PRESTON INNOVATIONS MAG STORE HOOKLENGTH SYSTEMS
PRESTON INNOVATIONS MAG STORE HOOKLENGTH RETAINING SYSTEM
Preston's superb new Mag Store boxes boast weatherproof rubber gaskets to keep made-up hooklengths bone-dry.
Dual identification points make locating the correct box easy, and inside each box are magnets to locate individual Rig Sticks (8-10 supplied, depending on system size).
With pins at 7.5cm (3ins), 10cm (4ins), 15cm (6ins) and 20cm (8ins), the standard All-Round system can hold hooklengths for virtually any situation. Space at the ‘hook end’ accommodates hair rigs, bands and Quickstops. The system fits into the side drawers of Preston Space Station and On Box seatboxes.
Price: £14.99
METHOD HOOKLENGTH SYSTEM
The Method rig box will carry literally hundreds of short hooklengths on 10 reinforced glass fibre ribbed Rig Sticks. Once again, there is enough space at the ‘hook end’ to accommodate rig bits.
The sticks feature strong Neo Pro magnets, and the impact-resistant plastic case has a waterproof rubber gasket and stainless steel hinges.
Price: £11.99
Exclusive first review of Preston Innovations' new carbon seatbox
Preston Innovations has just unveiled its best fishing seatbox ever, the stunning Absolute Carbon which, as its name suggests, is constructed primarily from carbon.
1. OVERVIEW
The box is 25% lighter than Preston's original Absolute seat boxes and even includes a 100% aerospace grade carbon fibre footplate frame, legs and mudfeet. All box legs are 36mm, the same diameter seen on its recently-launched Absolute White 36 edition too.
On the strength front it has strategic carbon fibre reinforcement in all key areas so the reduction in weight hasn't compromised on the stability.
Looks-wise it's a matt black finish all over but we like this as it gives it a subtle yet classy and almost elegant feel. The legs in particular have a highly-attractive carbon type weave look too.
Each carbon seatbox comes with its own unique identification number, a bit like a car chassis, and there's even going to be an owners club too.
So how much will all this set you back? Well it carries an RRP of £2,199.99. Expensive yes but Preston's seatbox game just got a whole lot stronger...
KEY FEATURES
•Re-designed leg blocks and telescopic carbon fibre inner legs, feature a TPE non-marking system
•Spring loaded quick release pins secure the footplate in place and the winder tray cassette
•Spirit level located on the central frame
•ABST units feature brand new ‘Mag Lok’ locking clips (fully compatible with all original Absolute Station Units and SeatBoxes)
•ABST tray is supplied with interchangeable colour tabs to match the colour choice of your winder selection
•Deluxe padded seat with an integrated shallow side drawer
THE PACKAGE
•40mm Concealed Front Drawer Unit
•40mm Compartmented Side Drawer Unit
•Deluxe Padded Seat With Integrated Side Drawer
•13cm Winder Tray (Complete With Winders)
•18cm Winder Tray (Complete With Winders)
•26cm Winder Tray (Complete With Winders)
•Cassette Lid
•Custom Designed Seatbox Cover
•Deluxe Padded Shoulder Strap
•Shuttle Adaptor
•Carbon Fibre “After-Care Kit”
BEST PRICE FOR THE BOX HERE
2. WATCH THE VIDEO
3. WHY CARBON? A DESIGNER'S VIEW
With Preston Product Designer Chris Taylor, one of the driving forces behind the box.
How easy was it to produce?
Tackle such as poles and landing net handles are simple extrusions off a mandrel but with a seatbox you have to do a lot more with the carbon. You need to incorporate curves and reinforced points in key areas to withstand the weight of a large person.
To get the curves in the frame we used a foam core wrapped with a carbon weave, with extra wraps for strength where needed. Getting the correct finish was key too as it had to look as good as it performed.
How does it compare to aluminium?
We’ve put carbon in every place we’ve used aluminium in the past, including the footplate. We could have gone on and used carbon units too but the price would have been significantly more. It’s been three years in the making and compared to the original Absolutes, there’s a 3kg saving on weight.
How come the £2,000-plus price point?
Carbon doesn’t come cheap and it's about attention to detail too. The boxes are hand assembled in our factory, not mass produced, which we’ve never done before. Each one is hand wrapped and treated as an individual with its own identification number, so the carbon weave may differ slightly on each. We also meticulously inspect each one before it goes out, to make sure it meets our check list of quality.
5. OUR VERDICT - THE BUGATTI VEYRON OF FISHING STATIONS
Angling Times Tackle editor Mark Sawyer has five good reasons why you should invest...
1. ITS LIGHTWEIGHT AND TOUGH AS OLD BOOTS
The carbon frame, legs, mud-feet, and footplate combine to make it 25% lighter than a standard seatbox of a comparable size. That’s quite a weight saving, especially if you’re often faced with long walks. The 36mm carbon legs with their cleverly designed carbon mud-feet provide it with a seriously sturdy stature, even if you’ve been on the pies! In tests the carbon frame has been subjected to weights in excess of 20 stone.
