Gardner Tackle: Moving with the times
The PVA originators are still at the pinnacle of dissolving technology
No-one has done PVA in fishing longer than Gardner. The company’s founder, Rick Gardner, was the first person to bring dissolving string to the angling market way back in the 1980s. Since then, carpers have been treated to various tapes, webs, bags and strings, but Gardner have always been there, producing a huge array of dissolving products. These days, the range is as comprehensive as any on the market and includes some very clever manipulations of our friend polyvinyl alcohol.
1. PVA booms
A relative newcomer in the PVA pantheon, these straw-like tubes are great for keeping tangle-prone hooklinks dead straight. You can also cut the tubes into smaller pieces to trap Hairs in place. Another great feature is the ability to fill the booms with PVA-friendly liquids, allowing you to get an enticing scent and flavour right over your rig.
From £3.50
2. PVA systems
Gardner offer a selection of continuous PVA stocking systems. Made with the company’s fine-diameter mesh which traps small baits like pellets and maggots yet still breaks down in the coldest of water, the systems are available in Standard (25mm) and Wide (35mm) diameters. The other option is the very convenient double system, which features a Standard and a Wide tube inside one another and a double-ended plunger.
PVA System, £7.99;
Double-Barrel, £11.99
3. Slo-Mo PVA Bags
The double-hard b*stards of the PVA bag world, these little beauties offer a host of benefits over standard options. Deliberately given a slower breakdown rate, these bags are perfect for use in warm or deep water (or turbulent conditions like rivers) to guarantee your parcel of bait gets to the bottom intact. The seams have also been beefed up so these bags can be walloped a long way without any fear of splitting, and to top it off they’re pH neutral so the carp won’t be alerted to them.
£2.99