Recently there has been a lot of talk among both anglers on the beach and online about Portuguese three below or Urfe Rigs. These rigs have been kept quiet and under wraps by anglers in the know for some time and for very good reason!
Always forward thinking, Tronixpro have released their own Tronixpro Urfe Clip and with this product launch it’s about time we explained exactly what this highly effective rig is.
Most commonly known as the Portuguese Rig, this setup presents all three hooks below the weight. “That’s bound to come in as a tangled mess?” is the most common response by anglers when they hear about the rig. The concept of three hooks trailing underneath the weight is alien to most. But, it’s actually not all that complicated and is one of the easiest rigs to make…let me show you how.
The secret to keeping the rig anti-tangle is minimal components and different diameter lines. You’ll understand how I keep things minimal once I start showing you how to build the rig, the fewer components the better. Start adding swivels, two way beads, tubing and things will only get messy! By using two different diameter lines, one for the main body and one for your two standoff hooks, you also reduce tangles. The lines behave differently on the seabed, during the cast and fall at slightly different rates through the water column helping to reduce any possibility of tangling.
To build the rig you will need:
- Tronixpro Snood Clip
- Size 6 Sabpolo Wormer Hooks
- 25 and 0.20 diameter fluorocarbon (go for the best quality you can afford)
- Tronixpro Urfe Clips
- Tronixpro Floating Oval Beads (optional)
BUILD SEQUENCE
1. Start by tying a Tronixpro Snood Clip onto the 0.25 fluorocarbon line.
2. Measure out 9 feet and cut the line.
3. On the opposite end of the clip you can add on a Tronixpro Floating Oval Bead (optional) and then tie on a hook.
4. Take the 0.20 fluorocarbon line and roughly 2 feet away from the hook tie a stop knot. If you’re unsure on how to tie a stop knot, searching google or youtube will help you. Make sure you tie it with the tag end facing towards the hook with the spool of line the opposite direction; this helps the hooks stand away from the main body.
5. Trim the tag end down. Then measure out 1 foot before cutting the other end.
Repeat this step again, tying your next stop knot 2 feet away from the first.
Your rig body is complete!
To use the Tronixpro Urfe Clip, take the larger wire loop end and grab the black shrink tubed sleeve above it. Pull upwards and it should open.
Slide your weight on, squeeze the clip back together and push the sleeve back over!
Simply clip your shockleader to the top of the clip and your rig to the swivel in between and you’re good to go!
VARIATIONS
The rig as it stands is a fantastic scratching rig when it’s tough and effective for summer bottom fishing. Add a Tronixpro Pop-Up on the end and you’ll be catching scad, mackerel and garfish all day long.
The stop knots used to tie on the hooks are adjustable so if you need to move your hook closer to the weight, you can.
The above build sequence is only a guide and you don’t have to stick to the exact blue print. You can experiment with the rig making it shorter (although I wouldn’t go below 5 feet) for winter fish like pouting and rockling. You could also make it longer, you’re not limited by the length of your rod with this setup so you can make the rig as long as you want, even 15 feet is easily manageable!
For general winter use targeting species such as whiting or pout I’d suggest stepping up the line diameter to 0.35 for the body and 0.30 for the hook lengths, these fish tend to spin on the way in and stiffer, thicker lines will help counteract this. Stepping up your hook sizes to Sabpolo Womer Hooks in 4 and 2 is also a good idea.
EFFECTIVE RIG
Why is this rig so effective at finding fish? It’s all down to movement. If you have a 9 foot rig body then all three baits have a massive radius of movement and cover more ground than a conventional 2 foot hook length pinned to the sea bed. This large movement range helps to present baits better with a flowing bait looking more natural to a fish than a stationary one.
When the fishing is hot and you’re hauling in bucket loads of fish then this rig looses its competitive edge. The rig really comes into its element when the fishing is slow and you’re scratching for bites, a situation where one fish can make all the difference. For this reason the rig should be tied with as lighter lines as possible to give you the best results. However, before experimenting with lighter lines, it’s best to have some practice with the rig first!
So there you have it, the cat is out of the bag! This highly effective, secret match fishing rig is out in the open for all to try. When the going gets tough, this is the only rig for me!
Tronixpro Urfe Clips are available from your nearest Tronixpro Stockists, use our Store Locator to find yours.
