Korda N-Trap Soft

Right then, hooklinks. There are dozens of coated braids out there now, but some materials have been knocking about for years and still keep turning up in anglers' rig wallets. Korda's N-Trap Soft is one of those. Korda themselves describe it as one of their earlier coated braid materials, yet still very popular, and suitable for tying a vast variety of rigs, with the multi rig named as one example.

So what is it? It's a coated braid: a strong inner braid wrapped in a tough outer coating. The inner braid is Dyneema, which is very tough stuff, and the coating is matt, easy to strip and, crucially, won't split when you tighten knots down. That's one of the most annoying things with cheaper coated braids, where the coating cracks as soon as you bed a knot.

Why does a coated braid help? The coating gives you a bit of stiffness, which helps stop tangles on the cast. Strip a section back near the hook and you've got supple braid that lets the hookbait move naturally. You can leave as much or as little coating on as you like, which is why one spool can tie everything from a simple hair rig to a combi or multi rig.

Korda say N-Trap Soft is still limp enough to sit flush on the lakebed, and that matters. A hooklink that stands up off the bottom is easy for wary carp to spot. Korda also colour-match the Dyneema inner braid to the coating, so when you strip a section back, it doesn't suddenly flash a different colour. It's a small detail, but small details are what rigs are all about.

It comes in three colours: Weedy Green, Gravel Brown and Silt. The idea is to match the bottom you're fishing over, so green over weed, brown on gravel and clay, and silt on soft, dark lakebeds. Each colour comes in 15lb, 20lb and 30lb, and every spool has 20 metres on it. Korda say that range of strains covers pretty much any angling situation at home or abroad.

Who's it for? Anglers who tie their own rigs and want one reliable material that does a lot. If you're happy stripping coated braid and tying knots, it's a good all-rounder. If you'd rather buy rigs ready-tied, this obviously isn't the product for you, and if you're after a very stiff boom for chod rigs, a dedicated stiff material is a better shout.

On the practical side, 20 metres goes quicker than you'd think if you tie lots of rigs, and coated braids do take a bit of practice to strip neatly. A thumbnail works, but a proper stripping tool makes it cleaner.

If you're new to coated braids, start with 20lb in the colour that best matches your usual venue. It's the middle ground Korda's range is built around, and once you've tied a few rigs and got the hang of stripping the coating neatly, you'll quickly work out whether you want to go lighter or heavier for your waters.

On paper, N-Trap Soft has the right mix of toughness, subtlety and versatility. In the rest of this review we'll go through the spec, which strain and colour to pick, who it suits and how it compares with other Korda kit like Boom, plus the questions anglers usually ask.