Trakker Mono Reel Line 1000m

Strength & Abrasion

The diameter is low for the breaking strain, at least at the light end, with the 12lb at just 0.30mm, finer than the Korda Basix, which is 0.35mm at the same strain.

The heavier strains are less striking, with 18lb at 0.38mm, a bit thicker than the Fox Exocet Pro's 0.350mm at 18lb.

Add high knot strength and an abrasion-resistant build and you've got a solid, all-round mainline. What you don't get is any specialist toughness, so it hasn't been built for heavy weed and snags in the way the Korda Subline has, and I'd keep that in mind on rough venues.

Overall, I think it's strong enough for most everyday carp fishing. If your swim has gravel bars or the odd snag, stepping up to the 18lb or 20lb gives you a bit of extra margin without moving to a specialist line.

Casting & Handling

On the casting side, the ultra-smooth finish is there to help with distance, and a supple line like this should lie neatly on the spool and peel off cleanly, without much memory.

A smooth finish matters more than you might think, because it cuts friction as the line leaves the spool and runs through the rings, and the 0.30mm 12lb is fine enough to reach a fair distance, on paper at least.

It scores a little lower because it's an all-round mainline for general use rather than a dedicated distance or low-stretch line, whereas the Fox Exocet Pro is built around distance and the Gardner GT-HD around reduced stretch and feedback.

So I'd see the Trakker as a good all-rounder rather than a line for extreme range.

All in all, it should be easy to live with for general carp fishing, and for most swims at short to medium range I don't think you'd ask much more of it.

Presentation

Trakker's presentation is better than the price might suggest.

It's fast-sinking and supple enough to drape over the contours of the lake bed, so it should settle and follow the bottom rather than cutting across it in a straight line, which keeps it out of the way of feeding fish.

The colour helps as well. It's a dark green, low-visibility finish, and from the photos it looks a deep olive on the spool, which should blend in over weed and darker lake beds. For most carp waters, that's pretty much all you need from the colour of a mainline.

It isn't quite as specialist as the Gardner GT-HD, which is made to settle flush to the lake bed, but for me it ticks the important boxes for a carp mainline. Overall, presentation is one of its strong points, especially for a line that costs this little.

Is it good value for money?

So, what does your money get you? This is where the Trakker stands out. It costs a lot less than the Fox Exocet Pro or Gardner GT-HD, yet you still get 1,000m, which is three reels' worth or more. If you like to change your mainline regularly, that makes it very easy to justify.

The Korda Basix costs less again, and so does a Daiwa Sensor bulk spool, but for me the Trakker's fast-sinking, low-vis spec makes it the more complete carp line of the three.

Overall, I'd recommend the Trakker Mono Reel Line to carp anglers who want a dependable, low-vis mainline for a full set of rods without spending much, and to anyone who re-spools often.

If you fish heavily snagged waters or need maximum distance, a more specialist mono is worth the extra.