Angling Intelligence Products

Angling Intelligence have been making waves in the carp angling scene for a few years now, and have built up gradually a portfolio of functional over fashion accessories which have been readily accepted by anglers looking for quality products.

When Angling Intelligence asked UKMA to review some of their products, we immediately accepted. Please read on to find our thoughts.

Angling Intelligence "Chill Out" Recovery Weigh Sling

When Angling Intelligence came up with the idea for this product, tongues were wagging within the angling world. With the ban on carp sacks being introduced to more and more waters - for both fish safety and to lower the risk of fish being stolen and moved to other waters - Angling Intelligence came up with the idea of a short term retainer that offered the angler chance to get weighing and photographic equipment handy, as well as to allow the fish to recover a little from a long hard fight. When a big carp is landed it is common place for other anglers on the lake to help out with the weighing procedure, but what about those times where you are on your own and need to retain a fish whilst a close by friend gets to the venue? Anglers used to stand in the water with the fish still in the landing net or in a standard weigh sling, but this takes up valuable angling time if other fish are feeding in the area.

With the "Chill Out" recovery sling, all of these issues are resolved. Made to the same specifications as the largest standard weigh sling that Angling Intelligence manufacture, the 50" 2 piece fibreglass pole that run across the opening at the top have been fitted with four bouyancy aids that keep the sling sitting on the surface. This allows the fish to remain in the correct upright position and when used with the 5 metre extension cord (supplied), allows the fish to still move around in the sling without danger. The bouyancy aids used on the "Chill Out" sling are more than ample enough to hold up the largest of fish in the UK as well as the even larger continental fish, and keep the sling on the surface. One little touch that we did like was that Angling Intelligence have included their logo on each of the bouyancy devices but have surrounded the logo in a reflective outer which makes it easily visible during low light or under the beam of a headtorch. The bouyancy aids also help with releasing the fish from the sling after weighing and photographs and will also keep the fish off the bottom when being released.

The sling itself has been constructed out of a heavy duty nylon material with a open weave mesh side and small bottom panels to allow maximum transfer of water to the fish whilst it is recovering, as well as to allow fast drainage when getting ready to weigh the fish accurately. The stitching on the sling is of the highest quality and looks as if it will last a lifetime.

Fitted to the top of the cling are two heavy duty webbing carry handles for safe transportation of the fish from the water to the mat ready for weighing. These handles also double up as the attachment to the scales. Because of the shorter length of the handles than some other slings, it means that the fish has a lower height that it needs to be lifted to get a proper reading on the scales - Perfect for those lumps that need as much protection as possible.

Each side of the "Chill Out" sling has a heavy duty zip which can be secured for when leaving the fish on the extension cord, by a small dog lead type clip to stop any accidental opening of the sling. Each of the zips has been fitted with a large split ring to make it easier to open and close with wet or cold hands. To completely eliminate the risk of the fish opening the top of the sling and potentially escaping from it, an adjustable clip type buckle has been fitted centrally across the opening of the sling.

The "Chill Out" recovery sling is also supplied with a waterproof bag that the rolled up sling fits perfectly and easily into to keep the car dry on the way home after a last minute capture. On the outer of the bag is a small pocket that can be used to house carp care products in transit as well as the extension cord.

All in all, I cannot find fault with the "Chill Out" recovery sling, and after using a lot of rigid top slings over the past few years, I can honestly say that I can see myself making the "Chill Out" sling a permanent fixture in my equipment. One point that UKMA feel is VERY important is to stress that the "Chill Out" sling or any other recovery type sling, should be used to retain fish for longer periods than is absolutely required as the product is not designed to replace the carp sack, but to be used for short periods of time to organise equipment on the bank. At all times should the fish be watched whilst in the sling in the water as fish welfare is paramount over getting a good trophy shot.

Angling Intelligence Clear Top Pouches

AI also sent up a set of their Clear Top tackle pouches for us to take a look at. We are no strangers to tackle pouches as most of the team now prefer to use these over the traditional tackle boxes, as they allow us to quickly pick up exactly what we require for a short or long session and to leave the rest in the van just in case!

All of the pouches are constructed from a heavy duty fabric with very robust zips that most anglers would find hard to break. The Clear Top pouches are available in 3 sizes to cater for almost every eventuality the angler might require a small storage pouch for.

The smallest of the 3 pouches has been designed to accept the standard size packaging for terminal tackle i.e. hook packs, rig components, etc. The Medium and Large pouches are supplied with velcro in dividers (one on the medium & 2 on the large).

These pouches have literally so many uses that it would be impossible to put them down here and keep the reader awake until the end, but some novel uses are to hold a small portable radio, alarm reciver, spare indicators, tea bags(!!!) or even a first aid kit.

We are sure that you could easily find a use for these pouches in your armoury somewhere and at the bargain prices of £4.99 for Small, £5.99 for the Medium & £6.99 for the Large, they will definately not break the bank.

I will be certainly trying to get some more of these pouches so I have the same pouches for everything.

For more information on the Angling Intelligence products above, and other items in the range, please visit the company's website by clicking the image below.