ESP Cryogen Gripper Fishing Hook,
When ESP was looking at its existing hook range, the brand designers realised that something was missing: the brand was lacking the perfect, all-round, beaked point carp hook! The team set to work to design a product to fill the gap, utilising their brand new technology, and this ESP Cryogen Gripper was the result. This new hook is a combination of the classic T-6 and D-7 series, both of which were best sellers in their day, and it has been described as the perfect hook for fishing with bottom baits. It has been designed with a 10 degree in-turned eye, which is slightly shallower than that of the ESP Cryogen Classic in order to allow for an improved beak, and it features a super-fine, long, curved point for impressive hook holding ability. One of the biggest benefits of this new hook is its improved corrosion resistance. Terry Hearn, the living carp fishing legend, was wowed during the testing process of this hook as, even when fishing on acidic and silty bottomed pits, he has never experienced point corrosion with this hook – giving him the confidence to leave his rig out there for hours without the itching feeling that he needs to reel in and check that all is well. This ensures that he can leave the water undisturbed, tempting in those wily double figure monsters for which he is famous.
The hook has been manufactured using ESP’s dedicated cryogenic tempering process, which gives the hook series its name. The hooks in the series start life in much the same way as traditional carp hooks and are super-heated after construction. In the traditional process, they would then be allowed to cool naturally before being packaged. However, this is only the beginning of the story for the ESP Cryogen Hooks. After the super-heating process, the hooks are then super-cooled in a cryogenic freezer. This freezing is achieved over a 24 hour period, cooling the hooks to minus 195 degrees. They are then slowly brought back up to an ambient temperature. The whole process reduces the hook’s susceptibility to tress, increases the hook’s resistance against general wear and tear, and it improves the strength of the hook overall. The cryogenic cooling process isn’t exclusive to ESP and the angling industry, however, and the brand was inspired by its effectiveness in the Formula One industry, where the process is used to create resilience in the vital engine parts. Although it is difficult to accurate quantify, ESP is confident that its Cryogen hooks are between 30% and 40% stronger than any other hook available on the market to date. It has achieved this purely through the new tempering process, without any increase in the wire gauge, ensuring that these hooks are super-slim and ultra-strong.
These ESP Cryogen Hooks have undergone a two year testing process prior to their release, as the brand wanted to be confident that the hooks met their exacting standards. In that whole time, only once or twice did the brand get reports of a point going over (something carp fishing legend Terry Hearn has yet to experience with these hooks) and never did they hear of the hook increasing in gape. This is virtually unheard of, even with other top-end hooks, and it has got the carp fishing industry incredibly excited. The ESP Cryogen Gripper Hooks all feature a micro barb (to improve hook hold whilst still ensuring that hook removal is quick, easy, and pain-free) and are available in a range of sizes. This ensures that you’re always able to pick out the perfect hook for your job, so you never have to worry that you’ll be let down on the bank by a substandard hook.