Those of you that remember before the lead ban was introduced using shot that did not pinch the line, could be moved with ease and used more than once, it was a nightmare when the Non Toxic varieties came on the market. Guaranteed to damage the line, nice and shiny, plus they were not in the least bit soft. In my opinion they still are not much better. I hated them. Various alternatives came and went. The Newark Dart Float with it's pin system, hollow tubes of various materials amongst other innovations. None stood the test of time and all fell by the wayside.
So we all had to use the dreaded Non Toxic stuff. I actually bought every tub of lead shot I could get my hands on and used them for a number of years risking the penalties if I got caught. Eventually I ran out and was forced to use the only available shot. I was still not happy with it and was always looking for something else.
A few years back I found the the answer. Looking through the match anglers armory I stumbled across these little beauties from Preston Innovations.
Designed for the pole angler they lend themselves well to the job. Available in various sizes and are perfect under a Loafer. Match them in size exactly for slow to medium paced swims and go a gram or two over for swims with more pace when holding back hard. The one thing to keep in mind is that as you are tying direct to the Swivol the hooklength needs to be lighter than the main line for safety reasons. It's the best method I have come up with so far to get round the shortcomings of non Toxic Shot.
Regards Martin
