End Tackle According To... Tom Forrester

The game-changing rig moment which altered everything for me was seeing what a difference fluorocarbon hooklinks made to anglers’ catch-rates. (Managing several fisheries for a number of years certainly did have its perks!) I’d go as far as saying, from what I saw on these fisheries, the fluoro outfished anything else by as much as 10 to 1. I’ve been a convert ever since and I can count on one hand how often I’ve used coated hooklinks in the last 10 years.

I haven’t really bought anything rig-related recently, but the last addition to my tackle box was 20lb Micro Braid from Korum. It’s the perfect level of suppleness for my combi rigs—I wouldn’t be without it.

On my wishlist for a future end tackle item is a super high-density putty, whereby you only need a tiny amount. It would also last forever and your rigs would look super neat. Maybe I’m asking a bit too much!

I’ve drawn inspiration with regards to rigs from many successful anglers who are close friends, namely Steve Hall who is an absolute terminator. Most won’t have heard of Steve but he showed me a couple of super slick presentations some 12 or 13 years ago. I haven’t deviated far from those ever since. The second angler is Mat Woods, who is always tinkering and changing in any given situation. He certainly opened my mind to different things, particularly short rigs—my bag rigs are still longer than the ones he slings into the middle of a weedbed!

I have an excessive collection of hooks. My mates rip me for it but surely they’re the single most important thing in your tackle box? As much as my presentations rarely change, I always have some backups, namely super strong straight
eye/straight point patterns, which I opt for when I have to give them some serious grief!

Today’s carp angler has never been chucking out more effective rigs. The likes of the Ronnie, for example, are far more effective and versatile than anything we have seen before. That said, I’m sure there will be a new worldie around the corner—modern manufacturing and the products on the market have never been better.

I do have a story of how a small tweak to a rig made a massive difference… For nearly 10 years now I’ve been whipping a braided ‘D’ onto my hooks, on combi rigs for my pop-up fishing—very much like how Danny Fairbrasss ties his IQ D-Rig. By tying the braided section of my combi rig like this, it allows for enhanced movement of the hookbait and better separation than using a micro rig swivel and a hook bead.

Hook sharpening is super important for me, albeit sometimes using an out-of-the-packet hook outweighs a sharpened one, particularly when you must pull really hard to get fish away from snags. But where I can, I will sharpen my hooks—it’s such a big edge in my opinion.

My preferred hooklink length is 25lb Outline Fluro Soft. The best fluorocarbon hooklink I’ve ever laid my hands on. It’s soft enough to allow for hooking efficiency and movement, yet stiff enough to mean I never lose a wink of sleep over tangles. When the hooklink kicks away from the lead I want it to land in a banana sort of shape, giving the rig an amount of reach when the fish sucks it in without it lying on the deck in a pile. This material achieves that perfectly. 

When it comes to hooklink materials, I favour fluorocarbon wherever I can, whether that be a boom on a combi rig or a good old D-Rig with a Chod pattern hook.

When it comes to mounting my hookbait I like to use a micro rig swivel, giving me consistent bait-to-hook separation and maximum peace of mind. Nearly every hookbait I use these days is critically balanced or a pop-up, meaning there’s no need for more separation than that.

When it comes to hookbait choice this varies massively for me. Bait is something I think anglers often overlook—it’s your biggest weapon behind watercraft in my opinion. Where I can, I love a tiger. They lend themselves beautifully to being drilled out and balanced perfectly. But different situations and venues lend themselves to different hookbaits—if I’m boilie fishing, the bigger the better and I love an 18mm Bug Wafter.

I see end tackle products getting slicker and more compact. The less there is for them beady-eyed carp to see, the better!