Advanced Carp Equipment (ACE)
Velocity Tapered Leader Line

There are venues out there that make distance casting the only choice rather than an option. When you are looking at casting distances in access of 130yds you will definitely require equipment that is designed to do the job. Obviously you will need the right rod and reel combination but just as important is your line choice will be critical. Now for the new comer to the sport the basic rule when it comes to casting is the thinner the line the further the distance achievable, well in theory, it doesn’t take a genius to realise that.

With great distances you will be using bigger leads, so when you whack a 4oz lead with everything you’ve got its not surprising that some form of shock absorber is required to buffer this huge impact. Now those in the know will understand what a shock leader is but not every angler reading this is a master angler or experienced in how to use a shock leader and this is where problems start to accrue and safety issues start to arise. So here is a brief explanation about shock leaders and what they are designed to do.

What is a Shock Leader and how long should it be?

A shock leader is a length of line strong enough to take the added pressure your terminal tackle and reel lines are put under when casting big weights long distances This length of line should runs from the rig top through the rod rings and then 6-10 turns around the reel spool, in general around 30ft in length is plenty.

How do I work out how strong to make my Shock Leader?

It should always be at least 2 x the strength of your reel line, for instance. If you are using 10 – 12lbs breaking strain reel line, your shock leader should be at least 25lbs.  The reason for this is because as the rod is brought round in the cast, the line is prevented from leaving the reel and a vast amount of force is exerted on the line.

How do I connect my shock leader to my reel line?

What can happen if you use a Shock Leader that isn’t strong enough for the job?

If the line used as a Shock Leader is not strong enough it will break and can often cause the entire rig with weight to fly off. This can basically fly anything up to 300m and if this hits someone it will seriously hurt that person.
Right then!! Now you are all experts on the connection and function of a shock leader and how to use one, here’s the bad news. Because of miss use and improper use of shock leaders by a large number of anglers up and down the country, which has led to many fish being either badly damaged after picking up a baited hook that has still got the full rig attached but even worse they have ended up being tethered to snags and died trying to free themselves. A solution was needed and Advanced Carp Equipment came up with the perfect solution, on in the form of the Velocity Tapered Leader Line.

The guys over at Advanced Carp Equipment (ACE) have produced a spool of monofilament that incorporates a shock leader. By this I mean that a parallel leader has been pre-manufactured into the monofilament creating a perfect seamless reel line (12lb mono tapers up to 30lb mono), without a single knots in sight! . Not only does this manufacturing process eliminate the cumbersome leader knot but it also vastly improves you casting distance potentials. There are 2 leaders on each spool (one at each end), and by quickly re-spooling the line from front to back, the use of a fresh leader is obtained should the need arise.

The obvious advantage of using the Velocity Tapered Leader Line on waters where shock leader bans are in place is that unless bait boats are permitted on these venues, the majority of the fish wouldn’t have seen big PVA bags out in the middle before, well now they can. The actual mainline used on these spools is exactly the same as the standard ACE mainline spools, which means you can be sure that it will be very abrasion resistant, and comes in a very nice low visibility brown colour.

There are three different combinations of breaking strains in the range:
10lbs - 25lbs (0.30mm - 0.41mm)
12lbs - 30lbs (0.34mm - 0.60mm)
15lbs - 30lbs (0.40mm - 0.60mm)

TOP TIP - One very useful piece of information I will pass on is that a 300m spool of the 12 -30lb Velocity Tapered Leader line fits the spool of the Daiwa Basia tournament perfectly with no need for backing line.

Final Thoughts

I have been playing around with the 12lb/30lb spools and must admit that I was a little weary at first. The mono itself felt a little ‘wiry’ before I had loaded it onto my spools and I had concerns of potentially getting into trouble with line looping off and causing knotting etc. But I’ve got to hold my hands up ands say that I was so totally wrong. Once loaded onto the reels and after I’d had a few casts to bed it down, the line lay was impeccable due to the favourable 0.30 diameter which made casting 140yds more than possible.

If you fish on big water where long distance casting is essential but like many waters these days, they have enforced a shock leader ban, do yourself a favour and give the ACE Velocity Tapered leader Line a go, you won’t be disappointed. Advanced Carp Equipment’s Velocity Tapered Leader Line can be purchased from all leading specialist retail outlets for around £9.75 per 300m spool which is great value for money and very practical.

For more information on the range of A.C.E. products, please click the image below