Weights - all you need to know

Weights are somewhat overlooked but are very important in almost all forms of freshwater fishing with the exception of fly fishing where the line is heavy to allow for casting, spinning and lure fishing where it is integral to the lure and free lining methods where the concept is to present the bait as naturally as possible.

The purpose of weights in coarse fishing methods is twofold. To provide the ability to cast and to sink the line and the hook bait to where the fish are expected to be feeding.

The distance from the bank one wishes to fish is directly proportional to the weight requirement i.e. the heavier the tackle the further one can fish from the bank.

In order to get the hook bait down to the fish the depth and flow need to be considered heavier rigs will be required in fast flowing rivers whereas for catching 'on the drop' on still waters a lighter rig would be utilised.

Weights come in a number of guises, but the most popular by far are split shot. As the name suggests they are round in shape with a slpit across it's diameter this allows them to be squeezed onto the line. Once a shot has been attached to the line NEVER move it up and down the line without loosening it first - this will weaken the line and in extreme cases snap it requiring the rig to be re-made. When attaching Wagglers with larger shots a small piece of silicon rubber sleeve can be attached to the line and the shot sqeezed onto this. Now when adjusting the depth the silicon acts as a cushion and the line remains undamaged.

Another form of weight is the styl - these are shaped like an open cylinder which are sqeezed onto the line using using styl pinchers. The theory is because they are more streamlined than shot they produce a more natural fall of small hook baits particularly if fishing 'on the drop'. The are also useful close to the hook when fishing with hemp to avoid false bites where otherwise the fish may confuse the shot for hemp.

Olivettes originated in France where pole fishing took of in Europe. They are used as bulk weights on pole fishing rigs with either styls or shot to complete the rig. Styls are either threaded on to the line and stopped with a shot or kept in place with small pieces of silicon rubber similar to a float.

If you were looking for Ledger weights then click this link.

The links below will take you to more specific details on a whole range of currently available fishing tackle in the worldwide maket today and hopefully will help you to make an informed decision if you are looking to by any of these products.