Our tackle tester Dan Webb shortlists the off-the-radar gear that you should check out this year...
Zerofit Heatrub BaseLayers
I had completely given up on baselayers and resorted to T-shirts and joggers instead. I got sweaty and then cold in cheap baselayers, while expensive Merino wool ones made me itch.
Then I tried Zerofit, and the difference blew me away. They were thicker than I expected, with a smooth outside and a furry inner that didn’t make me itch at all. After hiking to my peg and breaking the ice, I didn’t feel damp when I cooled down, staying warmer and more comfortable than ever before in near-freezing temperatures.
I now get what all the hype is about – if you haven’t tried them yourself, I urge you to do so.
Price: £55, www.zerofit.co.uk
Guru MW pole floats
Floats are designed to catch the angler more than the fish, or so the saying goes. While there is some truth in this, once you’ve been caught by Guru, you are unlikely to be tempted away. The construction is top quality and consistent, with every one perfectly straight and flaw-free, so should you find that perfect float but then lose it, the next one you buy will be identical.
The tips are some of the most vibrant and easy to see on the market, and they all take the shotting they say they should.
With more models being added all the time, and some natural water patterns being tested by Guru’s anglers, it won’t be long before there will be a Guru float to cover almost everything.
Price: £2.49, www.tackleguru.com
Cresta EVA Micro Mesh Bait Bags
At first glance, these appear to be the world’s most expensive bait boxes! Once you’ve tried one, however, you will soon change your mind. Storing maggots for any length of time, even in a fridge, is a pain, as you soon get condensation build-up and a sloppy mess of floating maggots.
The vented lids on these tubs are far superior to the series of token holes in the top a standard bait box and, with a little care, swimming maggots will become a thing of the past. Even if they do become a bit damp, they cannot escape, which they will do if you run the gauntlet of storing them without a lid. With the soaring price of live bait, I think these are a great investment and make storing maggots between sessions a lot easier.
Price: £14.99 - £20.99, www.fishcresta.com
Drennan Bait Spikes
For years, we were more than happy banding our baits on a Method feeder, to the point that a number of companies even named and shaped their mini boilie baits specifically for bands. When spikes came out, I just didn’t understand why you would want to add weight to your bait and use them instead.
That was until a top angler pointed out to me how an end mounted bait is narrower than the gape of the hook, increasing the chances of a hook-up.
Add to that the extra movement you get when the spike is tied in a loop on a hair, and I soon realised they gave superior presentation. They might only result in an extra fish or two every session, but that could make all the difference in a match on a hard winter’s day.
Price: £2.95, www.drennantackle.com
Preston Solid Pellet Feeders
Go to any commercial, anywhere, and the likelihood is that you will find someone fishing with a flatbed-style Method feeder. When was the last time you saw a pellet feeder, though? They just didn’t look right to me and I couldn’t see a single situation where a Method feeder wouldn’t be better.
I’ve now come to realise that smaller F1s and stockies don’t eat the entire payload off a feeder like a big carp does. Instead, they often pick off all the bait around it, leaving your hookbait.
You get loads of little indications on your tip but no real bites. A pellet feeder is different because it contains the bait far more, meaning fish can only feed on what falls out of the back of it. This forces them to take your hookbait before the rest of the pellets.
Since discovering this, I’ve caught a lot more fish on smaller snake lakes, on this regularly disregarded little feeder.
Price: £2.99, www.prestoninnovations.com
Maver Poles
Ask on the bank about Maver poles and you get a huge array of varying opinions, mostly based on how they performed the best part of 20 years ago, with stories of breakages and premature wear.
Pole technology has moved on a huge amount in that time and, along with it, Maver’s reputation. Its poles from the last decade have been superb, but this year’s are something else. I’ve fished with the MV-R1 and the Signature Pro Power 1000 margin pole, and both have been stunning.
If you are in the market for a new pole, make sure Maver is on your viewing list – you will be impressed!
Price: From £279.99, www.mavermatch.co.uk
Feederland Match Pro Feeder Arm
I was more than happy with the feeder arm I was using, so when the bizzare-looking Feederland model hit the market at more than double the price, I was less than impressed! With several clamps and levers offering multiple adjustments of length, height and angle, I thought it was overkill.
That was, of course, until I tried one! Now I cannot over-emphasise just how good it is! It doesn’t matter how many keepnets or attachments are in the way, the angle of my cast, height of the bank, violence of the bite or weight of the rod – I can always get it positioned perfectly where it will then stay put, even on strong tidal rivers. I’d never want to go back to a flimsy sagging feeder arm again!
Price: £93, www.feederland.co.uk
