Have you ever been to fishing with your father or grandfather? They say it’s a way of spending some quality time with your family members. Not only that, it’s sort of a favourite pass time for millions of people all over the world.

Here, we are going to talk about a very common, yet popular way of fishing, called as Angling. This kind of fishing method uses a special hook called as “angle”, which is attached by the help of a reel to the fishing rod. This is sort of a mechanism that works extremely well for the purpose of storing, retrieving or playing the line out. The main equipments required for angling are Rods, Hooks, Line, Spoons, Baits and Reel. The best of the fishing rods used in angling are hand crafted using the premium materials and great attention to detail.

Now a days angling has become a very popular sport. “Catch and Release” is one of the most popular fishing technique generally used by recreational fishermen. Normally most of the anglers keep the fishes that they happen to catch for their own consumption but this catch and release is becoming very popular especially between the fly anglers. The rationale behind it is releasing the fish post catching it and let the fish survive further. In many parts of the world there are laws related to fishing with angles. What I mean here is that as per the prevalent law there, anglers would have to release the fish if they are below a certain size.

There are a lot of controversies around pain being caused to fishes by the anglers, just for the sake of their sport. There are also arguments against the logic which says that fishes normally feed on hard and spiky preys in the water, thus they are accustomed to the same and just biting on the bait does not make much of a difference. In Manitoba, a province in Canada its really been made mandatory that, any angler who ends up hooking a brook trout has to follow the catch and release. In case you are trying to do some fishing using angles in Ireland, you need to keep yourself enlightened about the fact that catch and release is mandatory there.

But the good question is does the fishes really feel the pain when the angle pierces them. The answer is, of course they do. There have been some experiments that have been done on a toadfish by William Travolta. In his experiment the toadfish grunted when it was exposed to some electric shocks. Then eventually it grunted even at the sight of the electrode. This certainly means they too feel the pain when pierced by the angles.

There are millions of people all over the world who simply loves to go fishing during the weekends. If you are one of them and you are a novice then this article is going to give you some amount of knowledge about your fishing equipment.

One of the most popular methods of fishing is called as “Angling”. This kind of fishing is done using an “angle” (hook). So, if you want to try your hands on this unique and popular kind of fishing technique then the first and foremost thing that you would need is a fishing rod. Anglers use fishing rods instead of a fishing pole. There is a good amount of difference between a fishing rod and a pole.

A fishing pole – It’s essentially a stick normally made of fiber glass, carbon fibre, or from bamboo splits. A fishing line is attached to the same and it’s suspended in to the water to catch fishes with an angle at the tip along with bait that could lure a fish.

Fishing rods – on the other hand when we talk of a fishing rod it essentially refers to more sophisticated fishing equipment. The fishing rods are normally fitted with casting tools, line guides, along with a reel for the line stowage. The fishing rods do vary in length to suit specific actions and the variation could be of any thing between 24 inches to 20 feet in length. You ought to know that the longer the rod is the easier it is to cast the line. Though there could be several specifications that the manufacturer might use like power, action, line weight, lure weight so on and so forth to specify the specific use of the fishing rods.

Looking at the history of the fishing rods, they would go back to the times of ancient Egypt, China, Greece and even medieval Europe, and they were called angles from which the word angling originated. Before the use of the synthetic materials for the manufacture of the fishing rods they were made out of split Tonkin bamboo or Calcutta reeds or also of ash wood. The butts of the rods were made of maple. Even today for the purpose of fly fishing the most commonly used fishing rods are made out of split Tonkin bamboo.

Talking about the design of an ideal fishing rod, it should get gradually taper starting from the butt of the rod to the tip of the same. It should be tight at all the joints while the taper of the rod should be as smooth and progressive as possible, without dead spots. In the modern days these all the rods are more or less have a perfect shape.

