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 so on. The fishing gear that is attached at the end of a line is called terminal tackle
The word tackle referring to fishing equipment comes from ‘takel’ which initially meant the rigging of a ship, that is, the equipment consisting of ropes supporting a ship’s masts and sails. Later, the same word was recorded as having a different meaning, that of apparatus for fishing and that meaning has been preserved ever since.
The most basic fishing gear consists of a rod, a line, a hook, a lure, a bait and a weight or sinker. The line is a basic cord specially made for fishing that is both long, strong and yet thin, so that fish do not notice it. There are several questions that an angler asks when buying a fishing line, like its resistance, stretch, strength et cetera. The line will be selected based on what species of fish the angler intends to catch.
The sinker or weight, also called a plummet, is really only a weight that assists 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 fast as possible. However, lead sinkers have been outlawed in some parts of the world, especially the very small ones, which are often called ’shot’. If ingested by birds or other fish, the lead, which is well-known for its high toxicity, will cause the death of the animal.
Another elementary piece of fishing gear 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 angler can select from a very wide range of shapes, sizes and metals.
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 to the end of the line that looks and moves something resembling the prey of the fish you are after. Its raison d’etre is to get the attention of the fish with its colour and movement. Artificial flies, tiddlers and sand eels fall into this category. When the fish bites the lure, it gets hooked.
Bait, on the other hand, is the item actually attached to the hook. Bait is usually of two types: animal or foodstuff. ‘Animal’ refers to small fish or other water creatures, insects or crawlers. ‘Foodstuff’ refers to grains, like corn, bread or whatever the angler believes might work.
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