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Leatherman Wave Multi-Tool – Long-term Test Review

Leatherman Wave multi tool long-term use review

I should have written a review for Leatherman multi-tools many years ago! I’ve owned numerous ones over the years, from my first Super Tool in the mid-nineties to the Crunch, Wave and Charge models. The only time I’ve needed to buy a new one is when I’ve lost one (such as when I threw one into the River Don, with a handful of maggots!) or if I quite fancy the features on a new or upgraded model (when they updated the Wave to include interchangeable driver bits, this was a gamechanger I couldn’t miss out on!). Perhaps because a multi-tool isn’t fishing tackle per-se – it’s something that’s just really useful to have with you on fishing trips – I hadn’t thought to review them. Needless to say, after the years of service they’ve given me I’m perhaps a little biased towards Leatherman tools. Just as I am toward Snap-On when it comes to ratchets, spanners & screwdrivers. I can rely on them, so I value them dearly. At work I’m a bit of a Jack of all trades, I’m a glutton for DIY and in general I’m a tinkerer! If something breaks my instinct is to fix it and …

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Ultima Power Steel fishing line – Long-term Test Review

Ultima Power Steel fishing line - best fishing line

I’ve used Ultima Power Steel for 12+ years. In short, I think it’s absolutely fantastic stuff for all legering & feeder fishing, from carp & barbel to predators; by far the best mainline I’ve ever used. It’s clear, very abrasion resistant, has low memory and a very low stretch for nylon line. Power Steel used to be marketed as a coarse & carp mainline but it’s now sold as a sea and predator line. It’s still the same stuff on the spool though! I can’t fathom why it’s no longer pushed towards specimen anglers. With the properties it has, it’s ideal. For the first few years I used Power Steel purely for hooklinks – predominantly for barbel and perch – I was really impressed with how tough it was. I had previously experienced many breakages of mono, braid and fluorocarbon hooklinks when fishing for barbel – especially around snags. It was the part of my set up I had least faith in so I chopped and changed regularly, hoping I’d find something I could trust. After reading good things about Power Steel (back when it was still marketed towards coarse & specimen anglers) and, being familiar with the Ultima brand …

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Angling Direct – Sutton-in-Ashfield Store

Angling Direct Sutton-in-Ashfield - Fishing accessories & terminal tackle shop - split shot, mono line, braid, etc. for sale at Phil's Bait & Tackle, Nottinghamshire fishing tackle shop & bait

June 2019 saw national fishing tackle retailer, Angling Direct, open a brand new store in Sutton-in-Ashfield. The new Angling Direct shop in Sutton can be found at: 1B Forest St, Sutton-in-Ashfield, NG17 1DA. This large tackle shop is packed to the rafters with major brand tackle, alongside AD’s own-brand ADVanta range. As part of a large national chain, Angling Direct stock a large range of tackle and offer convenient services such as “click & collect”, which many people will find to be very convenient. However, Sutton-in-Ashfield already has a long-established independent fishing tackle shop based on the old marketplace – Phil’s Bait and Tackle – which I believe offers anglers much more. If you are looking to start out fishing, or to get your child kitted-out with fishing tackle for them to give fishing a try then you should head to your local independent tackle shop – in this case Phil’s Bait & Tackle. In their shop you will find excellent service and one the largest ranges of tackle in the area, from major manufacturers of coarse, carp, specimen and match tackle. They have plenty of kit priced perfectly for beginners who are looking to buy their first rod & …

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Carp Fishing Tackle Department at Phil’s Bait & Tackle – Fishing Tackle Shop in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts

Carp tackle & luggage for sale at Phil's Bait & Tackle, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire fishing tackle shop & bait

Click on the image slider below to open a full gallery of the carp tackle department at local independent fishing tackle shop, Phil’s Bait & Tackle at Sutton-in-Ashfield. Phil’s has a large carp fishing & specimen fishing department with large stocks of: carp rods, carp reels, carp bait (boilies, freezer baits, pellets, particles, flavours, glugs, oils, etc.), carp luggage, terminal tackle, hooks, leads, mainline, hooklinks, bite alarms, rod pods, metalware, landing nets, bivvies, bedchairs, unhooking mats, cookware and many carp accessories. Brands stocked include: Fox, Korda, Nash, Shimano, Avid Carp, Daiwa, ESP, JRC, Korum, Chub, Spomb, Dynamite Baits, Mainline Baits, Sticky Baits, Nashbait, Bait-Tech & Solar. Their dedicated carp showroom was expanded in 2019 and features their largest ever range of quality carp tackle and carp fishing accessories, which is open to browse and try out the latest carp gear and there’s always someone on hand to provide advice. Phil’s Bait & Tackle also has a large and very well stocked coarse, specimen, match & pole fishing department. Other services offered by Phil’s include a full range of repair & spares services, including: rod & pole repair service, pole elastication, rod re-ringing, reel servicing, spare parts for some other tackle …

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Coarse & Match Tackle Department at Phil’s Bait & Tackle – Fishing Tackle Shop in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts

Coarse fishing, match fishing & pole fishing department at Phil's Bait & Tackle - Wagglers, stick floats & pole floats for sale at Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire fishing tackle shop & bait - Drennan, Middy, Sensas, etc.

