Tying the Hair Rig: Step 1 - Loop Knot

I recommend ordering a set of pre-tied hair rigs from England to start with.  These hairs will be ready for immediate use.  They'll also provide a good model from which you can tie your own.  After you see the price on your order, you'll understand why learning to tie your own is essential.

First, let's talk line.  I recommend 20lbs braid.  It's extremely strong yet extremely nimble.  Braid is also easy to work with.

I would recommend cutting off a looong piece of braid, say 18 inches.  Give yourself plenty of line.

After you cut a piece of braid, the first thing you'll do is double it up.  Think of this as a snake.

You will then form a large loop by coiling the snake's body back on itself.

Now you're looking at two loops.  The large one is the body of the snake.  The smaller one is the head.  Next you will wrap the smaller loop around the top of the bigger loop TWICE.

Now pull it tight.  Below is what you'll get.

That loop is probably too big, but it works for demo purposes.  The thing you'll have to practice on is getting that final loop smaller and tighter.

After you form the loop, cut the excess line off of one side.  Make the cut close to the knot, as below.

If you gave yourself plenty of line to start with, then the one line coming from the loop should still be around ten inches in length.  You'll also notice that the loop in the picture above is smaller.  That's because I tied another hair and was able to get a better result.  Practice ultimately makes perfect.

Pictured below is our end goal.  We have lots of steps to talk about, so stay tuned. Here's how small the pro's get that loop.

You see, the loop's only purpose is to hold a twig or some other small thing to keep the bait on that line.

So now that we know how to tie the loop, stay tuned to find out how we'll tie it to the hook.

Tight lines!