It is that time of year again, when we reflect on the previous 12 months and all the angling joy they brought us. We’ve once again asked all the shops to nominate their favourite tackle items – here’s what they have decided is their Top Tackle of 2016!
Kieran Ryder – Store Manager – Ashford
I chose my favourite product of 2016 when experiencing those mixed emotions you get when recapturing the same carp for the third time in five weeks. The first time I caught the lovely little stockie that had recently been put into the syndicate it had evidently been attacked by a predator, leaving a large wound in its flank. The wound had begun to get infected and had lice and other organisms living on it. Naturally, I treated the wound with Gardner Intensive Carp Care, which was the first time I used the product after running out of my previous carp care kit. All good anglers use carp care these days but not many of us are lucky enough to see the results first hand. However, upon recapturing the carp two weeks later, the way in which the wound had cleared up was astounding. Not to forget to mention two weeks after this, when the little stockie graced my net for the third time, the wound was a very neat scar.
Buy The Gardner Intensive Carp Care
Jeanette Halliday – Store Manager – Beccles
My selection is a couple of little products I use from Cralusso. First up is the Cralusso range of Bubble Floats, which I use primarily on the River Yare for roach fishing as it’s a big river and can have plenty of pace on either flood or ebb tide. These floats are very versatile as you can run the rig through at the pace of the tide or hold back slightly with the bulk shot slightly further down towards the hooklength. The control of the rig and bite detection is extremely positive. I have had some good bags of roach and skimmers on both the River Yare and the River Thurne using this method. Next up, and I’m sure a lot of the regular lads on the Yare have been using these too, are the Cralusso Match Quick Snaps in sizes 12 and 14 – a great little product for attaching hooklengths quickly and easily without a lot of line twist when fishing double baits on the hook. These get the Angling Direct Beccles thumbs up!
Buy The Cralusso Range Of Tackle
Phil Spinks – Sales Assistant and Team AD Blogger - Beccles
My favourite product that I've seen over the last 12 months is the Korum Neoteric Reels. They come in two sizes, 5000 and 6000, and both come supplied with single and double handles. There are a few features that make the reel stand out above the rest for me. The 5000 size is the perfect size reel to balance up with lighter test curve rods. I use the 5000 on my 0.75lb Korum Xpert rods for perch fishing. The spool is a sensible depth so it doesn't need lots of backing line. I fill mine with 6lb line, of which they take approx. 150 meters. They do come supplied with a deeper spool if a heavier line is required. Personally, I like a single handle on the reels but for those who like double handles both are supplied. The slightly larger 6000 size is the perfect partner for slightly heavier rods for tench, bream, barbel, and carp fishing. In a nutshell, this is Korum’s flagship reel, boasting brilliant line lay and an ultra smooth drag. At last a small baitrunner that suits my style of angling!
Arron Newport – Sales Assistant – Chelmsford
At the beginning of the year I decided it was time to get a new bivvy and lucky enough the Advanta One Night Stand had just been released, which was great as this bivvy suited me to the ground. Even though I’m 6ft 4”, I like a compact bivvy and this was great. It looks awesome, it’s tiny when packed away, it weighs nothing, it’s super quick to put up and, most of all, it’s really hardwearing. This year I truly gave it a test. I use it two nights a week in all weather conditions, including a few torrential storms and huge winds, and, if I’m being honest, I’m not one to look after my gear. Despite this, it still stands strong with absolutely no leaks or defects at all! It really has been a great bivvy and I couldn’t ask for more. There are no negative points I could make at all and the price… well, that’s unbelievable. I have used and abused many bivvies throughout the years and this is my favourite to date. It’s a fantastic piece of kit and I couldn’t recommend it enough – and, even better, it’s now available in DPM!
Buy The Advanta Discovery CX One Night Stand Bivvy
Glen Burling – Sales Assistant – Colchester
My favourite product of 2016 has to be the range of Guru Feeders. They really are a phenomenal product, especially when used with the Guru rigging accessories, and I’ve had no end of joy using them over the last 12 months. One of their best features is their versatility – no matter what you can always find the perfect tool for the job. I use mine when I’m carp fishing and I have definitely caught the most fish when I’ve been using this method above all others. I really cannot recommend them enough!
