As bullet-proof hooklink materials go,
Armourbraid must rank as one of the best I’ve ever used. Not only is it
capable of withstanding prolonged abuse from gravel bars, mussel beds,
branches, snags and weed, but will also sit neatly beside a standard
supple braid, so thin is its diameter. It’s not a
supple braid but to be honest, for me, that’s one of its qualities, as
I find it less prone to tangles on long distance casts. It’s one of
those products that gives you total confidence however you use it -
make a rig up with this and it’s one less thing to worry about!
As
for strength, I’ve not seen much to beat it. I remember once hooking a
deadweight snag on the Top Pool. I was convinced I was pulling for a
break as the singing line announced it was nearing maximum stretch, but
then, ever so slowly, I managed to dislodge it. It was only a small way
out but it took almost twenty-minutes to get in. Time and time again I
had to dislodge it, pull a bit, then drop it again before tightening up
and pulling again – it’s the heaviest thing I’ve ever had to drag in.
The culprit? An old fencepost that must have been lying on the bottom
for twenty years - it was 5inch square, over three and a half feet long
and totally waterlogged. I couldn’t tell you how heavy it was, other
than to say it bottomed out a friends 60lb Ruben’s in an instant! There
were a few of us fishing and we were all completely amazed, one lad
even took a trophy shot as a bit of a laugh!
The point is, the
hook had wedged in the wood but the braid had slipped into a crack on
the side until it rubbed up against one of the many sharp-edged nails
that protruded from the post. To look at how the rig pulled the
fencepost in, you’d have said it was an impossible feat - yet there it
was, a complete rig with just a small knick where the nail had tried to
eat away at it!
Not surprisingly, I’ve had supreme confidence in
its abilities ever since. No snag too big, no gravel bar too high –
bring it on!
Nash
Armourbraid is available in various breaking strains; my personal
preference is the 25lb version which has a diameter equivalent to a
standard 12lb supple braid. It comes on a twenty-metre spool and
retails at around £8.00.
Available from most tackle shops. For more information visit:
http://www.NashTackle.comJulian GrattidgeOctober 2006
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