How to use the Korda Heli-Safe System

One of the biggest issues in the past when it came to carp fishing with helicopter style set-ups had always been the inability to drop the lead.

Due to the way that helicopter rigs are set up, with the hook link swivel able to run up and down your main line or leader – even if you use a stop to keep it in place for the cast, that will move when you hook a fish – it increased the chance of the lead becoming snagged on something, due to the way it would trail behind the carp during the fight. If it did get snagged then it couldn’t detach, as it was tied to the end of your line.

Even if the lead didn’t get snagged or caught up in weed – it was likely it could do as helicopter rigs are often favoured in situations where you aren’t fishing on a clean lake bed – just the mechanics of the way that the lead, especially a heavier one, hung down during the fight could increase the chances of a hook pull.

So Korda set about solving that problem, and the solution was an ingenious product that revolutionised helicopter rigs, and which has been the industry standard for any type of fishing with these set-ups for many years now, and still remains by far the best option that is available – there has been no need to improve the mechanics of it, as it does the job it is supposed to do perfectly!

The Korda Heli-Safe system is designed to allow carp anglers to safely and consistently drop the lead when fishing with a helicopter rig or chod rig in weedy or snaggy conditions.

What is the Korda Heli-Safe System and how does it work?

The Heli-Safe System is a simple, yet very clever, item of terminal tackle which attaches to the end of your main line, and which your fishing lead is clipped onto.

It is sprung-loaded in such a way that as soon as any pressure is applied to the top of the Heli-Safe in a downwards direction – such as when a fish is hooked and your hook link swivel hits the top of the Heli-Safe bead - it immediately releases the lead. But at the same is able to withstand a significant amount of force when applied from the other end of it, meaning that your lead won’t come off even when fishing at extreme range with heavier weights.

This means that as soon as a fish is hooked the lead is jettisoned – that can be adjusted or even prevented, depending on the angling situation and the need to drop the lead, and shows how versatile this system is – and you are left free to play it without it trailing a lead around behind it during the fight, and potentially costing you a fish. The Heli-Safe itself is small enough that it won’t get easily caught up on anything, such as weed.

It is incredibly versatile as it can be attached directly to the end of your main line, or can be used with any sort of leader, or even rig tubing.

It is made from high impact plastic and features a high quality spring inside - as well as the normal tensioning spring the Mini even more compact version also features a heavier spring - so as long as your main line doesn't break, you can keep on using the same Heli-Safe over and over again, and once it is fixed to the end of your line or leader it can be left in place and its performance won't deteriorate.

It is incredibly easy to change your lead, so you can switch the size or even shape, depending on the angling situation, and it also means that your lead can be removed when you pack your rods away so it isn’t banging against the blank and potentially damaging it during transit.

How safe and fish-friendly is the Korda Heli-Safe?

One potential issue with all traditional helicopter set ups has always been the danger that the hook link doesn't detach from your main line, in the event of a breakage or cut off, and the fish is left trailing a lead behind it, and in a way that gives a significant risk that the lead could get permanently caught on something and leave the fish tethered – likely causing mouth damage, or even its death, especially in weedy or snaggy situations.

This is even more of a risk when using any sort of leader – such as leadcore or a fused type – as for the for the fish to be able to get free of the lead, it needs the hook link to be able to detach from the leader, or your main line, and the leader knot can cause significant issues in that regard. With any sort of helicopter rig, the hook link is positioned between two beads, or similar, so that it can be set and won’t ride up the line on the cast, or when a fish initially pricks itself – the further the top bead is from your lead, the less self-hooking bolt impact the lead will have when you get a take.

Not only does the Korda Heli-Safe almost totally prevent that risk, but it has designed to be used in conjunction with our No Trace Beads and Chod Safety System – of which there is a naked and a leadcore version.

This system isn’t just for chod fishing and is ideal for use with any helicopter style set-up, as it keeps the hook link in place and able to move within the range that you have set, between the lower and the top beads, but at the same time allows the top No-Trace bead to completely detach (spares are sold separately) if enough force is applied to it. This means that on a cast your hook link swivel will only travel up your line as far as where you set your No Trace bead and won’t cause that to detach from your line or leader, yet if that same No Trace bead comes under pressure from a fish pulling against it – such as if your line breaks - then that is enough to release it and for the swivel to freely travel up your line away from the Heli-Safe, until it reaches the broken end of the line and detaches, leaving the carp with just your hook link swivel attached to it.

So, in terms of helicopter style set-ups – and carp rigs in general – this is about as safe as it gets, whether using a leader or not.

What type of fishing situations is the Korda Heli-Safe System best for?

All types of carp fishing lead systems have advantages, but also disadvantages as well, and that varies greatly between different angling situations.

As you will have seen from the Korda Underwater films, a Heli-Safe set-up isn’t very effective at hooking fish, as there is so much movement available between the rig and the lead, and a lot of opportunity for the fish to get rid of the hook if it is only just pricked.

You will also have seen how randomly your hook link can land when it is used on a helicopter set-up, and this is because there is so much freedom of movement again, because the hook link is able to move up and down, and around the leader or line. This means it can sometimes land with your hook bait sitting on top of your leader, and there isn’t much you can do about that.

