Different Types of Rod for Different Fishing Techniques

Fishing may seem quite straightforward to the novice, from the outside, it may appear that all that a person needs is a stick, some string, and a bit of food, throw that in the water and catch a fish – simple!

Not so, there are many different styles of fishing, all making use of complex technologies that have been years in the making. For each fishing style, there are different tools – or fishing tackle, to use the correct terminology – understanding a little about the various types of equipment used in different forms of fishing is essential. Here we will discuss one of the most important pieces of equipment, the fishing rod.

The fishing rod is clearly essential when trying to catch fish – except in the case of commercial fishing, which makes use of industrial nets instead. Fishing rods come in a variety of different styles, depending on the type of fishing the angler practices, as well as their skill level. The length of the poles varies depending on the style of fishing, but they are generally between 1m and 5m long – and this depends largely on the distance needed to project the line into the water, anglers call this casting. To the fishing rod, we add a fishing line, which is secured along the rod, and let in and out by the reel; a hook, bait, or lure, are added to the end of the line – and this is the part of the fishing tackle that induces the fish to bite.

There are different types of fishing rod used for different types of fishing. In the UK, coarse fishing is a popular hobby. The sport of coarse fishing refers to freshwater fishing, in which anglers hunt for fish besides game fish – game fish include salmon and trout. In coarse fishing, it is common to find carbon fibre rods. Carbon fibre comes in a variety of different qualities, and the price of fishing rods reflects this. It is usual for the most avid of anglers to spend upwards of £2000 on a decent carbon fibre rod. However, as a beginner, you should not be spending more than £200. The length of carbon fibre rods varies depending on the skill level of the angler, as well as on the distance needed to cast. Carbon fibre rods are lightweight, and this helps with positioning the bait in the water, casting is more accurate with a carbon fibre rod.

Next, we have fishing rods anglers use in sea fishing. Sea rods tend to be longer, heavier and thicker; anglers need weightier tackle to ensure that the bait and lure can sink to the necessary depths; salt water is denser, thus needing more force to penetrate. The most frequently seen sea rods in the UK are surfcasting rods; these are generally a lot longer than other forms of fishing rod as they need to be able to cast beyond the breaking surf.

You can probably appreciate now, the depth of knowledge and expertise required to undertake angling as a hobby. For beginners, the hobby may seem excessively complicated, this is why as a beginner, it is important to seek out the advice of professional anglers.