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EARLY METHODS OF FISHINGFishing, one of our earliest outdoor activities
started as a means of gathering food and has developed into a sport of
popularity, personal challenge and leisure activity. Fossil records, old
paintings and family histories passed down from generation to generation by word
of mouth are somewhat sketchy at best.
One of the earliest form of
fishing was nothing like today's sport. Fishermen would search out fish and
then catch them by hand. This method was quickly abolish for the lack off
success was great and fishermen were unable to feed their families. Clubbing
developed as hand fishing came to a close. Fishermen would "sneak" up on fish
holding by riffles and in the shallows. This method was also discarded as it
was difficult to feed a large family. Other methods had to be developed in
order for fishermen to be successful. The more successful method of netting was
developed as soon as ancient people learned how to weave. Basic and primitive
"nets" were woven out of reeds, vines, bamboo and sometimes hair. Various types
of nets, seines and traps were woven and became successful methods of catching
and trapping fish. This method of fishing is still used today and great strides
have been made in the materials used for modern day nets.
As ancient
people began to fashion tools out of wood, stone, bones and shells ancient
fishermen developed spears and learned how to use them to increase their
productivity. Spears improved over the years into what we know today. Once the
use of spears was mastered, ancient fishermen needs a way to be able to ambush
their prey from a distance. The bow and arrow evolved into an implement for
hunting and fishing. The bow and arrow enabled fishermen to catch fish from
ledge or bank in deep water. T^he gorge was the precursor to the hook. The
gorge was a shaft with a grove in the middle where a line was tied. The shaft
was tapered to a point on each end and was baited. The baited gorge was placed
lengthwise in a current and when a fish swallowed the bait the line was pulled
impaling the fish. Fishermen strived to invent an implement that was even more
successful than the gorge. The first hooks were made from bone. Steel fish
hooks were first developed in England around the ,middle 1500's.
Once
fishing hooks were developed and became widely accepted fishing lines were
developed as a means to retrieve fish hooks and caught fish. Improvements were
steadily forthcoming until the modern day fishing lines were developed. Early
rods were made of bamboo, woos and metal and have developed into the modern
materials of today such as fiberglass, graphite, boron and numerous composites.
Reels have evolved from places to store line into the modern, fine pieces of
equipment they are today. Drags were introduced and refines and lighter and
stronger materials introduced. The reels of today have evolved into fine pieces
of machinery.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BALANCED EQUIPMENTThe casting
system, like the equipment used in other sports, plays an important part in the
success or failure of its user. Fishermen need a good working knowledge of their
equipment if they expect it to perform at its best. The whole casting system
must work in harmony for top performance. Nothing is more frustrating than to
lose a good fish because your equipment malfunctions or because you are trying
to make a field repair. Fishermen also need to know just what type of equipment
is required for the type of fishing that they do. With these things in mind, we
will discuss the different types of casting equipment that is on the market and
what each style is best suited for. All casting equipment for fresh and salt
water comes in many different styles and sizes. Your equipment not only has to
feel comfortable in your hands but it must match the species of fish that you
are after. You can't go by the "label" that the manufacturer places on the
equipment but you need to look at the equipment and what you are after. For
example; a six foot rod with a "lite" action and spooled with six pound test
line is not an "ultra lite when fishing for trout but would qualify for an ultra
lite when using it for fighting bluefish. Everything is relative. Every
fisherman should have a basic working knowledge of the equipment in order for it
to perform properly. You should know how a drag works and how to set it
properly. You should know how to "pump" a rod and why and how much a rod
flexes. Look for optimum performance when performing a specific task.
ROD AND REEL RELATIONSHIP
The rod and reel relationship is a simple one. You do not put a large salt water reel that is capable of handling
fifty pound test line on a lite, fresh water rod that is designed for trout
fishing with four or six pound test line. The same holds true about using a
lite reel designed for largemouth bass for tuna fishing. The rod and reel
combination is an important part of the casting system and everything must work
in harmony in order for the angler to experience success. By using a small reel
on a rod used for striper fishing, line capacity will be insufficient for a
running fish. The opposite happens when you use a lite reel with lite line on a
heavy rod. The rod fails to flex at the tip to take the strain for a fighting
fish. Instead, the line snaps and the fish and terminal tackle is lost. This
can be a very expensive mistake. Also spinning reels have to be matched with
spinning rods in order to execute a proper cast without problems. If a
conventional rod and mount a spinning reel on it, when you try to cast the line
will balloon off the spool and be forced into a small circumference guide. This
will cause the line to jam up at the guide. When using a conventional reel and
a spinning rod the large guides of the spinning rod fail to control the line the
way it should be. The line should travel along the rod in a straight line for a
maximum cast.
