Sharp thinking from Thinking Anglers
After painstaking development, Thinking Anglers have released their new hooks and hooklinks
Think Anglers wanted to get everything just right with the launch of their new hooks and hooklinks, and that meant a long period in development in which a select bunch of anglers used these products to snare some of the best fish around. Ben Hamilton and his team trusted anglers like Scott Lloyd, Oz Holness, Gaz Fareham and many more to put these bits through their paces. Last summer, Tom Stokes caught arguably the greatest living carp, the Burghfield Common, on one of the Straight Eye hooks - so you know the development process has been thorough.
Curve Shank Hook
Best for: KD Rigs, Ronnie Rigs and 360s
A hook with a curved shank is one of the most popular designs in carp fishing right now, and Thinking Anglers have produced a beauty here. With a sweeping bend that positions the eye almost opposite the point, these will grab hold effortlessly, and once they go in, it’s very hard for them to come out.
Available in: 4, 5, 6 and 7 in micro-barbed.
Retail price: £3.99
Out-Turned Eye Hook
Best for: Chods, Hinge Rigs, Stiff Rigs and D-Rigs
The perfect hook for use with stiff materials such as fluorocarbon and TA’s brand-new (more on the page opposite) Recoil Hooklink. The out-turned eye, which is subtly curved rather than sharply angled, won’t damage these materials, while the super-slippery PTFE coating helps the hook take hold.
Available in: 4, 5, 6 and 7 in micro-barbed.
Retail price: £3.99
Straight Eye Hook
Best for: Bottom-bait rigs and wafters
The hook that caught the mighty Burghfield Common! With a straight shank and angled-in point, these are ideal for bottom-bait presentation. Like all of these hooks they’re made from super-strong, extra-heavy-gauge wire for the most demanding of situations and come in packs of 10.
Available in: 4, 5, 6 and 7 in micro-barbed.
Retail price: £3.99
Curve Point Hook
Best for: Fishing over gravel
The problem with finding a crisp gravel spot in your swim is that the hard stones can burr over hook points very easily. A solution is to use a hook with an in-turned point, which reduces the chances of blunting. This is a tough hook ideal for use over hard areas or when river angling.
Available in: 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 in micro-barbed.
Retail price: £3.99
Camskin Hooklink
Another new addition to the TA range is this coated braid with a camouflage patterning. The two-tone outer skin is available in three colour variations (Weed Green, Silt Black and Gravel Brown), in 15 or 25lb breaking strains. The soft core is made from genuine Dyneema and the coated diameter is thinner than many other similar products.
Recoil Hooklink
This stiff-rig material does exactly what it says it does, providing a springy backbone for rigs like Chods and Hinged Stiffs. Unlike some similar hooklinks, Recoil is very easy to work with and retains its shape even after a number of casts and retrieves. It’s available in 20lb and 25lb breaking strains measuring 0.47mm and 0.50mm in diameter respectively.
