When to use it

On the Wicklow coast

Piers and calm beaches when fishing small baits for multiple species. Autumn and winter nights for whiting. Day sessions for dab and dogfish on open sand. Less suited to heavy surf (snoods tangle).

Greystones Harbour and Wicklow Harbour walls are flapper marks in winter: worm and mackerel strip on a 2 to 3oz bomb, two size 1 hooks, flood tide after dark. On calm days at Brittas or Kilcoole the flapper outfishes a single hook when dab and dogfish are mixed in. Keep snoods 6 to 8 inches; longer traces tangle in Wicklow side-wind.

Rig layout

How it looks tied

Two-hook flapper rig · rig layout

Tying sequence

Step by step

Mainline and top snood
Tie the mainline to a size 4 swivel. Attach the first 6 to 8 inch hooklink of 12 to 15 lb mono to the swivel eye, finishing with a size 1 or 1/0 Aberdeen hook.
Second snood
Tie a second swivel 18 to 24 inches below the first (blood loop or dropper loop on stiff mono, or a second swivel on a short boom). Attach another 6 to 8 inch hooklink and hook.
On the diagram: Two snoods branch from the main rig body.
Lead link
Below the lower snood, tie a lead link and attach a 2 to 4oz bomb or grip depending on tide. On pier walls a plain bomb is usually enough.
Bait both hooks
Small worm tips, mackerel strip, or squid strip on each hook. Keep baits neat; bulky baits tangle the snoods on the cast.
Cast and watch the tip
Cast short to medium range. The snoods flare on the drop. Use a sensitive tip; whiting often register as a series of small knocks before the rod loads.

Components

What you need to tie this rig

Each item below is what we actually use on Wicklow marks. Links go to Amazon UK; omit anything you already carry in your tackle box.

Pre-tied

Pre-tied flapper rigs (4 pack)

Two-hook flapper rigs ready to clip on. Handy for pier sessions at Greystones and Wicklow harbour.

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Pre-tied

Flapper rigs 2/0 (6 pack)

Slightly larger hook pattern for whiting and small codling from pier walls.

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Hooks

Phoxinus Aberdeen hooks 1/0

Fine wire hooks for small baits on flapper snoods. Size 1/0 suits whiting and dab.

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Leads

Plain bomb leads mixed pack

2 to 4oz bombs for pier and calm-beach flapper fishing when grip leads are not needed.

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Line

Hooklink mono 15lb

15 lb mono for flapper snoods. Cheap bulk spool; snoods are consumables on winter pier sessions.

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On the Wicklow coast

Piers and calm beaches when fishing small baits for multiple species. Autumn and winter nights for whiting. Day sessions for dab and dogfish on open sand. Less suited to heavy surf (snoods tangle).

Step by step

Mainline and top snood

Tie the mainline to a size 4 swivel. Attach the first 6 to 8 inch hooklink of 12 to 15 lb mono to the swivel eye, finishing with a size 1 or 1/0 Aberdeen hook.

Second snood

Tie a second swivel 18 to 24 inches below the first (blood loop or dropper loop on stiff mono, or a second swivel on a short boom). Attach another 6 to 8 inch hooklink and hook.

On the diagram: Two snoods branch from the main rig body.

Lead link

Below the lower snood, tie a lead link and attach a 2 to 4oz bomb or grip depending on tide. On pier walls a plain bomb is usually enough.

Bait both hooks

Small worm tips, mackerel strip, or squid strip on each hook. Keep baits neat; bulky baits tangle the snoods on the cast.

Cast and watch the tip

Cast short to medium range. The snoods flare on the drop. Use a sensitive tip; whiting often register as a series of small knocks before the rod loads.