2. IT'S A TACKLE TART'S DREAM
Not only will the carbon curves and lines leave you drooling for more, the legs and mud-feet provide it with superb low-profile look. It also comes with tarty fluoro colour-coded clips that can fit onto the front and back of all draws and cassettes. Add to that a carbon fibre ‘after care kit’ for polishing it with, plus a custom designed seatbox cover, and you have the stand-out seatbox of the past decade.
3. IT'S HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL
Yes it looks good, but it’s also very functional. Preston has fitted the box with its latest Mag Lok magnetic clips- they’re easy to use and will also withstand serious amounts of wear and tear without falling to bits. Underneath, the deluxe padded seat is an integrated side drawer unit, a 40mm concealed front draw unit and a fully compartmented side draw unit. To that you can add 13cm, 18cm and 26cm full winder trays, a Shuttle Adaptor, and fully removable footplate which is handy when using a platform in deep water.
4. IT'S PACKED WITH INNOVATION
The footplate boasts spring loaded clips that are easily and quickly located into two secure locking positions so different lengths of footplate can be used. TPS systems on the leg blocks not only prevent the precious carbon legs from being scratched, they also negate any chance of leg slippage or over-tightening. And as the box is hand assembled here in the UK, you can be assured that it has undergone strident quality control before being allowed to leave the factory.
5. IT'S ALL YOURS AND YOU'RE IN THE CLUB!
Every Absolute Carbon comes with its own unique code number, so you’ll always know it’s yours. There will also be an exclusive owners club, although I can’t imagine the Christmas party will be remembered for much except sitting around together... on carbon! But joking aside, it’s a nice touch from Preston who clearly value their after-sales customer care. Thumbs up from us...
LONG TERM TEST: Preston Innovations Competition Pro Super XL Pole Fishing Roller
This isn't a single session test of Preston's Competition Pro Super XL Roller as I've been throwing my poles over a pair of them for at least eighteen months, as you may be able to tell from the one in the picture! Here's my verdict...
First, the 'XL' gives away the fact this is a big pole roller. Straight out of the bag it's 88.5cm wide and 67cm high, in my book a large roller gives a bigger target to aim for and speeds up your fishing.
As standard it's the perfect height to ship a pole back on to. Too low and you'll be bending down and putting unnecessary strain on your sides and back. Adjust the telescopic legs however and you've got a roller which extends to a height of 114.5cm, which is great for high banks or going over obstacles. The base clips to lock the height in place are excellent and don't slip at all.
The rollers themselves are extremely free moving, allowing for quick shipping. Infact the first time I put a 14.5m pole on two of them it actually rolled off and into the lake within a couple of seconds! So always secure your pole at your end with a pole grip or sock with these.
A small design point, but one which means a lot to me, is the inclusion of a secure ring with a caribiner-type clip fitted in the middle of the frame, underneath the roller. Don't get me wrong, this is about as stable as rollers come, but for a bit of extra security in windy conditions I'll clip a bucket of water into the caribiner to weigh it right down.
On the bank a few anglers have commented on the upright rollers which keep the pole in place on the main roller itself, more specifically the short length. Surely the pole could blow over them and off the roller? Well I've not had a pole come off one yet and the upright rollers are slightly tapered inwards in the middle for the section to rest in, so there is no risk of it lifting up and over.
THE VERDICT
This is an extremely well-built and well-thought out roller for the serious match angler. If it's a little too big for you, there are two smaller versions in the range too. The Super XL doesn't come cheap but you get what you pay for and these are made to last. One of the best out there? Definitely.
Ben Fisk
PAY AROUND
£94.99
Preston Innovations Absolute 36 White Edition fishing seatbox
Building on the success of its Absolute Station seatboxes, Preston Innovations has added some superb new features to make its next-generation ‘butt rests’ better than ever with this 36 White Edition.
The new design is based around a 36mm profile six-leg system which offers unrivalled stability and looks the part too. Low-profile mudfeet take a couple of inches off the height of the seat, so you can set it up with a very low skyline presence when the need arises.
The weight of the boxes has been trimmed down, and it doesn’t stop there. The footplate is secured in place (two positions to choose from) by spring-loaded quick-release pins which can be precisely locked open or closed, resulting in rock-solid stability.
For convenience, the winder tray cassette uses the same quick-release locking pins, and the clever design of the frame allows the cassette to slide out from the front or rear. A spirit level on the frame means you can easily check that your set-up is not on the wonk.
Mention should also be made of Preston’s new Mag Lok locking clips. These can be colour-coded to match your pole winders, and their positive magnetic catch opens and closes securely without risk of the wear and tear associated with most other plastic catches.
