Around this part of the world, mud-spattered Landrover Defenders with three or four rods in holders on their aluminium bonnets and roofs are a common sight. Regardless of what the Korean’s used to make my car, this type of rod rack will stick very firmly to it and those Defenders. Unlike magnetic holders these will stick to aluminium, plastic, glass or steel.

VacRacs have been about long enough that we probably all know the principle. Place the holder on a clean car (or clean bit of a car), push the lever over to pull up the sucker and stick the holder to the car – easy! To remove the holder simply push the lever the other way and pull the tab on the sucker to break the seal. Easy!

Maybe a little too easy? More often than not we are not fishing immediately adjacent to our cars, making the rod-holders easy targets for theft. Less sinister, but no less frustrating, when I have fixed the holder securely to my car I don’t want inquisitive or inexperienced fingers fiddling with the lever and partially releasing the suckers. Vac-Rac’s solution is elegantly simple. Secure the holders and pull out the levers.