Fishing equipment is referred to as fishing tackle by specialists and hobbyists and it usually includes to rods, lines, hooks, sinkers, spears, lures, bait, reels, nets, and et cetera. The fishing gear that is attached at the end of a line is called terminal tackle

The word tackle when it refers to fishing equipment comes from ‘takel’ which initially meant the rigging of a ship, that is, the gear consisting of ropes supporting a ship’s masts and sails. Later, the same word was recorded to have a another meaning, that of equipment for fishing and that meaning has been retained ever since.

The most basic fishing equipment is made up of of a rod, a line, a hook, a lure, a bait and a weight or sinker. The line is a simple cord especially made for fishing that is both long, strong and yet thin, so that fish do not notice it. There are several things that an angler asks about when buying a fishing line, such as its resistance, stretch, strength and so on. The line will be chosen based on what kind of fish the angler intends to catch.

The sinker or weight, also called a plummet, is really only a weight that helps in casting the hook and the bait as far as possible from the shoreline or from the boat that the fisherman is using. They are usually made of lead as their purpose is also to sink and to get the bait closer to the fish in the water as quickly as possible. However, lead sinkers have been banned in some parts of the world, especially the really small ones, which are often called ’shot’. If eaten by birds or other fish, the lead, which is known for its high toxicity level, will cause the death of the animal.

Another basic piece of fishing equipment is the hook. This device meant for holding the bait on the line and for hooking into the fish’s mouth. It is attached to the line and the fisherman can choose from a pretty wide range of shapes, sizes and materials.

And last but far from least, is the bait or lure, without which the fishing equipment cannot be effective. A lure is a device tied at the end of the line that looks and moves something like the prey of the fish you are after. Its purpose is to catch the attention of the fish with its colour and vibrations. Artificial flies, tiddlers and sand eels fall into this category. When the fish bites the lure, it gets hooked.

On the other hand, bait is the item physically attached to the hook. Bait is basically of two types: animal or foodstuff: ‘animal’ referring to small fish or other water creatures, insects or crawlers and ‘foodstuff’ referring to human food like grains, such as hemp, bread or whatever else the fisherman believes might attract the type of fish he’s going for.

If you are keen on fishing and would like to learn more more, please visit our website called Gone Fishing Also published at What Is Fishing Equipment.

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