Total Carp Staff

To give it its full name, the Fox Steam & Store Chod/Withy Bin (a bit of a mouthful, I know) is one of those items that is always in my bag and which I’d be lost without. Although I don’t tie chod rigs that often (I’m happy to use ready-tied ones from ESP and Korda, neither of which have ever let me down) I do use the bin to store these, as well as hook sections for hinged stiff rigs. The inner section can also be used to hold the rigs over a steaming kettle when forming the curve. If there is a slight niggle, it’s that each section isn’t big enough to hold more than half a dozen rigs, so I’ve found that I’m often having to replenish my rig stocks if I get through a few.

TC reader Ian Smith from Westbury, Wiltshire says: "I’ve had my Supa Brolly for nearly a year. In fact, I got it when they first came out, or at least when Fox introduced the full-blown ‘system’ version complete with groundsheet and infills. "I absolutely love it and have yet to find any fault whatsoever. "The four ribs at the back all contact the ground, which provides stability and adds to the internal space.

Solar team member Dale Turner’s landed one of his two target fish, a mid 30lb common known as Split Tale, as part of a 4-fish haul from his Essex syndicate water. Using a small piece of black foam presented with a size 8 Solar Wide Gape hook, Dale enjoyed some of the best fishing he’s had for years, as the East Sussex-based angler explains: “I got to the lake at around 5. 30pm straight from work at the Solar Tackle factory. I’d fished an overnighter on the water the week previous and lost a good fish at the net, so I knew the area that I wanted to be in.

Skee-Tex has been manufacturing clothing and footwear for outdoor pursuits for years. The field boots are a classic combination of thermal winter footwear with the design of a sturdy reliable field-walking boot. With a rubberised waterproof foot section ensuring your feet remain dry, these boots are also fitted with a comfortable, laced, suede calf section that, although isn’t waterproof, will keep your feet toasty right down to freezing point. Within the boots there are removable liners made from English wool that provides unrivalled warmth and ingenious wicking fibres to stop your feet perspiring.