How to Tie a Pulley Pennel Rig

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

You start winding, the lead wedges in the rocks, and the fish, rig and lead all stay down there together. A pulley rig is the standard UK answer. Your leader runs to a sliding pulley bead or rolling swivel on the rig body, so when you retrieve a hooked fish, the lead is pulled up and lifted clear of the seabed instead of dragged through the snags.

“Pulley pennel” means the same rig fished with a two-hook pennell on the snood, the usual set-up for big winter cod baits. You will see it spelt both pennel and pennell.

Below are the parts, the reasoning behind the conflicting line strengths, five measured steps, a weak link for rough ground and fault fixes. The rig suits cod, smoothhounds and rays, plus big bass and conger. For the other rigs worth carrying, see our sea fishing rigs guide.

Step 1: Gather the Kit and Choose Your Line Strengths

Three established UK sea angling guides give three different rig body strengths: 60lb plus, 60 to 80lb, and a flat 80lb. None is wrong. The spread reflects different ground and casting power, so know why you pick each strength.

Rig body line (heavy mono): 60 to 80lb
Snood line: 30 to 50lb, or up to 60lb if you power cast
A lead clip link or impact shield
Two 5mm beads and one pulley bead or rolling swivel
One small swivel (size 4 is common) for the end of the body
Two Viking or uptide pattern hooks: 3/0 to 4/0 to start, with 1/0 to 6/0 the full range
Optional: about 2mm silicone tubing for the top hook, and some 20lb line for a weak link

Component	Range	Go heavier if… / Go lighter if…
Rig body	60 to 80lb	Heavier for very rough ground, heavy leads and power casting. Lighter on mixed ground with an easier cast.
Snood	30 to 50lb (60lb for power casting)	Heavier to haul fish out of kelp. Lighter for smaller baits and cleaner ground.
Hooks	1/0 to 6/0	Bigger for whole squid or crab and worm cocktails. Smaller for slimmer baits and smaller fish.

If unsure, start mid-range: 70lb body, 40lb snood, 4/0 hooks.

Step 2: Tie the Rig Body With the Pulley Bead

The body is one length of line and four small components, and the order is the only thing to get right: clip link at one end, swivel at the other, beads and pulley sliding between them.

Cut the body line. About 30in (76cm) is the common length, though some anglers work nearer 800mm.
Tie the lead clip link to one end with a strong knot suited to heavy mono, such as a grinner or uni knot. Wet it and pull it tight slowly.
Slide on a 5mm bead, then the pulley bead or rolling swivel, then a second 5mm bead. The beads cushion your knots from the sliding pulley.
Tie the small swivel to the free end. The snood goes on here in Step 3.
Tie your shock leader or main line to the pulley bead or rolling swivel.
Run the pulley from end to end. If it binds, the rig will not lift.

The pulley is the reason the rig works. When a fish takes and pulls, the body line runs through the pulley and the lead is drawn up towards it. When you wind, the leader lifts the lead from that point, so it rises towards the surface rather than trundling along the bottom where it jams.

You now have a rig body that slides freely. The running pulley separates this from a plain clipped-down rig, which has no lifting action.

Step 3: Tie the Pennell Snood (or a Single-Hook Snood)

Why two hooks when one has caught fish for decades? Because a big cod bait is long. A single hook at one end leaves the other end free to be stripped or to slide down the shank on the cast, while a pennell holds the bait at both ends.

Cut the snood. The usual range is 24 to 28in (61 to 71cm), with some guides using about 800mm.
Thread the top hook on through its eye so it slides.
Tie the bottom hook to the end of the snood.
Choose how to fix the top hook:
- Wrap: once baited, position the top hook and wrap the snood round its shank several times until it holds.
- Tubing: slide on a short piece of about 2mm silicone tubing and push the hook shank into it. Neater and adjustable, but fiddlier to set up.
Tie the free end of the snood to the swivel at the end of the rig body.

Anglers disagree on whether both hooks should match, and both approaches work: the same size at each end, or a rear hook one size smaller. A matched pair of 4/0 Viking-pattern hooks is a sensible start.

For smaller baits, tie a single hook instead and keep the same body. That is the plain single-hook pulley rig.

Best for: long, heavy baits such as squid, or lugworm and crab cocktails. Skip if: one hook holds your bait securely.

Step 4: Add a Weak Link, Bait Up and Clip Down

Losing a lead is annoying. Losing lead, rig and fish on a rock mark makes for a short, expensive session.

Fit a weak link on rough ground. Tie a short section of about 20lb line between the eye of the clip link and the lead. If the lead jams, it snaps there and the rig comes back. The trade-off is deliberate: you will lose leads. On very snaggy marks, a rotten bottom clip does the same job.

Respect the weak link when casting. The lead hangs from that 20lb line, so it takes load on every cast. Check it for nicks, keep the cast smooth and make sure nobody is near you. Never power cast unless your leader is rated for your lead weight; if unsure, ask your club or tackle shop. Our beach casting guide covers leaders and safe casting.

Bait up and clip down:

Bait the bottom hook.
Slide the top hook up so it sits about 1in (2.5cm) above the bait.
Fix it, then push its point through the bait.
Clip the bottom hook into the lead clip.

Clipped down, the bait is streamlined and casts further. Skip the weak link on clean sand or shingle; fit one every time on rock and kelp.

Step 5: Cast, Fish and Retrieve the Pulley Rig Properly

A well-tied pulley rig still snags if you wind it in wrong.

After the cast, the bait releases from the clip on impact and settles near the lead. On a bite, the fish pulls the body through the pulley. Start winding steadily straight away and keep the rod high, so the lead rises off the bottom quickly instead of trundling into the rocks. The same rig works uptide from a boat. If you are releasing the fish, handle it carefully.

Common faults and fixes:

Lead still snagging: check the pulley is not binding on a bead or knot, wind steadily from the first turn, and fit a weak link (Step 4).
Bait gone after the cast: the bait was not clipped down or the top hook was not fixed. Go back over Step 4.
Snood tangling round the body: a slack snood is the usual culprit. Stick to the paired lengths in Steps 2 and 3, a 24 to 28in snood on a 30in body, so it clips down taut.
Rig not releasing from the clip: the bottom hook is seated too deep. Seat it lightly.

The pulley rig is not always right. On clean ground where distance matters more than snags, a clipped-down rig is simpler. For smaller fish and several small baits, a flapper rig does the job better. For baits, marks and timing, see our cod fishing guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is a pulley rig used for?

A pulley rig is used for rough-ground shore and boat fishing where snags are the main problem. The sliding pulley lifts the lead off the seabed as you retrieve a hooked fish, so you lose fewer rigs. It targets cod, smoothhounds and rays, plus big bass and conger. Step 2 explains how the pulley works.

Is a pulley rig good for cod?

Yes. The pulley pennel is a classic winter cod rig for snaggy rock marks. The pennell holds the long, heavy baits cod take, and the pulley lifts the lead clear of the rocks on the retrieve, so fewer rigs are lost to the ground. See Step 3 for tying the pennell snood.

What hook size for a pulley pennel rig?

Viking or uptide pattern hooks at 3/0 to 4/0 are the usual starting point, with 1/0 to 6/0 the full range depending on bait size. Both hooks can match, or the rear hook can be one size smaller. The table in Step 1 shows when to go bigger or smaller.

What is the difference between a pulley rig and a clipped-down rig?

A pulley rig has a sliding pulley that lifts the lead on the retrieve, which makes it the choice for snaggy ground. A plain clipped-down rig is simpler and built for distance on clean ground. Both clip the bait down for the cast. Step 5 covers when to choose each.