The long-awaited Avid Reaction Hooks hit the shops recently and they haven’t disappointed. There are four patterns in the range – LSK (longshank), CHD (chod), CRV (Curve) and WGP (wide gape), so there’s a pattern for every presentation in a wide range of sizes. Out of the pack the hooks are sticky sharp and finished in an unobtrusive non-glare green. All patterns are available in barbed and barbless options and with 12 in a pack they’re great value for money too.
• Mottled, camou leadcore leader material• Supple and easy to use and splice• Green, silt and brown versions• 35lb and 45lb breaking strains on 20m spoolsRRP: £12. 50FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO: www. gardnertackle. co.
Having just undertaken a Buyer’s Guide review on hook links, I was keen to give a few a go on my next few sessions on the bank. Hook-link material can be a personal thing so it always pays to have a play around. I used the N-Trap Semi Stiff in weedy green for fishing this winter because it blends in well with the lake bed and its inherent stiffness helps to prevent tangles. The coating is resilient so it won’t break when tying knots in it.
TC reader Phil Cox, from Coventry, says: "Unsure as to how much quicker one of these systems can actually make tying a PVA bag, I was a little sceptical when I first opened the tube. However, and bearing in mind that I never struggled to tie solid bags previously, it is actually remarkably good. "I don’t think it makes tying bags any easier but it certainly allows you to do so quickly and with the minimum of fuss, albeit I was a little slower, if anything, until I got used to it. Once sorted, though, it was a doddle and extremely rapid, so I guess the name fits.
• Proven line now available on 2,000-yard bulk spools • Super-strong and reliable, yet limp and easy to use• Available in clear and lo-viz green • Amazing value for money; half the price of many othersRRP: £69. 99 Website: www. berkley-fishing. co.
• Small bait screws to replace a rig ring on a D rig• Simply screw a pop-up onto the peg for quick and easy use • Available in clear, yellow, orange, red and brownRRP: £3. 49Website: www. acecarp. com.
Okay, there’s only so much you can say about PVA cord (or string, if you prefer) but like anything in fishing I am very fussy in what I use, right down to the tiniest detail. I’m no stranger to fishing PVA stringers of three to five baits over a spread of boilies but I’m particular about what PVA I use to do so. It’s a similar story when it comes to tying off solid PVA bags. Tape stretches and some strings are not robust enough.
• Sticky-sharp, wide-gape pattern of hooks• Feature straight eye and beaked point• Available in sizes 2 to 16 barbed and 4 to 16 barbless• Ten per packPrice: £3. 95Website: www. pallatrax. co.
Tc Reader Steve Morris From Manchester Says: I do plenty of surface fishing and I’m a stickler for using the right gear. Until these arrived I’d not actually used them before. I thought they looked great as I opened the first of the three that I had been sent and my good first impressions continued when I set the middle-sized, 15g, float up, which was a doddle. It cast out accurately and without too much fuss but I have to say that it sat so low in the water that I did occasionally struggle to pick it out, unless fishing at very close range.
The Kodex terminal tackle range offers high-quality rig components at a lower competitive price than other market brands and boasts a huge variety, from float stops to maggot clips, all housed in the new, modern packaging. The comprehensive range of products is finished in an anti-glare matt coating which provides that extra bit of concealment and camouflage when targeting wary and cautious fish. (DM)Price: 75p TO £6. 75 Website: www.
Lead-free woven leader A heavy, fast-sinking, yet supple leader materialAvailable in Weedy Green and Gravelly BrownAlso in 30lb and 45lb breaking strains Price: £10. 99 to £13. 99Website: www. foxint.
They’ve been three years in the planning but the Razor Points have finally landed and take their place in the upper echelons of carp-hook designs. Unsurprisingly, given Max Cottis’ influence, the packaging is eye-catching and significant in size. Inside, the 10 hooks are housed in clips for separation and to keep the hook points pristine, but it does mean that if you want to carry more than 10 hooks of the same pattern you have to have more than one of the bulky boxes. Knowing how loose hooks are supplied by the manufacturers to tackle companies, we’re not entirely convinced of the merits of these boxes, which keep each hook separate, but it doesn’t do any harm, we suppose.
Fishing a variety of venues, be it on TC features or when fishing for myself, I need a line that is versatile enough for whatever situation I might face next. Having tested the 12lb and 10lb versions of the Tribal for some time, I settled on the latter, largely due to the fact that the breaking strain seems considerably higher than that stated on the spool. You pay for this extra strength with a bit more in the way of diameter, so it’s not for the really long casters. However, I rarely fish over 100 yards and the 10lb gets me out that far with some ease.
• Unique design allows bait screws to be attached to any rig without disassembly • Vast array of coloured options • Lightweight design to minimise weight added to the baitPrice: £2. 99Website: www. avidcarp. com.
• Leadcore leader material• Broken camouflage design• Dense, supple material• Available in two colours, Light Camo and Dark Camo on 7m and 25m spoolsPrice: £5. 49 to £14. 99Website: www. foxint.