Just because we hook a few fishes from time to time does not mean that fishes feed over clean sandy ground in codling and whiting. This is a misconception. Swimming enables the fishes to move to areas for food supplies. Clean sand does not have food and hence fishes caught over clean sand are mostly in transit from one source of food to another. These are mostly reef ground.

The reed offers protection to the fishes. During summer months, the growth of the weed in these areas gives protection from the tidal flow. The weed growth spreads and the reef offers enough protection to the fishes. But during the winters, the weed dies. Only the heavy type weed can survive the reef structure. So the protection level falls during winters. This is the time for reef fishing as the population of the fishes are on the reef and they are not protected.

Reef fishing is also called as “Bottom Bouncing”. In this the anglers use weighty 60-100lb hand line methods so that they can catch prized eating fishes such as sweet lip, coral trout, and red emperor.

The main angling targets used during reef fishing is cod and ling. Angling has an important affect on the environment too as it is eco friendly. During reef fishing, angling needs a lot of patience as well.

In shallow areas, the weed growth will be little. Look for the rough bottom gutters that are a feature of the shallow reef marks. Fishes swim in the gutter and low edges where they find water borne food. They do not swim in the shallow reef as they do during summers.

Tides have a great effect on reef fishing. During flood tides cod on shallow reefs are better. The floods in the water makes the fishes work towards the gutters which hold food. In deep water reeds, the tide will see whiting feeding on the clean ground. As the tide increases, the fishes will work over rougher ground towards the edge of the reef.

The size of the tide will have a bearing on the catch of the fishes. Cod over shallow reef will always have the maximum catch during the big tide. Fishing is the best here.

In deep reef, fishing is difficult on big tides. But this is the time for the biggest catch. No matter whether the ground is rough, untiding will give the best results for reef fishing. If the water is shallow, then discover the gullies where it is the feeding areas of the fishes.

Deep reef fishing should be done on the drift. In winters you can try baited feathers which should be true cod feathers. They need to be tied on with lugworm. White feathers are excellent for fishing.

Going for fishing? Let us see what all we need to gear for a fishing trip. The last time I went fishing, these were the following things I packed : need rod, reel, line, flies, fly boxes, leaders, leader straightener, tippet, wadding staff, wading belt, fishing jacket, rain jacket, net, quick release lanyard for net, polarized sunglasses, flashlight buy, clipper, forceps, sun block, fisherman’s bag.

When we were a kid, we used to carry an old cane pole with a length of line. On it there was a hook and bobber. This old cane can still work in the warm weather for fishing.

I always carry a fishing vest to carry all my fishing gear. It is available at any decent sports store. Now let us make a list of everything we can keep in our fishing vest for fishing. Finalize what all is really needed, and stick to it.

1. Weights and swivels: You will need weights and swivels of different sizes. I prefer to keep mine in empty film containers as they are a convenient way to carry.

2. Hooks: Always keep some hooks for backup.

3. Stainless steel pliers: This is used to remove hooks from the fish’s mouth. Make sure you carry two of them. I personally prefer hemostats.

4. Spinners/Spoons: Keep some plastic boxes with spoons and spinners of all sizes. You must have at least two of each option.

5. Match sticks and a lighter kept in a Ziploc bag: It is always better to keep this while going fishing as you never know when you will need a fire.

6. Bait bag: Just hook on a bait bag along your vest as it is the easiest way to carry live baits. If you do not want to buy one, you can also make one at home.

7. Power bar: Something to eat if you are hungry.

8. Waterproof flashlight: During dark, you can flash light even 2 miles away.

9. Nail clipper: You should always keep them while going fishing.

10. Wader repair kit: will be needed when you pop a hole in your wader and you are 2 miles away from your truck and its raining.

Angling is a sport fishing which requires a lot of patience. If you are gearing for an angling, then the basic equipment required will be rod, line, spoon, hooks and reel. So make sure you remember to keep these while planning an angling.

Keeping theses ten things with you while going fishing will be safe. You may also add something else to which you might think is important. But these are the basic necessity for a happy and safe fishing trip.

