Korda Safe Zone Rig Tube
Not only does rig tubing stop the hook link from wrapping around the main line on the cast preventing a tangle, it also stops the fish coming in contact with the line during the fight. This is a vital safety aspect of the rig which we feel should not be ignored.
Danny has actually seen a carp roll on the line as it was being played and watched as scales fluttered down to the lake bed. When the carp was landed it had several white marks where the scales used to be. This was from a method feeder where no tubing was required because the hook link was squashed inside the method ball so it could not tangle.
But, for the sake of having some tubing on which if you use it right does not have to spook the carp, you will ensure the fish stay as perfect as the moment they made the mistake of wanting your hook bait!
Our tubing has a matt finish, which makes it harder to see underwater and most importantly easy to thread. It comes in four colours, all of which sink without the need for putty. Having said that, we have seen from the underwater footage that the better the rig is pinned to the lake bed the less scared the carp will be.
It is also better to get the colour of the tube exactly right for the spot you are fishing and then weight it with extra putty. Our underwater experience tells us our colours are right and extra putty can only enhance the whole set up but is not as essential as getting the colour right.
CAMOUFLAGED WEED - suits silkweed on the bottom and the vast majority of lake bed where a small amount of bottom weed/algae is present. Check out Part 2 of the Underwater Films to see just how much weed can be out there when you would never know it.
SILT - perfect for silty waters and gravel pits where there is a lot of sediment collected, even on the gravel spots. Danny recalls: “I started fishing the wonderful Savay Lake on a winter day ticket many years ago. It was superb to be feeling the lead/marker pulling over all that gravel, up the sides of bars and through silty gullies, real textbook stuff!
“After some plumbing I tried pulling the float and lead through the margins which looked like they had a shallow layer or silt on top of gravel. The feeling matched what I had felt on the tops of he bars, really profound tremors as the lead bounced over the gravel. However, the lead was out of sight under the silt, I could not see it under the rod tip in a foot of water. So, never assume just because you can feel gravel that there is not a layer of sediment on top of it. Check what it's like in the edge before deciding on what’s out there.”
GRAVEL - very light green and excellent on clean gravel bottoms, perfect for gravel pits. This one can be excellent in one part of the swim and looking like a laser beam in another. On clean gravel it's great but over silt or weed it stands out like a sore thumb. It sounds like a lot of messing about but matching your rig to the colour of the lake bed it will be lying on will get you more bites. Part 3 of the underwater series has good examples of this.
CLAY - blends in nicely to any lake bed with clay and sand.
TUBING TIPS
Always cut the line to a point and straighten it out first before trying to thread it down the tube. Curly line with a flattened end is almost impossible to thread! Our tube comes in large packets so the coils are kept as big as possible. It is also very supple so it straightens straight out of the packet.
In winter, it may be necessary to warm it through your fingers to straighten it out before threading. If you take tubing off and you’re intent to reuse it then slide it up and down a tight line to get the silt etc out of the middle. It is dry gunk up inside the tube, which makes it so hard to thread a second time.
You can leave line inside it and use it to pull a new bit through next time by simply tying an overhand knot around the new line and carefully pulling through. If you are pushing the tube into the top of a rubber, then cut it to a point before threading. The pointed tube pushes much easier into the rubber.
Never glue the join as it makes it brittle, which will then snap after repeated use. When your tube has finally come to the end of its life cut it up into inch lengths put it in your tackle box and use it for hair stops, that's what I do.
NOW AVAILABLE IN THE FOUR SAFEZONE COLOURS: Weed, Gravel, Silt and Clay