I’m quite fussy when it comes to hooks; however I don’t feel the need to try every new hook on the market. This is mainly because I’m happy with a bulk supply of carp hooks I picked up some time ago that I have 100% confidence in, but also because the last time I went on a hook testing spree I became quite disillusioned with many of the top brands I tried that simply did not live up to the claims they were making.
Therefore I was quite intrigued when the Editor sent me a few packs of the Nash Fangs to test. On receiving the Fang X and Fang-Uni hooks, the first thing that impressed me was the packaging. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not on about the branding • what I like is the fact that they are not packed loose. Each hook is positioned side by side on a plastic insert, which to my mind, can only improve and retain the sharpness of each hook when you come to use it.
And boy, are they sharp! It has to be said that these are some of the sharpest hooks I’ve seen in a long time. The first thing I did was test the sharpness of all twenty hooks, all of which were of perfect uniform sharpness • you’d be surprised how much difference there can be within just a pack of ten hooks with some brands!
I had a Ten Year Reunion Carp Match at the weekend so decided to take both types with me to test out. I tied up a simple knotless knot braid rig using a size 6 Fang X and later that evening had a nice Blackwood mirror on the bank; neatly hooked in the middle of the bottom lip. The fish put up a good account of itself and I had to apply a fair amount of pressure at various points during the battle to keep it away from an island and a set of pads, so I was very happy with the performance of the hook.
Fang Uni
The action was a little slow through the night and it came really warm and humid; however, first light found a number of fish up on top so I quickly set up on floater tackle and used a size 7 Fang-Uni tied straight to my 8lb floater mainline. I cut a little groove in a dog biscuit added a dab of glue and set the hook into it. Although a little heavier than my normal floater hook (pretty sure you can get lighter Fangs but was just using the ones sent to me) it held surface perfectly and was soon in the thick of a group of fish. I had a couple of half chances within the first ten minutes, but struck a little too soon on each. I decided to let the hook do the work and crouched next to my rod with a brew whilst watching fish move in and out of the area. Not long afterwards, a huge mouth broke the surface and sucked the biscuit straight in. I resisted the urge to strike and then watched as the line tightened. The hook did the rest and a perfect surface caught mirror was soon on the bank. The bait had been placed right on the edge of a small set of pads, so again, pressure was needed to keep the fish under control and out of the pads, and the Fang-Uni performed perfectly throughout – Top Marks.
At the end of the session I threw the bottom bait rig about a bit, deliberately snagging it up to see how it performed. I was surprised to find the point just as effective as when I first tied the rig. I had heard a claim made about the Fangs, that “you could run one down a piece of metal and it would still be sharp” and so decided I would do just that!
Once back in the office, the only bit of metal I could find was a Carp Match Trophy I won last year, and so ran the point of the hook up and down a ten inch strip of steel several times. Now, the hook was not as sharp as it was when I took it out of the pack, for as I say, they are extremely sharp hooks. However, it was still sharp enough to prick the skin on my forefinger without applying hardly any pressure, and in fact, was probably sharper than a number of other manufacturers hooks which I’ve taken straight from the packet! Not a scientific test I’ll grant you, but enough to prove they keep their shape very well.
Fang X
Of the two types, my preference is for the Fang-Uni, as I prefer a smaller shank with most of my fishing being ‘stalking’ style. The overall performance of this hook is enough to make me want get hold of some more sizes to try out on Capesthorne… so they must be good!
Next time you are buying some hooks, I’d recommend you have a look at the Fangs.
Available in various sizes and styles, barbed & barbless from most tackle outlets, priced around £2.99 per 10.
A list of Nash Tackle Dealers is available at: http://www.nashtackle.co.uk/
Tight Lines…
Julian Grattidge
June 2005