Mark Williams – Store Manager – Crayford
In my view, the Shimano Velocity Carp Rods are the best all-round rods to have been bought out in the last year. My personal favourite has to be the 12ft 3.25lb version. This is an awesome rod. Not only does it offer great value for money but both the action and the finish are outstanding too. The lightness of this rod series is incomparable, even when you’re comparing them to rods marked at three times the cost. We have sold loads of them in Crayford, to some very good carp anglers, so you don’t just have to take my word for it!
Buy The Shimano Velocity Carp Rods
Simon West – Store Manger – Halesowen
The Guru Punch Box is a cracking piece of kit for keeping your bait bread and meat fresh away from the elements - come rain, wind or shine. The four sizes of punches supplied with the box cover all my bait punching needs, too. I have found that three discs of 8mm or 10mm bread, popped-up on a hair rig, are deadly for winter fishing and this has got me ‘out of jail’ more than any other method. The box is just the right size for a slice of bread and it fits nicely on your side tray and in the side pocket of your carryall, so it is easy to store and transport. Another plus is that the punches are a bright Guru orange colour, so you can easily find them if dropped on the grass. Another winner from Guru!
Stephen Crowe – Sales Assistant – Norwich
If I had to choose one stand out product for 2016 it would be the Fox Zig Aligna Fluoro Kit, a small but extremely effective item that has changed my future zig rig fishing. It was only while fishing this year’s British Carp Championship semi-final at Brasenose One that I realised the efficiency and hooking potential of this product. After losing multiple fish on my usual zig rig set up, I switched over to the Zig Aligna with a small piece of fluoro yellow foam and the difference was astonishing. I went from losing 10 fish in a row to landing the next eight without losing a fish. It’s fair to say I will not be using any other item for my zig rig fishing from now on!
Ross Crowder – Store Manager – Rayleigh
I’m going to cheat a little and put two products at the top of my 2016 list. The first of these is the RidgeMonkey Bivvy Lite. This is another great product to have come out of the RidgeMonkey warehouse and it really showcases the huge advances that we have seen in angling technology over the recent years. This bivvy light is head and shoulders above others I have tried thanks to its great battery life and its outstanding durability. It has become an essential for me.
Buy The Ridgemonkey Bivvy-lite
My second favourite product is the new ESP Cryogen Hooks. The new treatment process on these hooks, which involves super heating the hook, has made these by far and away the sharpest hook on the market.
Thomas Redman – Sales Assistant – Sheffield
I have been using the Advanta One Night Stand DPM Bivvy for around a month now and it's everything I want for my style of fishing. With a small footprint to fit in the tight swims I seem to prefer and an easy quick erect time, it is perfect for overnighters and early pack ups. The flat back design makes it seem like a TARDIS inside, as I’m able to push the bed to the back. It also features air flow mozzie vents for the warmer months and it is supplied with a lightweight groundsheet. To top it off it comes in the best carpy colour an angler could want!
Buy The Advanta Discovery CCX DPM One Night Stand Bivvy
Richard Howland – Store Manager – Sittingbourne
The River Stour in Canterbury, Kent, is where I like to spend quite a few of my days off in the winter. Armed with my trusted Drennan Acolyte 13ft float rod, which I use for trotting a float down rivers, I can just about fish anywhere and for anything. One of the best things about this style of fishing is that I'm not laden down with loads of gear. So, with the Acolyte Rod (which is the lightest rod I’ve ever used but strong enough to land River Wye Barbel, as past experience has proven), a landing net, and an apron full of bits and maggots, I’m all set. Being 13ft, I’m able to keep the float further out in the river for longer while trotting the far bank because the float will always be pulled by the line to the nearside as it goes down stream. There are 14ft and 15ft versions of this rod, too, but some of the places I go are quite tight. The rod is three pieces, which I fold down and leave it all set up with the Advanta Centrepin in the Drennan short rod sleeve, so I’m fishing within minutes of turning up. As I’ve said earlier, I’ve caught barbel on this rod and if you’ve ever caught a river barbel then you will know how hard they fight, so that will give you some idea of the confidence I have in this super rod.
