Since earlier this year Dave Springall has been playing around with some new as yet to be released Cryogen hooks. Dave has been fishing a heavily weeded pit that requires a lot of long range fishing, often 130 yards plus so he certainly put them through their paces, catching some lovely old carp in the process!
‘Earlier in the season I was fortunate enough to get over to Kent on one of the weedy old gravel pits containing some very old, dark and special carp. I managed to string a handful of two night sessions together over a period of a few weeks to put the new ESP Cryogen prototype hooks through their paces at extreme range in weedy and often difficult conditions.
For my preferred pop up rig fishing I have to say that the SR Beaked, which is currently on test, is certainly going to cause a huge stir upon it’s release. The long, razor sharp beaked point and out turned eye deem it perfect for almost any pop up presentation and the sheer strength of these hooks coupled with the new in-turned point pattern make them an obvious choice for fishing at long range and/or in heavy weed when only the most reliable hook will suffice. It’s the first season in three years that I have a 100% hooked to landed ratio on this particular water, the new Cryogens have held solid with that reliable beaked point each and every time even at ranges of 130 yards plus.
I always make a conscious effort to not ‘plug’ anything too much if I can avoid it but these are something I’m really excited about. If I’m honest it’s the hook I have been waiting for for quite some time as they tick just about every box imaginable for big carp fishing.
With some lovely old commons landed to mid thirties and mirrors to upper thirties landed on everything from zigs to pop ups and balanced bottom bait rigs over huge beds of mixed particles and boilie it was a really successful short spell on a less than easy venue and thoroughly enjoyable while it lasted.
Hopefully next year will see me out and about a little more often and a few more of these old warriors once again safely negotiated’.