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Fishing Jargon Buster
Your quick reference guide to fishing.
| Ball bearing | The part of the reel that helps it turn with as little friction as possible. |
| Bite alarms | Electronic sensors that detect the movement of your line caused by the fish. They usually have an audible alarm or light to alert the angler. |
| Bivvies | Domed tents with an opening at the front providing shelter from the elements. |
| Breaking strain | The amount of pressure a line will take before snapping. |
| Composition | This refers to the material the rod is made of, usually carbon fibre and carbon. Most rods and poles are now made of carbon fibre. Some reels may also have a carbon body and spool. |
| Disgorger | A long device to help remove the hook from a fish's mouth. Always have one with you. |
| Floats | Indicates when a fish has taken your bait. Types of floats include wagglers, pole floats and stick floats. |
| Gear ratio | How many times the spindle goes up and down with one turn of the handle. |
| Hooklength | Short length of line, of lesser breaking strength than the mainline, to which the hook is tied. It’s used because it’s less likely to be detected by the fish. |
| Keep nets | A net that’s kept in the water to keep fish safe after you’ve caught them. The fish are then usually weighed at the end of session and then put back in the water. |
| Landing net | A net attached to a long handle so you can gather the fish safely. Landing net heads come in many different shapes and sizes, but the size of the net should cater for the fish you are catching. A net should be deep enough and wide enough so that a fish fits in comfortably without its tail hanging out. |
| Legering | Bait held on the bottom by means of a weight or feeder. |
| Lengths | This is the length of rod when put together. The measurement is taken from the tip to the base of the handle. |
| Line | This comes in many forms and strengths, the most common being monofilament line made from nylon. Use as light a line as possible to prevent detection by the fish, while still ensuring that it is heavy enough to prevent breakage. Line should always be disposed of sensibly to prevent wildlife becoming caught up in it. |
| Netbags | A bag to hold a wet net or a net that smells of fish away from the main carryall. |
| Pole fishing | A fishing rod with no guides and no reel seat. The length is much longer than a conventional fishing rod. |
| Reel | There are 4 main types of reel: 1. Fixed – used mostly for coarse fishing. 2. Multiplier – used mostly with boat/surf rods. 3. Fly – used mostly with fly rods. 4. Closed face – hardly used nowadays. |
| Rod pod/rests | In carp fishing, 3 rods are usually used at the same time. The rod pod/rest is what holds all 3 rods at once and is set on the ground. |
| Seat box | A box that you sit on at the side of the water which holds all your fishing gear such as hook, lines etc. |
| Sections | The number of separate sections that make up the rod. |
| Shot | Small round pieces of metal with a groove cut half way through, which are attached to fishing line to set the correct buoyancy for a given float. |
| Test curve | An indication of the rod’s strength. As a rule, the larger the fish the stronger the rod needed ie. 2.25lb would not be as strong as 3lb. |
| Waders | Very long waterproof boots or trousers so you can walk through the water and still keep dry. |
