Whether your aim is to look like the ultimate professional, keep your valuable gear safe or simply carry your kit as cheaply as possible, angling luggage has progressed in huge leaps and bounds in recent years.
This week, we’ve lined up eight of the most impressive luggage sets on the market today for your reading pleasure.
Daiwa Matchman
Rugged and durable luggage at a great price. Coloured black, with discreet branding, the traditional 56cm Carryall has a zipped side compartment for nets, two side pockets and a small, zipped compartment for your phone or keys.
For match anglers, there’s a choice of two sizes of PVC stink type Net Bags taking 3/5 nets or a three-compartment Triple Net Bag. The Insulated Coolbag has internal dividers, allowing you to keep food and different baits separated. It includes a zipped pocket under the lid.
The Six-tube Holdall has two spacious external pockets for umbrellas, banksticks and accessories, while the Two-rod Holdall will accommodate a third rod without a reel, or a landing net pole.
Our verdict: A simple range of reliable and trusted designs, ideal for the angler who only wants a reliable and effective way to transport and store their gear with minimal cost and no fuss.
Price: Carryall £47.99, Six-tube Holdall £79.99, Two-rod Holdall £71.99, Coolbag £41.99, PVC Net Bags £36.99 - £47.99, Triple Net Bag £41.99, www.daiwasports.co.uk
Middy MX Series
A mix of tough 420 denier nylon and 0.8mm EVA makes up this extensive modular collection. The smaller items are too numerous to list with various bowls, tubs, pellet soakers, reel cases and side-tray cases – all fitting the two sizes of Hardbase Carryall or the totally water-resistant 40l Pro Carryall.
There are three sizes of holdall, from the compact Pole Carry Case to the Six-tube Holdall with its two external pockets. Rather than produce a large multiple rod bag, Middy has opted for a single padded case, allowing you to easily leave unwanted made-up rods at home.
For nets there’s a bargain £12 Stink Bag or a leakproof three-net EVA Net & Tray bag that comes with a free net head. As well as being available individually, you can buy an EVA Mega Bundle with every EVA item you could possibly need inside a Pro Carryall, or two sizes of carryall & holdall pairings.
Our verdict: Already exceptionally well-priced, most items are regularly discounted which, along with the bundles, helps keep costs down even further. If you want everything to match and fit together, from your bait boxes right up to your carryalls, the Middy MX series is the one for you!
Price: £12.50 - £99.99, Holdall and Carryall Combos £99.99 - £169.99, EVA Mega Bundle £141.96, www.middytackle.com
Maver MV-R
Designed by Maver’s team of consultants with emphasis on quality, modest branding lets the designs do the talking.
There are two choices of carryall – the Jumbo, with a reinforced base with mud feet, two zipped end pockets and a keepnet pocket or (our favourite), the Tackle and Bait Carryall with a rigid storage base with adjustable divider, large zipped pocket across the top, large front zipped pocket, two zipped end pockets and a mobile phone pocket! The modestly priced and sized 57cm x 20cm x 23cm Tackle/Accessory Bag features a detachable internal divider, while the identical-sized bait bag will take six three-pint bait tubs. The similarly proportioned but longer 80cm Roller and Roost bag has a fixed divider and will take two Maver rollers and all your roosts. Both the Six- and Eight-tube Holdalls feature two internal pockets, and an enveloped zip opening for easy access. The Triple Rod Holdall features a central zip and three padded compartments to hold your ready-made rods.
Our verdict: Compact shaped bags with plenty of storage, ideal for the angler who doesn’t want to be dragged down by lugging huge bags around.
With its multiple sized and shaped pockets to hold plenty of smaller items, the Tackle and Bait Bag is the star of the show and arguably the best bag of its type on the market.
_Price: Jumbo Carryall £69.99, Tackle and Bait Carryall £79.99, Bait Bag £41.99, Tackle/Accessory Bag £38.99, Holdalls £74.99 - £84.99, Triple Rod Holdall £89.99, [www.mavermatch.co.uk]{href='http://www.mavermatch.co.uk' target='blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'}
Drennan DMS
Standing for ‘Drennan Modular System’, this luggage has been designed from the bait box upwards. From the various bait boxes, trays, strainers and cool blocks right through to the Visi Boxes and Carryalls, every part is designed to pack neatly together, no matter what permutations the angler wants.
Finished in waterproof and durable EVA, all of the items are available separately or as part of larger sets. Starting with the Coolboxes, there is a 25l and a 37l litre option, each with the correct-sized cool blocks to fit the base.
There’s also a Five-piece Bait Set including a Bait Tray, Three-pint Bait Box and two x Two-pint Bait Boxes and Visi Box to keep them in. The carryalls also come in 25-litre and 37-litre versions, where Visi Boxes can be purchased to fit or bought with the carryalls as part of the five- or seven-piece set. The
Visi Boxes all fit together and come in 2.5-litre, 5-litre and 10-litre sizes.
Our verdict: EVA luggage isn’t new, but the way this all packs together is: everything in the DMS range stacks, packs and fits inside each other.
There are even compatible side trays and matching net bags. Sticking to the Drennan colour scheme, it will all complement the existing holdalls and rod sleeves.
