ESP Quickdraw Unhooking Mat

How well is it built?

So, the Quickdraw is built around a simple idea, and for me that's its strength.

There's a padded section in the middle for the fish to lie on, a soft wipe-clean contact surface on top and a tough camo outer material, with drawcords at each end that pull the edges up into a cradle shape.

The webbing handles are reinforced, and in the photos they have padded grips where your hands go, which makes sense on a mat that's designed to carry a carp back to the water.

There are drainage holes in every corner as well, so water can run away rather than sitting around the fish once you've wetted the mat down.

I think the materials and the details are what you'd want at this level, and there's very little to go wrong because there's no frame, no valves and no pump. For me, it comes across as a well thought out mat rather than a flashy one, which is why it scores well here.

Protection

Protection is where the drawcord design earns its keep.

Laid flat, it's a padded mat, but once you tighten the cords the sides rise around the fish, and ESP say those raised sides hold carp securely while you unhook them, which is a real step up from a flat mat if a fish starts kicking.

The central padded base takes the weight of the fish, and the soft, wipe-clean surface is kind to a carp's scales and slime. Is it as protective as an inflatable like the Solar SP or the RidgeMonkey ProCare?

To be fair, no, because those have proper air walls, and drawcord sides won't stand as firm as foam or air.

For me, though, it's plenty for most carp fishing, and the Large size gives you more room if you're targeting bigger fish. I'd still keep it wet and keep the fish low, as you would with any mat, but I think the protection is very good for a roll-up design.

Ease of Setup & Portability

Is it a faff to set up? Not really, and this is where the Quickdraw scores highest. You unroll it, tighten the drawcords at each end and it's a cradle, then you can loosen one drawcord when it's time to slide the fish back into the water.

There's no pumping and no frame to clip together.

It rolls up for the walk to the swim, and in the photos it packs into a neat camo roll held with two buckled straps.

Those buckles also let you attach it to the separate Quickdraw Rucksack, so if you already use that bag you can carry the lot on your back and keep your hands free.

The Compact size is aimed at travelling light, which makes it a pretty good fit for stalking and short sessions, while the Large gives you more room for bigger carp. Overall, I think it's one of the easiest mats with raised sides to live with on the bank.

Is it good value for money?

So, is it worth the money? I think it is, because it costs less than mats like the Wychwood Walled, the Gardner Asylum and the Nash Scope Ops, yet you still get raised sides, a padded base, reinforced carrying handles and drainage holes.

What you give up is extra structure, because the Gardner Asylum has 25cm sides and a removable foam mattress, and the inflatables have proper air walls.

If you want maximum protection for very big fish, they're worth the extra money, but the Quickdraw does pretty much everything most carp anglers need, and it rolls up small enough to carry with the rest of your kit.

Overall, I'd recommend it to carp anglers who move swims a lot, stalk, or fish short sessions and want cradle-style protection without a frame. It makes even more sense if you already own the Quickdraw Rucksack, as the mat buckles straight onto it.