The ADC Hookair originates from Brazil and has been available in the European market for a few years. The Hookair is designed to neatly store pre-tied hook lengths that can be extracted, without tangling on the beach and added to trace bodies.
The ADC Hookair forms part of the Airbox system which includes tripods and the Airbox baiting tray. The original was constructed from opaque plastic which did not permit the snoods to be seen prior to opening. The mark II version includes a transparent lid which allows the angler to instantly see the contents.
ADC Hookair Mark II on left and original on right
The other modification from the original Hookair is a removable centre foam plug which makes is easier to remove the foam hook retainers.
ADC Hookair Snood Slots
The Hookair consists of a rotating internal section which is separated from the external fixed body. The air gap between the two sections is where the snood lengths are stored.
ADC Hookair slots
Prior to use the slots on the two sections need to be lined up to allow the snood lengths to be located in the aligned slots prior to commencing storage.
ADC Hookair slots aligned
The transparent lid has studs which locate in the slots allowing them to be turned into the correct initial position.
Locating the Hooks
To commence the storage of a number of hook snoods at once one of the foam retainers needs to be removed.
ADC Hookair foam hook holder
The points of the hooks should then be stuck into the foam semi-circle, with the hooks positioned towards the outer edge if using up to six hooks and the inner edge if storing a greater number of snoods.
Hook snoods stuck in foam holder
The ADC Hookair is most effective for short shank hooks in sizes from 4 to smaller.
ADC Hookair with foam and hook snoods in place
The foam retainer is then located back in the centre of the Hookair with the snoods falling into the gap in the location slot on the same side as the foam.
Storing the Snoods
The lid should then be replaced with the studs in the slot.
ADC Hookair with lid in place
The lid is then twisted in a clockwise direction. As the internal section rotates the snood will be fed inside the ADC Hookair. Once the tail ends of the snoods disappear into the unit the snoods are then securely stored.
ADC Hookair winding the snoods on
Removing the Snoods
The stored snoods can be easily removed individually by extracting the hook from the foam and gently pulling. It is best to start with one of the outer hooks.
ADC Hookair with snoods safely stored
The Airbox baiting station has custom shaped locations where the foam inserts can be stored with all the hooks in place. To remove all the hooks at once the foam should be lifted from the Hookair and the snoods gently extracted while keeping pressure on the hooks.
ADC Hookair removing a single snood
The hooks remaining at the end of a session can be replaced back into the Hookair.
Conclusion
The Hookair has limited use for larger hooks, particularly those with long shanks. These can however be stored by placing the hooks on the inner edge of the foam. The longer shanks will then rest on the foam. In use the Hookair is limited to one or two small beads for pre-applied attractors.
However, a lot of thought has gone into the design of the ADC Hookair. For smaller hooks, particularly in a match fishing situation, it provides a great way of storing tangle free hook snoods. Rig bodies can be quickly adapted to differing hook sizes, snood lengths or line diameters.
The foam retainers from the original Hookair fit the new version and vice versa.
The foam retainers from the original fit. The hooks in the yellow foam are size 6 and size 4 opposite.
The ADC Hookair retails at around £8.99 and is available from the Rite Gear Angling Centre.
Shortly, it should be possible to purchase the foam hook holders separately.
