ASK THE EXPERTS
Dear Panel
What is a reliable lead release system? I am fishing a very weedy water and need to get rid of the lead on the take. I have been tying on my leads with 4l b mono, but have found this doesn't always work. Is there a more effective way to release the lead?
Many thanks,
Paul Leeson
London
Dear Paul
For as long as I can remember I’ve fished waters which, at times, were very weedy, and I’ve found that the safest and easiest lead release system is the good old lead clip. Now this can be a bit of a minefield when it comes to choosing the right clip to suit your own individual style of angling, but on the whole you won’t go far wrong with one of the two styles of lead clip available from Korda.
The first, and probably the most popular, clip from Korda has been around for a number of years now, and it simply involves threading the said clip onto your main line, tubing or leadcore, tying on a Korda Size 8 swivel, and pulling the swivel into the clip until you hear a ‘click’. What the click does is tell you that the swivel is in position and you are ready to attach your lead with a view to casting out. The tail rubbers, which are also available from Korda, are of the soft rubber variety, and these enable the lead to be released easily, either on the initial take, or in the event of a crack-off or snag situation.
Leads are an essential part of our equipment for angling
The second, and in my opinion the simplest one to use, is called the Hybrid Lead Clip. Now this is a totally different concept to the original Korda clip. The actual swivel is moulded into the clip at the production stage, which means the swivel can’t come free at all. It basically does the same job as the original Korda version, i.e. either dumping the lead on the take, or ejecting should the carp become weeded or snagged. All Korda have done with the Hybrid Clip is make it very user-friendly; all you have to do is tie the rig to one end of the swivel, and the main line, leader, or leadcore to the other and you’re away – how easy is that? Korda even manufacture finished kits, so you simply attach your rig to one end, and tie your main line to the other.
One of my favourite lead ejection systems, the Korda Lead Clip
Another couple of points to remember: once the lead has discharged from the clip the fish will come straight up in the layers of the water, and become much, much easier to play and, hopefully, land. You can literally play in the fish all the way on the surface of the pond because you don’t have a great piece of lead trying to pull the carp back down to the weedy depths of the lake.
Finally, a piece of advice. Always push on your tail rubbers with the minimum amount of force, because by doing so you are 100% sure in your own mind that you have done everything possible to make the rig safe. If you are using PVA bags or sticks, push on the tail rubber a little more so that the impact of the bag or stick as it enters the lake doesn’t smash off your lead on the cast.
A lovely 29.04 mirror from Wellington Country Park.
I’ve used lead clips for years now Paul, and I really can’t see the need to change. They give me the perfect presentation I need, but, more importantly, they allow me to fish in a totally safe manner due to the lead ejection properties, and as I’ve already mentioned, once you can eject the lead on the take the fish will be a lot easier to land.
Good luck Paul.
Iain Macmillan
