Anybody ever used the sliding rig or any variation of it and found that it has increased number of pickups over a conventional semi-fixed or running rig

In which sense do you mean the 'sliding rig'?? Do you mean the 'Confidence rig' which consists of two pieces of hooklink material and 2 ss rings that slide against each other when the rig is stragtened or do you mean a ss ring on the hook or a piece of whipped on Amnesia??
If it is the first one then I have used it with a total length of the rig when straghtened of 18" when fish have been wary but I did have a few problems with bite offs to start off with when I had the rig at 24" straight. It didn't really make that much difference to me as the fish were feeding relativly confident but I was just experimenting with new rigs at the time ( you know what it is like being a newcomer to Carp fishing and you see all these rigs over 10 years ago). Now I just stick to a bog standard Hair Rig ad either lengthen the rig or shorten instead of changing to a different rig.
What do you say Paul???

PS Paul, can you give us some pointers on Rodney Meadow sometime???

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Darren Wilson

2 SS rings type.

There's a full description of the sliding rig and how it worked for me on Rodney Meadow in my book Carp Reflections. There's also good advice on the water in there too.
Unfortunately, there are no first edition copies left of the book (I was offered £60 for one the other day! Wish I'd kept a couple of boxes in my loft!), but a re-printed second edition can be obtained for £17.95 plus P &P from Laneman.
If you can't afford the book you might know someone who has a copy who will lend it to you.