Preston Innovations MCM-B Banded Hair Rigs

Preston Innovations MCM-B Banded Hair Rigs

Consistency and speed are the absolute foundation of building a winning match weight on modern commercial fisheries. When the fish are feeding aggressively, wasting time trying to tie microscopic knots with wet, cold fingers is a surefire way to watch your competition pull ahead. The Preston Innovations MCM-B Banded Hair Rigs provide the ultimate professional solution. These premium, factory hand-tied hooklengths are constructed to elite, tournament-grade specifications, giving you complete confidence in your terminal tackle from the very first cast.

The defining feature of these ready-tied rigs is the deployment of the revolutionary Preston MCM-B hook. The “MCM” stands for Magic Circle Match, showcasing an intensely swept, circle-style barbless pattern. This distinct geometry is specifically engineered for self-hooking efficiency. When a carp or F1 sucks in the bait and moves off, the circle profile slides to the corner of the mouth and locks into place perfectly, virtually eliminating dropped fish and missed bites. Combined with a stealthy, non-reflective PTFE coating, it provides an ultra-sharp, incredibly durable presentation that handles heavy bagging sessions with ease.

At Gerry’s Fishing, we understand the value of organization. These rigs are supplied pre-loaded onto a rigid plastic rig stick that slots natively into the industry-standard Preston Mag Store System Box. Tied with the legendary, ultra-reliable Preston Reflo Power line and completed with a high-durability micro latex bait band, these hooklengths are ready to deploy straight out of the packet.

Technical Specifications

Key Features & Construction

• Swept Circle Self-Hooking Geometry: The unique circle configuration of the MCM-B hook is optimized for modern hair-rigging mechanics. It ensures that once a fish samples the bait and turns, the hook point automatically rotates into the optimum hooking position without requiring a violent strike.

• Stealth PTFE Camouflage Coating: Every hook is thermally bonded with a smooth, matte-gray PTFE layer. This eliminates any metallic glint or underwater flash that could spook highly pressured, cautious fish in clear water, while simultaneously enhancing point durability.

• Legendary Reflo Power Construction: Tied exclusively using the UK’s best-selling match monofilament. Reflo Power is highly regarded for its exceptional built-in knot strength, high abrasion resistance, and strictly accurate stated diameters.

• Instant Mag Store Integration: The rigid plastic rig stick features weather-proof identification stickers detailing the exact hook size, line diameter, and breaking strain. The stick drops instantly into the magnetic tracks of your Mag Store box for flawless organization.

• Premium Heavy-Duty Latex Bands: Completed with a robust, highly elastic latex band that stretches smoothly around hard baits and contracts with an unyielding mechanical grip, preventing your bait from flying off on high-impact casts.

Where to Use: Recommended Scenarios

• Commercial Method & Hybrid Feeder Work: The 4-inch (10cm) variant is the definitive choice for flat-bed method or hybrid feeder tactics. The short length keeps your banded wafter or hard pellet sitting dead-center in your compressed pile of feed, triggering instantaneous bolt-rig hookups.

• Finesse Pole Fishing for F1s & Carp: The 6-inch (15cm) version is an exceptional choice when fishing down the track or tight to island structures on the pole. The circle hook design is a massive asset for F1 fishing, as it prevents them from throwing the hook during their characteristic rapid head-shaking battles.

• Straight Lead “Bomb and Pellet” Tactics: Perfect for cold-weather or high-pressure summer days when fish back away from heavy feed. Casting a single banded hard pellet on a running match cube setup allows you to target individual cruising fish with total stealth.

The Gerry’s Fishing Verdict

The Preston Innovations MCM-B Mag Store Rigs are an absolute triumph in ready-tied terminal tackle. Many generic pre-tied hooklengths suffer from inconsistent hair lengths or poor line choices that cause curly pigtails after a single fish. Preston has completely ironed out those flaws. The circle profile of the MCM-B hook is arguably the finest pattern ever developed for preventing fish losses, making these rigs a must-have for tournament match men and serious pleasure anglers alike.

Gerry’s Pro Tip: Because the MCM-B is a circle-style hook pattern, your striking mechanics on the bank need to change slightly compared to using a standard wide-gape hook. When fishing the pole or feeder with these rigs, do not execute a violent, sweeping strike when you see an indication. Instead, simply lift the rod firmly or let the fish wrap the quivertip around naturally. The unique geometry of the swept point relies on the steady tension of the fish moving away to pivot and drive itself home perfectly into the bottom lip or corner of the mouth. Let the hook do the mechanical work for you!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What makes the MCM-B hook different from the Preston KKM-B hook?

The KKM-B features a standard wide gape with an out-turned eye and a traditional beaked point, making it highly aggressive for fast striking on the waggler or feeder. The MCM-B features a swept, circle-style profile with an in-turned point. The MCM-B is explicitly designed to maximize self-hooking efficiency and eliminate fish losses, making it the premier choice for F1 fishing and method feeder tactics where fish hook themselves against the weight of the rig.

Which bait sizes are best suited for the latex bands on these rigs?

The bands are highly versatile but perform best when matched correctly to your hook size. Generally, the bands on sizes 16 and 18 are optimized for 4mm to 6mm hard pellets and mini wafters. The bands on stouter size 12 and 14 rigs are engineered to expand comfortably around 6mm to 8mm hard pellets, standard Band’Ums, and larger dumbells.

Will these rig sticks fit into generic wooden or plastic hook boxes?

No. These specific rig sticks are precision-molded with custom dimensions and integrated metallic points designed to lock magnetically into the Preston Innovations Mag Store System Box range. They will not sit flush or secure properly inside generic foam-pin or plastic peg boxes.