Gardner GT HD Low Vis Green Line

Strength & Abrasion

Strength-wise, GT-HD sits in a sensible middle ground. The copolymer blend has high knot strength and abrasion resistance, and the diameters look reasonable for the strain, with 15lb at 0.35mm and 18lb at 0.39mm.

That's a little thicker than the Fox Exocet Pro, which manages 18lb at 0.350mm, but finer than the Korda Subline, which needs 0.40mm for its 15lb.

To be fair, a touch of extra diameter isn't a bad thing over gravel, because there's more material to wear through before the line weakens.

The range tops out at 18lb, so if you need a heavy 20lb line for big snags, you'll have to look elsewhere. Overall, I think it's tough enough for the vast majority of UK carp waters, and the high knot strength is reassuring for a line you'll be tying to swivels and leaders.

Casting & Handling

Reduced stretch is the big selling point for handling. It improves rod-tip feedback when you're feeling the lead down, and bite indication at range, while a smooth, supple finish helps it cast.

So, does the crisp feel matter? It's a slightly different character from a super soft line such as Fox's Exocet Pro, and lower-stretch lines tend to feel a bit firmer on the spool, so if you like a really limp mono, the Fox will probably suit you more.

I don't see that as a real problem, though, because a responsive line with a smooth finish should still cast well and tell you more about what's happening at the business end.

All told, it handles well for a reduced-stretch mono, and I think anglers who like to feel the lead down onto the bottom will appreciate it.

Presentation

For me, GT-HD's standout quality is how it lies on the bottom. The fast-sinking formulation settles flush to the lake bed, which is exactly what you want when fish are wary of lines, because a mono hanging off the bottom is far more likely to spook them than one lying flat.

The Low-Viz Green also gives camouflage on both slack and tight lines, and from the photos it's a dark olive line that should blend in over silt and weed. That combination of colour and fast sinking puts it closer to a fluorocarbon like the Korda Kontour than most monos get.

It isn't invisible, of course, and a proper fluoro still goes further. Overall, though, I think it's about as good as mono presentation gets, whether you fish slack lines close in or tight lines at range.

Is it good value for money?

Is it good value? It's fair rather than a bargain. GT-HD costs about the same as the Fox Exocet Pro, and the 12lb and 15lb spools give you 1,150m and 1,030m, but the 18lb holds 830m, so you get a bit less line at the heavy end.

If you change your line often, the Trakker Mono Reel Line or Daiwa Sensor will go further for the money.

What you're paying for is how fast it sinks and the reduced stretch, and to be fair, that's where a mono can make a real difference on pressured waters. It's also a lot cheaper per metre than fluorocarbon.

Overall, I'd recommend GT-HD to carp anglers who fish pressured or clear waters and want their mainline lying flat without paying fluorocarbon money. If you mainly fish at long range on open water, the softer Fox Exocet Pro might suit you better.