REEL AND LINE RELATIONSHIP
The relationship between a reel and the line is an important and functional one. For example
using a heavy line on a reel that is designed for light line will cause
problems. The light reel has a small spool so line capacity will not be
sufficient. Further, heavier lines are much stiffer than lighter lines. When
the heavier line is spooled on the reel if takes on a small coil configuration
and will spring off the spool at the first signs of slack line development. In
reverse, when a smaller line is spooled on a large reel the pressure that is
developed by the line stretching and wanting to return to its original tension
exerts a tremendous amount of pressure. The pressure is so great that it will
either split in two a plastic or graphite spool. The pressure exerted on the
spool will also cause the top of the spool to spread apart. On conventional
reels the edges of the spool will actually rub against the side plate of the
reel preventing the spool from operating freely. When the line is not properly
matched to the reel the drag will not operate correctly within the tolerances of
the line to prevent breaking the line. An improperly working drag has been the
cause of more lost fish. The fish has to be able to pull line from the reel so
the line doesn't break.
ROD AND LURE RELATIONSHIPThe relationship
that is developed between the rod and the lire differs between fishermen. A
lure of a certain weight might be cast effectively by one fishermen but unable
to be cast by another. Each rod is designed to cast lures of certain weights.
A lure that is too big or too small will not be able to be cast effectively.
When a lure is cast with the proper weight lure the rod is allowed to bend on
the cast until it is "loaded" with maximum force to execute the best cast. When
a lure is too heavy the rod is not allowed to load properly and therefore is
unable to effectively "shoot" the lure into a beneficial cast. Likewise a lure
that is too lite fails to load the rod properly and the full potential of its
built-in power is unable to be released. In both examples the fishermen is
required to do the bulk of the work where the rod should be doing the work and
the fishermen guiding the cast. Fly rods are designed to cast the line and not
the lure. The weight of the line must be matched to the rod in order for the
rod to load or flex properly so the line can be cast by the power that is built
up in the rod.
LURE AND LINE RELATIONSHIP
The relationship of the line and the lure is extremely important to the bait fisherman, the spin
cast fishermen, the spinning fishermen because the weight of the lure actually
pulls the line from the reel. Several forces are working against the line and
the lure during the cast. These include friction between the line and guides,
wind resistance and gravity. All of these forces can be significantly reduced
by using a lite line. However the use oh a lure that is too heavy for a lite
line can create a lot of stress on the line that results in a break-off. Also,
the larger lures have heavier hooks that require a fir jerk in order to set the
hook. This sudden set can cause the line to break. Basically, the lighter the
line the further the cast. Selecting the right line is very important in
building your fishing system. When selecting the line you must consider the
type of water you will be fishing. Weedy conditions require a heavier line
while open water allows for lite line fishing. Water conditions like salt water
requires constant line checks as salt build-up on guides can cause abrasion that
takes a greater toll on lite line.
ROD LINE RELATIONSHIP.
Every rod has a range of line strengths that will work effectively. Each rod has an ideal
line weight and can be found within the manufacturers suggested line weights for
that rod. The medium weight rod is the most popular because it has the widest
range of lines that can be effectively used. It is important to properly match
the line to the rod. If the line is too strong or is rated as 12 l. test and
you use it on an ultra lite rod that is designed to handle about four pounds.
This leaves an excess of potential line strength of eight pounds more than the
rod was designed for thus creating the potential for the rod to snap. A
slightly heavier line add a bit of insurance but you would be better off
learning how to handle fish on lite line. H heavier lines do not cast as well
as the lighter lines so the use of lighter lines has an added benefit.
Hopefully, you will not spend all your fishing time casting and at some point
you will catch and fight a fish. When fighting and playing a fish the rod and
line relationship is an important one. When a hooked fish makes a strong run,
the line has to be strong enough to flex the rod without breaking it, yet lite
enough so that it does not stress the rod. Balanced combinations take into
consideration the rod, reel, line and lure. When everything is in sync the
combination works best and makes the fishing experience a pleasant one. Some
manufacturers and store owners have made it easy for the novice fisherman to
pick out a balanced system by offering balanced combinations all made up and
ready to go. Below is a chart that shows the relationship between the lure and
the line
1/8 oz lure balances with 4 pound test line
1/4 to 3/8 oz.
Lure balance with 6 pound test line
½ to 5/8 oz. Lure balance
with 8 pound test line
3/4 to 1 oz. Lures balance with 10 pound test line
1 ½ to 2 oz. Lures balance with 12 pound test line
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