Total Carp Staff

Okay, this isn’t going to rock your world, but it’s a very neat improvement on a product that most of us use on a regular basis. I got one flush in the face once and it was as painful as I think I’ve ever known. The problem with most bungee straps is that the big plastic hook on them can, if they slip or malfunction, be a serious risk to your health. This version, however, with its altogether safer connection, virtually eliminates any such risk.

There are loads of these lead-free leaders around these days, including some good and some not so good ones. Fishing a lake that’s infested with weed, I fancied trying this one out because I felt that it would sink a little less quickly than leadcore, settling on to the weed more, and obviously the colour would blend in. On the subject of colour, and this is not unique to this material, why are all green leaders and hook links so dark? Pull most types of fresh weed out of a lake and it’s a much more vibrant green and, unless it’s old, is rarely as dark as this. Maybe it’s one of those angler perception things, but I’d much rather the material matched the weed and not just conformed to trends.

There’s a fair bit of banter flies around in the TC office and, after a few weeks of using this bag I was the butt of a lot of it. The issue, you see, was that I apparently kept “banging on about a bucket in a bag” and a few of the lads wondered how I could be getting so excited about what seems a relatively simple item of luggage. Well, you know when something just absolutely suits your style of fishing and you become attached to it? I’m exactly like this with the Bucket Carryall. I’ve already mentioned elsewhere in these tackle pages that I fish a lot with solid PVA bags and, as such, this carryall acts as the perfect tool for the job.

Boilie air-drying bagRobust zips on each sectionHeavy-duty hanging strapsThree separate compartments£16. 99WWW. RIDGEMONKEY. CO.