13 items to put on your shopping list this April
How next month’s credit card statement is going to read...
Dynamite X-Tra Active Stick Mix
If there’s one company you can rely on to produce a great Stick mix, it has got to be Dynamite Baits, right? After all, it was their Meaty Marine Pellet Groundbait that Nick Helleur first used when he came up with the idea. Not only are the mixes ready-to-use, but they come in three tried and tested flavours: Fishmeal, Sweet & Nutty and Spicy. £4.99
Avid Bivvy Organiser
If your bivvy desk goals stop with just somewhere to house your phone and receiver, you’re doing it wrong. Along with doing the above, the Bivvy Organiser also stores your food and cooking equipment, or even your tackle box and hookbaits. Better still? It comes supplied with a clip-on gas bottle holder to keep it off the ground. £49.99
Rod Hutchinson Net Safe
The ‘Personal Net Dip’ that offers the perfect solution to the potential risk of carrying viruses such as KHV from one venue to another. Simply spray over your landing net(s), unhooking mat, slings, clothing, etc., and leave to dry for a minimum of five minutes and all bacteria, viruses and fungi will be dead! £8.99
Fortis XSR Binoculars
Rookie mistake: thinking location kit starts and finishes with polaroid sunglasses. Fortis’ bins offer zero-shake, pin-sharp viewing courtesy of their eight times magnification and thanks to the large, light-gathering lens, they allow you to see more during peak feeding times - i.e. in the low-light mornings and evenings. £99.99
Spotted Fin Finamino
Spotted’s new Smokey Jack (p142) may be hogging the limelight currently, but this rich, luxurious bait soak also deserves some applause. A triumph of high intense liver attraction which can be used to soak hookbaits, pellets or bind a Stick/Method mix. £8.99
RidgeMonkey Thermo Mugs
What good is coffee if it isn’t hot hot hot? Trust RM’s double-walled mug to keep your 400ml of java just the way you want it. And the square-shape equals better packing, particularly if you own Ridge’s other square cooking equipment. £9.99
Cygnet Wide Splash Mat
A dual-purpose reel protector/slack line fishing mat. Peg it underneath your reels to prevent torrential rain splashing mud, sand or grit over your precious winders or for when you’re laying the bobbins on the floor to avoid contact with the mud or the line catching in grass stems. Sold with four ground spikes and a massive hint of old school. £16.99
Prologic TM PVA
PVA needs to do three things. 1: be strong. 2: come in a various of sizes and formats. 3: totally melt. Prologic are so sure their PVA will do all three, they’ve branded it ‘TM’ - total meltdown. Along with a variety of different sizes solid bags, they also sell a solid PVA funnel web system which is great for making liquid-filled bags. From £1.99
Sticky Baits Pure Naturals
One sure way to give your pellets, spod or liquid mixes some added weight: fire any one of these three into the mix. The maker of luxe foodbaits (Krill, Manilla, Vor-Tex+) currently offer Betaine, Liver Powder and GLM, and when added neat into a solid PVA, they are an unstoppable spring-catching force. From £4.99
Prologic R2L Alarms
Standard roller wheels can miss the slightest of movement. The R2L infra-red sensor? Not so much. It may look fashionably old school, but R2L’s performance is anything but retro. The sensor will detect the smallest of movements of the line, whilst the integrated adjustable snag bars, Power Saving System and “Courtesy Night Light” make for nice additional features to the usual run-of-the-mill stuff you’d expect. £259.99 for 3+1
Advanta CXS Kettle & Magma Pan
Both this kettle and saucepan have a secret: a Typhoon convection base which ensures that they heat up quicker and are some 30% more efficient, meaning you get to eat/drink sooner and save on gas. Double win. £19.99 and £39.99
Kodex Munchies
We’ve just gotten used to Kodex filling up our tackle boxes with beautifully tied Chod Rigs and uber sharp hooks; now they’re set to invade our bait bags this spring. Munchies are buoyant hookbaits which ooze colour once in contact with water, creating an attractive mist. And thanks to being soft and pliable, they have a non-uniform shape/look, providing a totally natural presentation. Available in Almond Pink, Corn Yellow, Pineapple Green and Krill Red. £4.99
Sufix Super 21 FC
On bigger spools, this fluorocarbon is ace as a main line. It’s near-on invisible in water; sinks well; is soft and smooth so casts well; and is extremely abrasion resistant. On a 30m spool, in 20lb (0.40mm), it’s best used as a boom section on your Hinges/Ronnies. £6.99