Gardner Tackle Covert Black Hooks

Hook-conscious anglers rejoice: Gardner Tackle, one of the most successful hook brands ever, launches its new Covert Black collection this month and whilst it may be inconspicuous in appearance, it’s anything but when it comes to hook point sharpness.

Drawing on over a decade of experience, Gardner have rolled out their Covert concept (it began life on their range of plastic terminal tackle bits: tubing, lead clips, etc.) to their collection of award-winning hooks. So what does that mean: in short, each of the six patterns now come with a dark matt finish. They feature long, sharper chemically etched points. And they are manufactured from extra strong, forged, double tempered high carbon steel wire for incredible strength.

Now for the more in-depth stuff. Starting with the points, Gardner has totally re-profiled them, making each one longer with a refined tapered shape, making them even sharper than ever before, which for all of you who do or who have used Mugga’s and Incizors before will struggle to believe, but trust us, these really are even sharper!

They have changed the protective plating to a single layer of matt black electroplated finish which ensures that the point stays amazingly sharp. And finally they’ve now incorporated micro barbs (barbless are available on five of the six patterns) which has the benefit of maintaining the hook’s strength as this teeny barb reduces the amount of wire carved out for it to be created. “GIMME”: £4.25 for ten; gardnertackle.co.uk

The Covert Black Chod Hook: about as good as it gets

Hook patterns

Mugga
Quite possibly one of the UK’s most popular hooks, especially in the 8, and is a pattern which works with so many set-ups. Sizing: 2 to 12 in barbed and 4 to 12 in barbless

Longshank Mugga
The second sibling to be added to Mugga collection: this all-spinning, all-nailing hook is perfect for the 360ş Rig. Sizing: 4, 6 and 8 in barbed and barbless

Continental Mugga
The one that’s been fed steroids. Tis true: one of the country’s best-loved hooks has been down the gym and just got a tad fitter. Uh-oh. Sizing: 2 to 10 in barbed only

Wide Gape Talon Tip
Its facelift in 2010 saw an extended gape, in-turned beaked point, and a 5° in-turned eye to help pull the hook home. Sizing: 2 to 10 in barbed and 4 to 10 in barbless

Chod Hook
In our eyes, Gardner’s ŕ la carte hook has all the curves, in all the right places, and is ridiculously sharp. Perfection. Sizing: 4, 5, 6 and 8 in barbed and barbless

Incizor
Up there with the Mugga as one of Gardner’s longest serving hooks, the Incizor is the perfect long shank hook. Sizing: 2 to
10 in barbed and 4 to 10 in barbless