made up a rude marching song about it, and the Krauts complained, so the politically correct term is now "boilies" so as to avoid giving offence to the Master Race.

Edited March 22, 2009 by Vagabond

[goosequill]

I think in terms of when 'was it invented which resulted in wide-public useage and commercial success?' then I think the late 1970's/early 1980's seems to be about the time (lenny middleton and co?)

 

The notion of suspending a bait from the shank/turn of a hook by a thread/hair was no doubt being used somewhere way before the 'boilie and hair-rig' revolution. I remember reading an article in a book dated somewhere around the 1950's by Richard Walker which was, in essense, about 'hair rigging' deadbaits from a single treble hook to avoid deep hooking pike. If I can remember which book the article is in I will post some more details on it.