A fishing line is a cord which is used for angling. The main parameters for fishing line are length, material and weight. It is the most important thing between the angler and fish. It is the fishing line that keeps the hook, rods and reels together. Depending on the situation, you need to choose the right fishing line which is a difficult task. Many anglers do not take this into consideration and may lose fishes.

When the hook is attached to the fishing line, it functions as a mechanism retrieving the line. Angling is a method of sport fishing. It is very enjoyable if you have got the time as it requires a lot of patience. Angling also has methods of conservation. Angling makes fishing eco friendly. No matter which fishing line you choose, if the angling is right, then your catch will definitely be good.

There are mainly three different types of fishing lines, namely, monofilament, braided and fluorocarbon lines. All these three are in their place. While choosing a line it is also important to see how thick it is. All lines look the same, but there are subtleties which make them better than the others.

The most popular fishing line is monofilament. More than 66 percent of all fishing lines sold are monofilament. It was invented in 1930 and is a plastic line made of nylon. Melted plastic is poured into a tube which gives it the shape of a line. The meaning of mono is single and this is a single strand of line. This fishing line receives more quality control and is more abrasion resistant. That is why it is more expensive than the others. It can be used for heavy fishing and rough conditions like rocks. It is extra tough.

Braided lines were the preferred line for many anglers before the monofilament line came. These fishing lines are resistant to abrasion. This fishing line is very strong that you may even have trouble breaking it when you finally get a snag. Hence, the fish you caught is very unlikely to break it. It still lacks behind the monofilament fishing lines. It is one of the strongest types of fishing line if we talk about the diameter.

The fluorocarbon fishing line is made from polymer of fluorine which is bonded to carbon. This line has a lot of advantages over the other fishing lines. This comes closest to the refractive index of water. Hence it is almost invisible under the water. Even ultraviolet rays do not affect this line. It does not float and lets you to bait and falls faster and quicker and deeper into the water.

During winter months, fishing does not come to a standstill. There are many anglers who enjoy the winters. They find it to be an ideal weather and get ready to face challenges of angling on frozen lakes and waterways.

Let us discuss about the benefits of fishing during the winters. It offers a lot of advantages to the fisherman because of the off season angling.

1. There is a lot of calmness of fishing on ice: Fishing can be done of the ice on a bright day by putting up a tent or house which is easily portable and can be put on the ice. Even if the weather is freezing, you can keep a portable heater inside the tent and fish inside the tent. If the weather is good and the weather is not windy, then you can also put your chair outside on a clear spot on the open ice. You need to simply drill a hole on the ice and sit back and wait for your catch. Ice fishing is more relaxing than summer fishing. Lots of people find winter months difficult to sit out and fish and hence prefer summer fishing.

2. There are fewer crowds for ice fishing: Since summer months are more popular for fishing, there is not much of a crowd for ice fishing. It is more peaceful with not much people around and there are more chances of making good catches. There is more variety and quantity of fishes available. Not many anglers are there present. It is more relaxing way to have a fishing expedition.

3. Tackles needed for ice fishing: Do not use a bait of fly fishing method. Try to use a reel and jigging rod instead. Less equipment will be required for ice fishing than normal fishing. This makes ice fishing trip safer for children and makes the entire trip more family oriented. Not much things are required to carry.

Tip up is a particular type of rod holder which is obtained. It keeps the line under the water and has a flag at the end of the rod. This makes it visible to see the fish biting under the line. For ice fishing, longer lines are needed. This is because food and fishes move deeper under the water as they look for a warmer place. The fishes are not available as they are in summer.

4. There are many ice fishing tournaments: Ice fishers gather all in one area and make it a social event. There are many ice fishing tournaments held. There are many spontaneous fishing competitions held and make the trip enjoyable to the fullest. The event is made more exciting as many areas conduct ice fishing tournaments.