Carp Fishing

Tension-Arm and Combination Indicators

There used to be two tension-arm indicators on the market: the MCF Wanger and the Fox Springer. The Wanger may no longer be available, but the Springer is. Both of these indicators are basically a bobbin on the end of a quiver tip. When it comes to setting up a tension-arm indicator there is very little you can do to change the sensitivity - it is governed by the stiffness of the tension arm.

Tension-arm indicators are ideally suited to long-range fishing or tight-to-island margins, where they will keep the line tight and under pressure, helping to stop any bowing of the line. However, they are not so good in the margins as they tend to create a bowstring-tight line, which can spook fish.

Nash Tackle's two bite indicators, the Wisp and the Wasp, both have a swinging-arm facility on them, as do Solar's Quiver-Loc and Fox's Swing Spring; and all double up as tension-arm indicators to boot. These are what is known as combination indicators. They have sliding weights to vary the loading in swinging-arm mode. The Wisp and the Quiver-Loc come with two different strengths of spring arm, for short-or long-range fishing, but as far as adjustment goes there is little further room for movement. The Wasp has a tension dial to vary the power of the spring, which allows the loading of this model to as much as 12oz (useful for fishing ultra long distance). We don't use this model, since we prefer the swingers for all our fishing, but we do know several successful anglers who do. The legendary Tim Paisley is one example.