The biggest advantage of a Heli-Safe set-up is also that freedom of movement that the hook link has between the Heali-Safe itself and the No Trace Bead – so the main disadvantage of it becomes its strength in certain situations – and means that when you are fishing over a lake bed that isn’t clean and hard, such as in deeper silt or amongst weed, you can adjust that No Trace bead to ensure that even when the lead sinks into debris, the hook link will still end up clear above it, and means that your rig is well presented and fishing. This is especially apparent when fishing chod rigs, which at times are cast into dense weed with the hook link ending up several feet above the lead, (depending on where your upper bead is positioned) and in this scenario a Heli-Safe is essential.

By contrast, if you were to use a lead clip or inline lead set up – which are brilliant when fishing on a clear, hard bottom - in this scenario then your presentation will generally be terrible, with your hook link and hook bait completely buried in the detritus/weed, or in situations where that is sparser, there is a high chance you lead would still bury enough that your hook link will be sticking up out of the debris and with your hook link looped over off of the bottom and very obvious to any feeding carp!

Helicopter rigs also tend to cast better than other types of set-up as the lead is attached directly to the end of your line and this makes it stable in flight and reduces drag, with your rig rotating around your main line via the swivel – early versions of this rig were even referred to as a rotary rig and it came from sea fishing - so they are good when casting extreme distances. Not only will it cast a long way, but is also relatively tangle free as well, as compared to other lead systems.

So, you do need to consider whether or not a helicopter rig is the best option for the angling situation that you find yourself in, and if it is, then the Heli-Safe is what you should be using, and many anglers have had huge success on this helicopter style presentation over the years.

Can I use the Korda Heli-Safe with lead core and Dark Matter leaders?

The Heli-Safe system is compatible with any type of leader, and can also be used with rig tubing as well – although it will need to be the right diameter to fit the lead system itself and also the No-Trace Beads.

Using the Heli-Safe with the Korda Kable leadcore is a very popular option, both with anglers fishing conventional rigs where they want to pin everything to the lakebed, as well as those anglers who are fishing chod rigs.

It is very easy to set it up on a leadcore leader, which can be spliced directly to the special ‘half’ swivel that comes supplied with the Heli-Safe and is what is used to secure the end of your leader (or main line if you aren’t using one) inside the system itself. All you then need to do is to use it in conjunction with the Leadcore Chod Safety System, which is threaded onto your leader once the Heli-Safe bead has been assembled on the end of it.

If you don’t fancy buying the components and assembling your own, then the Kable Leadcore Leader Heli-Safe comes pre-constructed and with two leaders per pack, and takes all the hassle out of it.

It can also be used with the Dark Matter fused leaders, and although in theory you could set your own up by adapting a Drop-off Inline leader (by cutting down the swivel), that doesn’t really give you any advantage and you are far better off buying these leaders ready assembled with the Heli-Safe and the Chod Safety System already in place.

The Dark Matter Leader Heli-Safe comes in a choice of 50cm or 1m lengths, and in a choice of clear, gravel or weed colours.

Korda Heli-Safe Tubing Kit - for use with rig tubing

For those who prefer rig tubing, or where leaders are banned, there is a conversion kit that allows you to adapt the Heli-Safe so that it can still be used effectively and safely.

The Heli-Safe Tubing Kit is very easy to set up – and comes with instructions anyway – and allows you to use either our Dark Matter Tungsten impregnated tubing, or our plastic Kamo tubing, depending on your preference. It still works in exactly the same way as the original Heli-Safe, in terms of dropping the lead, and allowing the hook link to come free in the event of your main line breaking – it includes the sleeves you need to use tubing safely in conjunction with the No Trace Beads.

The Korda Heli-Safe Tubing Kit allows the system to be used on waters that ban leader materials, and where you don't want to fish completely naked.

How versatile is the Heli-Safe System and can I change how easily it drops the lead?

There is no point in dropping the lead unless you actually need to do so in order to be able to safely land the fish – both from an environmental and a cost perspective.

In some angling situations you will be able to land the fish without any issues, with the lead still attached, and that is why we came up with a clever extra collar that can be fitted to the Heli-Safe, which when fitted prevents the lead from detaching – if your main line breaks then the No Trace bead still does its job and your hook link can detach from everything else. Fitting this collar locks the lead in place on the Heli-Safe.

Korda Mini Heli-Safe version is also available

A mini version of the original Heli-Safe is also available, and as the name suggests, it is smaller in size and more compact.

This means that it is more streamlined and drag through the air is reduced, making it ideal for longer range fishing, as it is still strong enough to withstand the force of the cast, even with a heavier lead. The Mini Heli-Safe retains all the features that helped make the original Heli-Safe a success - the Mini Heli-Safe can be fished naked or with leadcore and comes with a size 11 half barrel swivel.

Like the original, this scaled down, compact version still comes supplied with a standard spring and a collar that can be fitted to stop it from jettisoning the lead entirely, but there is also a third option with the Mini Heli-Safe. The Mini Heli-Safe is supplied with a red spring that requires more pressure to eject the lead, suitable for clearer waters. This red spring is the perfect choice in situations where you only want to drop the lead if it actually becomes snagged on things such as sparser weed, rather than it coming off the instant you get a bite, as it requires significantly more force to be applied before the lead is dropped. Despite its smaller size, the Mini Heli-Safe is strong enough to handle the force of any leads in the Korda range.

These springs are easily interchangeable, even once the Mini Heli-Safe is fitted to a leader, and the collar can also be retro fitted. The Korda Mini Heli-Safe System is available in brown and green colours.