Kryston Snake Bite & Snake skin

[Ron Clay]

Do any of you think these products are worth using for barbel. I fish the Trent a great deal and aqm looking at hook length materials for fishing boilies, corn and meat. Normally I use a long hooklength say 4 feet to the lead which is a Korda of 2 to 31/2 oz.

They are very expensive.

 

[Andy Thatcher]

Yes they were worth the money. Snakeskin still is but Snakebite has been superceeded by Super Mantis.

Super Mantis has a thinner diameter and even more tangle resistant than 'Bite. In fact I bought the 25lb test by accident and took it back as I didn't believe the box !

Snakeskin is still in my box as it is the best way I have found of controlling Krystons amazing Multistrand.

All 3 are corking products but I am sold on Mantis for barbel. 4 doubles on it in 2 weeks tells a story.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Hmmm..i am dubious...both products just mimic an amnesia/braid combi link. The snake skin and bite really stand out on the bottom, while the amnesia/braid version, especially if tied with clear amnesia, is virtually undetectable from a few feet.

Another way to do it is to stiffen the braid with liquid neoprene (repare wet suits with it) much cheaper and works great.

Call me what you like, but I think a great deal of anglers are getting ripped off with these two products.

 

[Steve Dixon]

All these products are expensive but when tying 6-12" rigs, as a lot of carpers do, the spools do last a long time.

I personally wouldn't be without Snakebite and have had lot of fish on it.
But in saying that I am not tying up 4ft rigs.

 

[Steve Dixon]

Rob can you give more information on the liquid neoprene please?

 

[Mark Frame]

quite simply yes they are

 

[Philip Inzani]

Ron like you point out 4 foot hooklengths in Snake Skin or Snake bite is going to work out expensive! I am sure you know the Trent Barbel situation better than me but is braid really essential? For hooklengths that long I would just be tempted to use mono all the way especially if you plan on casting any distance.
If you are adamant that you want a soft braid next to the hook then how about a nylon/braid combi link ? 3 foot 6 inches of nylon and 6 inches of braid at the end. If you decide to try it then I would not prat about with nylon/braid knots just get a small ring (drennen, ESP etc) and tie both materials to that?if you keep the braid section short then tangles will be kept to a minimum.

The problem with stiffening braid with liquid neoprene (or something similar like Kryston bondage) is that the rubberised coating cracks and the braid forms a sort of hinged elbow. I played around with it a lot and found that two coats definitely helped to minimise this (let the first coat dry totally before reapplying) but it was still a problem and a cause of tangles Then Kryston came out with Snake skin and I changed over to that and I was very happy. I also use Snake bite but I have to say I wish they had just used normal silkworm or Merlin for the core. I have not used Mantis yet as I cannot get it out here, but from the picture I have seen and feedback I have heard it sounds like a winner.

 

[Andy Thatcher]

I'd go with Phil's suggestion of a combi link. The best of both worlds if you are using 4ft links that is if Mantis is not financially viable.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Philip...liquid neoprene from a divers shop will not crack....honest. If it did it would be no use for repairing wetsuits.

I have used it for years and its nvere let me down. The stuff I use is called Black Cat and comes in a wee tube for ?4. It last a damn long time. I believe other colours are now available.

I first used it on my neoprene waders (6 years ago) and the patch is still as flexable now as then.

 

[Philip Inzani]

Fair enough Rob but I guess the amount you are putting on a wetsuit is a tad more than you would use on a hooklength. Even if you can avoid the cracking I found anything like that messy and time comsuming to apply. Trying to keep an even coating along the line and avoiding it gluing up any swivels, then hanging it off something to make sure it drys in a stright line. I dont even want to think about the sort of gunged up mess you would end up with trying to do it on a 4 foot hooklength....bit of mono, bit of braid tie them together with a ring. Easy.

Best thing is for people to try it themselves and reach their own conclusions.