Buy The Drennan Acolyte 13ft Float Rod
Jake Gallagher – Sales Assistant – Reading
My favourite item of tackle in 2016 has to be the Guru F1 Maggot and Pellet Hooks. They might just be small items of terminal tackle but they have made a huge difference to my angling. The new PTFE coating on both hooks not only makes them ultra sharp but also resistant to rusting. They come in sizes 14-22 to cover all situations, with sizes 16-20 being my personal favourite, particularly for winter style fishing. The F1 Pellet Hook features a slightly inwardly turned point that is well suited to presenting soft hook baits, such as expanders, on the pole along with other baits like corn. In comparison to the F1 Maggot Hooks, the Pellet Hook has a slighter thicker gauge of wire, which makes them more suited to larger fish or situations that demand more pressure to be applied to the fish. This hook is the perfect compromise for venues where there is a mix of small and large fish. Similarly, the F1 Maggot features the PTFE coating but has a more conventional shape to it that lends itself, as the name suggests, to maggot fishing in particular. I have used this hook extensively over the past couple of months in the Tunnel Barn winter league and have yet to be let down. For me, there is no other hook this good on the market and I rate it very highly!
Darren Harston – Store Manager – Lincoln
The Gardner GT-HD Mono has proved really popular since its launch. Its smooth finish and supple feel offers superb casting performance, it is formulated to sink quickly and the reduced stretch offers excellent feedback to the rod tip when feeling the lead down. This also gives improved or enhanced bite indication at long range. At £17.99 for a bulk spool, it is great value too!
Len Goulding – Store Manager – Waltham X
I write this sitting on the lake under my favourite product of the year, thinking that this will be easy to do without a doubt! The best product this year is the Advanta One Night Stand bivvy. The One Night Stand is a small footprint bivvy that will fit in the smallest swim on most lakes. However, not only is it compact but it is also cosy and it has kept me warm all night. Condensation hasn’t been an issue for me, but there is also an over wrap available if you wanted an extra layer of protection against the elements. You get all of this quality at an amazing price. I don't leave home without it; it's the business!
Buy The Advanta Discovery CX One Night Stand Bivvy
Phil Gray – Store Manager – Wroxham
My top product for 2016 has to be Fox's Grondel Lures! I was selecting new lures from the Fox catalogue, saw the Grondel's, thought they looked a bit different and so I ordered a few packs for the Wroxham shop. As soon as they arrived I purchased some and went off fishing with them the first chance I had. I was fishing on a large, open, shallow and very clear broad here in Wroxham and, after fishing deadbaits for pike for the first few hours of daylight, I changed to a Grondel on a size 2/0 7g jig head as the sun became brighter and started working the margins. I had 12 pike that morning and have never looked back. I now have a go with them every time I'm on the water and have had loads more pike and bucket loads of perch on them too! ‘Gotta love a Grondel" is a phrase often used in these parts now!
Steve Potts – Sales Assistant – Willenhall
My tackle highlight of 2016 was the release of the Sticky Baits Manilla range. It is a fantastic all round bait for all seasons. Once you open a bag of Manilla boilies it smells carpy straight away; the essence of peanut is irresistible and carp love it. What makes it a great bait is the range that compliments the Manilla boilies, a variety of pellets in different sizes, glugs, wafters, stick mixes and much more. Since the release this summer, Sticky Baits Manilla range has accounted for big carp up and down the country, including considerable success for myself. On a new syndicate water, this bait has accounted for five 30lb fish in the first six weeks of me joining, which proves its instant attraction properties as well as being a campaign style bait. As the water temperature cools down, I will have full faith that my chosen bait will be giving all the great food signals throughout the layers as it did in the summer. This is down to its high digestibility and low oil content that allows an all season approach.