Korda Basix Weigh Sling

How well is it built?

The Basix is a traditional nylon sling, and the 7.8 for build is an honest reflection of a simple, budget-friendly design. The powder-coated two-piece metal bars give it rigidity, and the powder coating should help them cope with knocks and wet banks.

The bars are elasticated and split for storage, a bit like tent poles, so they fold down into the compact stink bag with the sling. Free-running zips close it up at each end. It's a simple system with few parts to go wrong, and the nylon body is easy to rinse off after a session.

To be fair, it doesn't have the full mesh body or premium fittings of a dearer sling, and you wouldn't expect it to at this price. For a starter weigh sling, though, I think it's sensibly built.

Fish Care

Fish care is where the Basix's budget roots show most, and the 7.6 reflects that. A traditional nylon body with drainage holes sheds water well enough, but it won't let water flow through the way a full mesh sling does, so it's for weighing rather than holding a fish.

That said, it does the important things well. It floats, so you can move a fish and a rolled landing net into it while they're still in the water, which keeps handling on the bank to a minimum.

The free-running end zips keep the fish contained, and the sling is long and deep enough for UK carp.

Why does floating matter so much? A fish that's transferred in the water is supported the whole time, rather than being carried up the bank in a sagging net. Wet the sling before use and zero your scales with it wet, and it'll look after the fish properly.

Ease of Use

For a beginner, the Basix is very straightforward to use. Float it in the margins, bring the rolled landing net into it, close the free-running end zips and lift by the webbing straps, which balance the sling from the scales for a steady reading.

There's not much to learn, which is exactly what a first sling should be like.

Packing up is just as easy. Once the bars are apart, the folded sling can even go inside a Basix Cradle unhooking mat, which is handy if you already own one and want to carry less.

Splitting and rejoining the bars takes a moment longer than a sling with fixed bars, but that's a small trade for compact storage. It's also an easy sling for a younger angler to manage, with webbing straps rather than fiddly fittings, and I think 8.0 is a fair score.

Is it good value for money?

Value is the Basix's strongest suit. It's one of the cheapest weigh slings from a major carp brand, and you still get a floating design with metal bars, drainage holes, end zips and a stink bag, which covers everything a new carp angler needs to weigh fish safely.

It's a sensible way to make sure you have a proper sling on the bank from your very first session.

If you weigh fish every session and want a quick-drying, fish-friendly material, the Avid Revolve Weigh Sling is the step up. If you want to retain fish as well as weigh them, the RidgeMonkey ProCare Retainer Sling does both jobs.

For a first weigh sling, though, 8.6 for value is well deserved.

I'd recommend the Basix Weigh Sling to younger anglers, newcomers to carp fishing, occasional users and anyone who wants a dependable weigh sling while keeping costs down.