Fishing equipment is called fishing tackle by specialists and hobbyists and it usually refers 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 referring to fishing gear comes from ‘takel’ which first meant the rigging on 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 another meaning, that of apparatus for fishing and that meaning has been retained ever since then.

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

The sinker or weight, also referred to as a plummet, is actually 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 often made of lead because it is cheap and easy to melt at home. However, lead sinkers have been outlawed 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 well-known to be poisonous, will cause the death of that animal.

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

And last but far from least, is the bait or lure, without which fishing equipment cannot be effective. A lure is a man-made device tied at the end of the line that resembles the prey of the fish you are after in every way. Its purpose is to attract the attention of the fish with its colour shape and movement. Artificial flies, tiddlers and sand eels fall under this category. When the fish eats 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.