Price: Carryalls £34.95 - £49.95, Coolbags £54.95 - £64.95, Five-piece Bait Set £35.95,
FIve to Seven-piece Carryall Sets £98.95 - £149.95, Net Bags £49.95 - £54.95, Visi Boxes £12.95 - £24.95, www.drennantackle.com
Preston Competition
A company with a truly imposing luggage range – if Preston doesn’t make it, it probably doesn’t exist! A step down from its top-end Supera and World Champion ranges, you’ll find the modestly priced Competition Set comprises a Bait Bowl, a Padded Reel Case that also holds two spare spools, plus Six- and Eight tube Holdalls, each with an external brolly/net handle pocket.
There’s also an Insulated Bait Bag with hard moulded EVA base and front pocket, or a large version with an extra side pocket, a choice of EVA or waterproof Double Net Tray/Bag and Two- or Four-rod Ready Bags made from a hardcase material, with internal straps and pouches to hold and stagger the rods in place. For larger items, there’s a Three-pocket Traditional Carryall and a 90cm-long Roller and Roost Bag capable of holding two XL rollers.
Our verdict: The material might be budget-priced, but the innovative designs, sensible proportions and sheer volume of choice make this honest luggage a rival to many premium collections.
Price: Reel Case £14.99, Bait Bowl £16.99, Holdalls £59.99 - £64.99, Rod Holdalls £64.99 - £89.99, Roller and Roost Bag £54.99, Carryall £54.99, Bait Bags £44.99 - £49.99, EVA Net Bag £49.99, Double Net Bag £49.99, www.prestoninnovations.com
Nufish Aqualock Luggage
A smart and robust set of luggage in a wipe-clean material with robust logo-embossed webbing reinforcements and padded straps, plus oversized zips with strengthened pullers.
The range includes a Roller and Accessory Bag measuring a roomy 870mm x 250mm x 250mm and featuring a full-length zipped pocket. The 55-Litre Carryall has a large front pocket to take nets or an Aqualock Side Tray, two side pockets, a moulded hard base and a clever key and wallet zipped pouch hidden under the lid. The Insulated Tackle and Bait Bag also features a hard moulded plastic base and three external pockets to take all your bait and smaller items.
Both Four- and Six-rod Ready Bags have double staggered butt pouches to accommodate multiple lengths of rod, spare tips and a landing net pole. A two-compartment 10-Tube Pole Holdall completes the set.
Our Verdict: A luxuriously detailed and quality collection that wouldn’t look out of place on a flight to the Maldives, let alone on a muddy riverbank! You can tell a lot of thought has gone into the design, as all items are proportioned to fit modern match gear perfectly.
We particularly like the Tardis resembling Ready Rod Bags that swallow up multiple rods with no cramming required.
Price: Carryall £47.99, Six-tube holdall £79.99, Two-rod Holdall £71.99, Coolbag £41.99, PVC Net Bags £36.99 - £47.99, Triple Net Bag £41.99, www.nufish.co.uk
Matrix Horizon X Luggage
Developed to offer high-end, no compromise luggage to suit modern match anglers, this is an all-encompassing range with some exciting features, constructed from durable and fully waterproof PVC-coated fabric and finished with neoprene handles and waterproof PU coated zips. Clever 2-4 and 3- 6 Rigid Rod Holdalls top and tail your ready-made rods to save space, and they even have a rigid rod tip case and landing net pole sleeve built in. Alternatively, there’s a Two- Rod Sleeve in two lengths. The Multi Pole Holdall has a built-in rigid top kit case that will carry up to 25 top kits without tubes.
Two sizes of net bag are both fully waterproof, while the side tray bag contains a mesh for drainage. The Compact Carryall comes with three internal storage cases, while the Coolbag has a built-in bait system. There’s even a XL Storage Bag for pole rollers and other larger items, all finished in modest black with vibrant yellow detailing
Our verdict: It might be at the pricey end of the scale, but this luggage is incredibly well designed and built to last.
Almost every luggage-based innovation in fishing can be found in this exceptional range that anyone would want to use!
Price: Multi-Pole Holdall £209.99, Rigid Rod Holdalls £169.99 - £190.00, Two-Rod Sleeves £89.99 - £100, Compact Carryall £89.99, XL Storage Bag £79.99, Side Tray Storage £59.99, Bait System £79.99, Multi Net Bags £70 - £79.99, www.fishmatrix.co.uk
MAP Seal System
A thoroughly thought-out range of EVA luggage designed to offer a waterproof, durable, lightweight and strong storage solution. The system starts with the Accessory Cases, which stretch from the tiny C5000 which will take smaller items like feeders or pellet wagglers, the C4000, which is double the size at 22cm x 12.5cm x 15cm, the long 45cm C3000, and the biggest C2000 which they can all fit inside. The C2000 then fits the C1000 Carryall, which comes with a selection of seven of the cases inside. For larger items, there’s the R1000 Roller Bag which will take two Dual Rollers, and XL and XXL Stink Bags for 4-6 nets and side trays.
There’s a Bait System with five EVA tubs, or a Bait Bag with removable top section for smaller items or separating baits. There’s even a Catapult Bag and a Bucket Liner to keep groundbait fresh and dry, plus three sizes of bait bowl.
Our Verdict: Everything from pole pots and wagglers to seatbox accessories and pole rollers – this impressive range with its classy carbon effect finish covers it all. Being tidy, organised and keeping your gear dry has never been easier.
Price: Accessory Cases £9.99 - £27.99, Carryall Set £174.99, Roller Bag £44.99, Bait Bag £64.99, Bait System £44.99, Bucket Lliner £27.49, Stink Bags £54.99 - £59.99, Catapult Case £12.99, www.mapfishing.co.uk
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