Rather handily, the new Mag Lok units are fully compatible with all original Preston Absolute Station units and seatboxes.
The latest deluxe padded seat now includes a shallow side drawer, which basically makes much better use of the space beneath. It’s perfect for storing winders, general accessories and hooklength boxes.
PAY AROUND
£749.99
Preston Innovations bait bowls
PAY AROUND
Small £6.99
Medium £7.99
Large £8.99
Mixing groundbait has never been easier with these three new bait bowls from Preston Innovations. The hard-wearing vessels feature a stiff top ring to remain rigid in use, while collapsible sides make for easy storage and transportation.
They are made from a wipe-clean waterproof material for easy cleaning, and capacities are five, 10 and 20 litre.
Preston Innovations Leger Weights
Preston has released several new additions to its leger weight range. The Flat Pear is ideal for fishing marginal slopes, as well as rivers, while the Distance Bomb has the classic streamlined ‘Arlesey’ shape to optimise casting distance. Finally, the Match Cube is great for casting tight to islands.
Sizes 15g, 20g, 30g and 45g.
Price: £1.99 per pack
Preston Innovations Monster 3+3 rod holdall
This latest Monster rod holdall is ideal for carrying longer rods up to 12ft. There are two models available - 170cm and 190cm (shown) - both of which feature a generous additional side pocket for storing and transporting extra kit such as feeder arms, landing net handles and even an umbrella. There is also a tip tube pocket, internal rod locators and padded reel separators.
Price: £109.99 (190cm) & £99.99 (170cm)
Preston Innovations Pro Flat Rollers
This winter’s relentless high winds have been responsible for an abnormally high number of broken pole sections, many of which came as result of collapsing pole rollers.
If you’re unsure about the sturdiness of your roller, take a look at these three latest patterns from Preston Innovations. In single and double-shipping designs, The Pro Flat Rollers feature super stable telescopic legs, indented fixed uprights, double spirit levels, and a robust carabiner hook to add stabilising weights. The rollers also have a special lay-flat design that enables them to be placed ‘rock steady’ on the ground with their legs folded away – ideal when shipping up high banks.
Price: From £64.99
Preston Innovations Absolute Station Black Edition seatbox
The flagship of the 2016 seatbox range, the Absolute Black Edition is the ultimate box in terms of storage space, functionality, practicality and strength.
The sturdy construction and modular configuration have gained many admirers and it is already the box of choice for top anglers including Des Shipp, and Lee Kerry.
With a lower, more squat profile than many boxes, the Black Edition looks impressive and when you sit on one, it doesn’t take long to work out that you’ve invested in something very special.
It’s built around an aluminium frame with 30mm legs (two packing internal threads for accessories), each with ergonomic handwheels. As well as Prestons’ new Captive internal system on the telescopic legs and large flexible mudfeet, there’s a removable covered footplate that can be locked in any position you wish, with Triple Start handwheels for ease of assembly. There’s also a water-resistant seat cover to keep things clean and tidy.
The upper section of the box has a deep side drawer, winder tray with winders and a concealed front drawer on top of three hooklength boxes. Under the box mainframe on runners is a module that comes as standard with two winder trays, supplied with 26cm and 18cm pole winders plus a lid and handle.
Preston Innovations Absolute Black Seatbox
Features:
Integral spirit level, light aluminium construction, carbon-friendly pole-retaining strap, under seat storage for hooklength boxes, removable quick-lock footplate, detachable shoulder strap, concealed front drawer, captive internal telescopic legs, 30mm profile legs (two with threaded inserts), anti-snag handwheels.
Includes:
Deep side drawer unit (ready partitioned), concealed front drawer unit (ready partitioned), winder tray with 26cm winders, winder tray with 18mm winders, two Off Box Pro-Snap short keepnet arms, shuttle adaptor, three hooklength boxes, seatbox cover.
Dimensions:
Maximum height setting (top of legs) 53mm Maximum width 720mm Maximum depth (footplate closed) 560mm
Maximum depth (footplate open) 850mm
This stunning new all-black Absolute seatbox is probably the best yet from Preston Innovations. The Absolute Black (also available in white and blue versions!) takes over from the earlier flagship Absolute Station, and brings with it all the features that made its predecessor the ‘must have’ seatbox for all match anglers.
Sturdy construction and modular cassette-style configuration ensure that the box is not only practical and durable, but hugely adaptable to any angling situation thrown at it.
It retains the 30mm leg size, ergonomic handwheel design and solid covered footplate, although this latest version is lockable in any position, and now utilises handy ‘triple start’ knobs for ease of assembly.
As if all that wasn’t enough, there’s a redesigned carbon-friendly pole-retaining strap, new captive internal leg design and an improved detachable shoulder strap.
There are threaded inserts on two legs, and it comes complete with two fully loaded winder trays.