Click on the image slider below to open a full gallery of the coarse fishing, match fishing, pole fishing, pleasure fishing & specimen / specialist fishing tackle department at local independent fishing tackle shop, Phil’s Bait & Tackle at Sutton-in-Ashfield. Phil’s has a large department catering for general coarse, specialist/specimen, match and pole fishing, with large stocks of: float rods, quivertip rods, avon & multi-tip barbel rods, poles & whips, free spool & baitrunner reels, bait (live maggots, casters & worms, groundbait, boilies, freezer baits, pellets, particles, flavours, glugs, oils, frozen pike deadbaits, hemp, luncheon meat, sweetcorn, etc.), luggage, terminal tackle, hooks, leads & swimfeeders, mainline, hooklinks, floats, lures, rod rests, fishing chairs, seat boxes, metalware, landing nets & keepnets, bivvies, bedchairs, unhooking mats, cookware and many accessories. Brands stocked include: Korum, Drennan, Preston Innovations, Middy, Maver, Shimano, Daiwa, Chub, Guru, MAP, Dinsmores, Matrix, Shakespeare, Fox Rage, Kamasan, Gardner, Dynamite Baits, Mainline Baits, Sticky Baits, Sensas, Sonubaits, Marukyu, Ringers, Van Den Eynde, Baitbox & Bait-Tech. Their well-stocked shop is open to browse and try out the latest fishing gear and there’s always someone on hand to provide advice on tackle, bait and local in-form venues. Phil’s Bait & Tackle also …

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Fox Warrior+ Carp Rods – Full Cork Handle, 12 ft 3.25lb TC – Tackle Review

Fox Warrior Rod - Warrior+ Carp Rod Full Cork Handle Tackle Review – 12 foot 3.25lb test curve carp fishing rod

The Warrior range of carp tackle from Fox International has long been associated with combining great features with exceptional value for money.  They have been immensely popular and successful rods for Fox, who have released several generations of Warrior rods over the years.  Despite Warriors being used by thousands of anglers, I had never actually used one!  Fox made my favourite-ever specimen rods (a pair of Zandermasters), so when I was offered the chance to use & review a selection of the limited edition Warrior+ (that’s Warrior PLUS) range, I was eager to see if they lived up to their legendary status.  These striking 12 foot Fox Warrior+ carp rods – exclusive to Tackle Fanatics – are finished with a full cork handle.  The blank – the same one used in Warrior S rods – comes in at 3.25lb test curve.  It’s made from low resin carbon and has a beautiful matt finish.  To further enhance the quality finish the rod has a classy anodised aluminium butt cap, etched with the Fox logo. I personally prefer a full handle over an abbreviated one and, even with wet hands, cork does seem to offer a little more grip than Duplon.  So …

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Fox Warrior+ 42 inch Carbon Landing Net & Handle – Review

Fox Warrior PLUS - 42" Carbon Carp Landing Net & Handle

The Warrior range of carp tackle from Fox has long been associated with combining great features with exceptional value for money.  Warrior rods and other hardware have been immensely popular and successful for Fox, over the years.  So when I was offered the chance to use & review a selection of the limited edition Warrior+ (that’s Warrior PLUS) range, I was eager to see if these could live up to their legendary status. In this review I’ll look at the 42 inch Warrior+ landing net, designed for landing carp and specimen fish.  My first impression when I put the net together was that it’s extremely light.  This is thanks to its all-carbon handle and arms. The one-piece handle is a good thickness and, although lightweight, seems very strong.  At the butt end it features a subtle matt grip and a handy Duplon butt cap, which not only helps the handle bounce when dragged along the ground (as opposed to making the hideous scraping noise of handles with metal butt caps when they’re dragged) but it also helps stop the net slip from between your legs when resting it in the water whilst playing a fish.  At the head end you’ll …

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Fox Warrior+ S&M Rod – Duo Spod Rod Marker Rod – Tackle Review

Fox Warrior + PLUS S&M Spomb Spod Marker Rod

The Warrior range of carp tackle from Fox has long been associated with combining great features with exceptional value for money.  They have been immensely popular and successful rods for Fox, who have released several generations of Warrior rods over the years.  Despite Warriors being used by thousands of anglers, I had never actually used one!  Fox made my favourite-ever specimen rods (a pair of Zandermasters), so when I was offered the chance to use & review a selection of the limited edition Warrior+ (that’s Warrior PLUS) range, I was eager to see if they lived up to their legendary status. This is the Warrior+ “S&M” rod.  No, it’s not a sado-masochistic torture device!  S&M, in this case, stands for Spod & Marker.  This is a beefy rod, at 12 feet in length and with a test curve of 4.5lb.  A solid reel seat sits above a fully shrink-wrapped handle which isn’t merely a thin layer of plastic; it is slightly spongy to touch, with the feel of Duplon, and it gets thicker towards the butt which aids grip when casting hard.  The S&M is ringed with 5 x double-legged Fox Slik rod rings, spaced for distance casting, plus an …

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