Fishing tips for beginners part 6 Fishing tackle

You do not need to get the most expensive gear out there. You need functional mid range tackle to start with and the more you fish and the better you get so the more tackle you can buy specifically for that task.

I am looking at this as your fist set of tackle and you want something that can be used for a range of applications and I would suggest the following for an all-round set up. This type of gear will work for harbour fishing, pier fishing and some rock, estuary and beach marks. There is no true one size fits all, you will have to comprimise and take local advice. Fishing tackle is like any sporting equipment, the more role specific it becomes the less forgiving it is.

Fishing reel

A mid sized fixed spool reel will set you up nicely. It will cope with heavy lure work, pier fishing and everything mentioned above.

Casting with a fixed spool reel is quite easy and requires a lot less skill than a multiplier for basic casts.

£30 - £40 should buy you a nice reel, if looked after should last you a few good seasons.

Fishing rod

A soft through action, meaning as it sounds a rod that flexes easily and gently without snapping back straight, taking the curve from the tip gradually down towards the butt would be a good option. A rod of this make up will not fight you back and will allow for initial mistakes in casting and playing fish.

10 to 12 foot would be sound. Shorter makes rock and pier fishing hard, longer makes it very ungainly and hard to use for the beginner.

You need to think what type of fishing you are going to do most often. A lighter casting weight will suite the pier / estuary angler, if casting distance is more important then consider a heavier casting weight. A casting weight of 1- 3 ozs is considered light 3 – 6 is moderate 4 – 8 is heavy.

Fishing line

You will hear a lot about braid and new hi-tech lines which out fish standard mono filament. Don’t worry and stick to good old fashioned mono. It’s far more forgiving than many of the new lines on the market and until you become confident at what you are doing stick to the old favourite.

Rigs and end gear

When you have decided on the location you are going to fish and your target species take advice from you local tackle dealer and get good quality rigs, weights and other end gear. As you get into the sport more you can start making your own equipment.

If you have any questions or feel the information written on this article could be improved, please comment on this post.