Part II: Tying your own tamban hooks

On to tying the rig. First, we need to get these things ready:

• A pair of scissors and pliers
• 7 pieces of size 3 or 4 hooks
• A coil of 2 to 4 pounds dupont lines
• 2 snap swivels
• A packed of synthetic fibres
• Optional: hook tying gadget

Step 1: Making the branches

Draw out a length of about 30 cm of feathers composing several strands (~30). Twist one end such that the strands hold together as shown in fig 1.2. Hold feather against the shank of a hook, leaving ~3-4cm of fibres from its end to the base of the hook(fig 1.3). While still holding the fibres and hook together, place one end of the dupont line against the hook shank and fibres, leaving about 6-7cm from line tip to hook base(fig 1.4). Form a loop as shown in fig 1.5 and coil it round the shank shown in fig 1.6. Tighten the line by pulling the open ends as shown in figure 1.7.

Slide down the knot to the base of the hook and tighten it again if necessary. It is very important that the snelling is done correctly. Now, cut off the remaining line of side A. Leave about 10cm of line down from hook base and cut the rest. Then cut the excess feathers at the base of the hook. Repeat step 1 for all 7 seven hook until you have all the feathers tied to the hooks as shown in fig 1.8.

(There are gadgets available at tackleshop that does this step with limited level of automation. It easier on the hands but not necessarily faster.)

Hook tying gadget (optional)

Fig 1.1	Fig 1.2 Twist one end of the feathers
Fig 1.3 Place feather against the hook	Fig 1.4 Place one end of the line against the hook
Fig 1.5 Use the line to form a loop	Fig 1.6 Coil the top of the loop around the hook shank.
Fig 1.7 Tighten the loop and cut the remaining end	Fig 1.8 Repeat the previous steps for all seven hooks

Step 2: Tying the branches to the mainline

Cut a length of dupont line of a full arm span or ~5 ft. Get a swivel and tie it to one end of the line as shown in fig 2.1. Now get one hook (with feather and line we've tied to previously) and place it against the mainline with the hook position towards the swivel, with fingers holding the two lines together approximately 15 cm from the swivel (fig 2.2). Holding the hook line and mainline together, form a loop and wind them over 3 times as shown in fig 2.3 & 2.4. Tighten the knot such that it leaves about 4cm from the hook to the newly formed knot (See schematic diagram). Repeat step 2 until all the hooks are tied to the mainline, having ~15cm from knot to knot.

When all 7 hooks are attached to the mainline, leave another 15cm and tie a snap swivel to its end. Cut the remaining line. The tamban rig should now be complete like in fig 2.7. You may want to coil the rig onto a piece of small cardboard so that it does not get entangled (fig 2.8). Then place it in a plastic bag/or your rig bag so that the hooks are not exposed.

Fig 2.1 Tie a swivel to one end of the mainline	Fig 2.2 Place the first branch in the direction of the swivel
Fig 2.3 Form a loop with the main line and branch line	Fig 2.4 Take the long end and wind 3 times into the loop
Fig 2.5 Tighten the knot and cut the shortest end	Fig 2.6 Tie a snap swivel at the end of the main line
Fig 2.7 A completed tamban rig	Fig 2.8 Wrap around a cardboard to prevent entanglement

The above is just one of the many ways to go about tying your own tamban rigs. Try and use your own ways in tying them to make them more effective or easier to tie. Part of fun in fishing is devising ways to find more effective ways to catch fish. Here are some parameters you can try changing to your own tamban hooks:

• Material and colour of feathers (chicken feathers, rafia strings, luminous fibres, etc)
• Length of branch line (try different lengths)
• Line visibility (Fluorocarbon?)
• Luminated aids: beads and reflectors
• Different diameter lines
• Types of hooks (different types of hook shapes and sharpness)

>> Part III: Jigging for tambans