Hooklink Clips

by Nic Cole

Elsewhere on the reviews section of BFW you will find a review of the Gizmo hooklink clip by Bob Gill. Whilst I liked the idea of being able to change hooklinks quickly and easily or being able to detach the hooklink to mount a PVA bag, I never really took to the Gizmo when it was launched as it seemed too big and bulky. Now however, there are a few alternatives which are smaller and neater and I have been using some Korda and Fox products for over a year now. I have break-tested all of the clips below and am satisfied that they are strong enough for my needs. I can vouch for their reliability under normal fishing situations with lines up to 15lb. In fact, I have never had one deform or fail including when pulling for a break when the hook has snagged.

The types that I have used extensively are :

Fox Speed Links



Korda Kwik Links



Stik Klips




I prefer the dark coated clips but to be honest, the colour makes very little difference to the presentation because the clip is always sheathed in tubing or a tailrubber.

The picture below shows how the link is set up and you have the option of forming a loop in the hooklink material (most suitable in my opinion with coated braids like Merlin, Mantis etc but OK with nylon if care is exercised) or incorporating a swivel or ring. I recommend the use of a silicon or rubber cover for the clip as it neatens the set-up and also eliminates any possibility of the hooklink coming unclipped. A simple piece of tube (colour of your choice) around 2-3mm internal bore will suffice although I prefer the ESP helicopter rig sleeves which are a nice fit. Tailrubbers by Korda or Tracker have proved just as effective.

	Top :	Fox Speed Link and ESP Heli sleeve
	Top/middle :	Fox Speed Link inside ESP Heli sleeve
	Bottom/middle :	Korda Kwik Link with Korda tailrubber on leadcore
	Bottom :	Korda Stik Klip with Trakker tailrubber

ESP Helicopter Rig Sleeves



Korda Tailrubbers




Conclusion :

I have got so used to the flexibility of being able to change hooklinks on a whim or when the hook point has lost its edge that I now use a clip in all my set-ups for barbel with the exception of rolling meat when I prefer to fish the mainline straight through to the hook or fishing very snaggy swims where tackle losses are the norm.

back to top

Nic (Barbel Blank) Cole
Aug 2007