Terminal Tackle

With fish spending most of their spring in the warmer upper layers, what better time to get stocked up on your zig kit!

The TC boys get to grips with tackle and bait, testing them to the limit out on the bank. Here’s what they think…FOX ARMA POINT HOOKSRRP: £3. 99 for 10Website: www. foxint.

TC reader Sam Rafferty from London says: "I wasn’t sure I liked these when they first arrived, although I was grateful for being sent something to review that was made by such a top company as Fox. "The Slik clip is very different from those I’ve been used to, so I wasn’t convinced they’d be for me. However, once I started using them I found them extremely easy to get on with and have had nothing but good to say about them since. "The colour (more akin to a Korda green) wouldn’t be my first choice because I have all-blue LEDs on my alarms, but that’s not such a big deal, or is it? I note from Fox’s website that you can get blue versions, so I might have to sell this set to my mate and buy some of those instead!"There’s plenty of room in the head for an isotope, although I find those far too expensive so don’t bother with one, and I really like the short ball-chain style.

I have mixed opinions on these two hook links, the soft version of which I really like and the stiff one I really don’t. Okay, so the best bit first; the Camotex Soft is easy to use, strips nicely, has a nice diameter (I’ve tested the 15lb) and the camou finish is an improvement on Fox’s Coretex, which I’ve used before. Having used it two or three times now it’s never looked like letting me down. There are some excellent coated braids out there and this is definitely up there with the best of them.

Although significantly cheaper than the superb ArmaPoint range of hooks, the Kuro range is very impressive. There are several patterns available, not all of which I have used, but this one – a curved-shank design with a fairly thick gauge – is fast becoming my hook of choice for bottom-bait fishing. It’s very similar to the ArmaPoint SSC; in fact, the only discernable difference to my eye is that the coating isn’t quite so dull and non-reflective. It’s still very dark, which I like, and the hooks work brilliantly.

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.

• Low-diameter, sinking braided main line • Ultra-supple and abrasion resistant • Available in 25lb and 40lb breaking strains • Supplied on 300m or 600m spools RRP: £29. 99 to £59. 99FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO: www. foxint.