Terminal Tackle

• Super-sharp specimen hooks• Beaked-point pattern• Slightly inturned eye• Ideal for zig fishingRRP: £4. 25FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO: www. gardnertackle. co.

This is, quite simply, a monofilament main line that tapers at each end to give a robust casting ‘leader’ without any knots or the need for additional materials. This is ideal for venues where casting is at a premium and especially on those where leaders are banned. There are no knots, so therefore no safety issues, which is what leads to such bans. Because the taper is at both ends, when one end becomes worn or short after regular trimming, it can be reverse-wound onto the spool for continued use.

• The popular coated hook link on 20m spools• Now in Brown and Sand/Clay colours• Available in 15lb, 25lb and 35lb breaking strains For more details go to: Web: www. avidcarp. comPrice: £13. 99.

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.

Chod rigs enable you to present bait pretty much anywhere but the hardest part has always been tying them to a precise standard. Well ACE has done all the hard work for you and Terry Hearn has selected all the components that are right for the job. Tied with its top-of-the-range materials, these ready-tied chods can be brought in barbed hook sizes 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 in both short and long lengths. Tied using the ACE Razor Point SRC hooks, offering superior strength and one of the sharpest points on the market, the rigs incorporate the ACE Pop-Up Pegs, which can easily be screwed into your pop-up hook bait.

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.

In more recent years, drop-off inline leads have become very popular and have taken a leading role in my approach. I like to use heavy leads when I can get away with it but it’s just as important that when I’m attached to the carp there’s no lead hindering my contact. I opted to test out these leads when they arrived at the office because they have been specifically designed for use as a safety drop-off lead system. The groove allows either the main line or leader to be situated flush against the lead, which reduces the damage that can often be caused against the lake bed or snags.