LINE
The line used should be a reputable brand, and the right breaking
strain to suit the reel.
If the line is too thick then it will not work that well and the
frustrations of the angler will be great with line peeling off , birds
nests etc.
Also to be remembered when choosing the line, is that if you may
be fishing in abrasive conditions, speak to your tackle supplier and ask
for something that is a little more abrasion resistant. It is surprising
how grass and trees can rub and wear through your line at just the wrong
time.
When fishing in these types of conditions or you are catching a
lot of fish, continously check the line around your hook for wear and chaffing,
and retie as necessary.
If you can find a "limp" or soft line with a low amount of "memory"
(Does not stay like a spring), in the breaking strain that you require,
you will generally have found the right one for ease of use.
Do not leave spare spools of line sitting
in the sun. It will go hard and rot, and break easily.
HOOKS
This can be a very confusing area, if you look at the books with
all the different types and styles of hooks available.
(See Chapter 8
for the details you should consider when selecting what you use)
Firstly, select the size of hook that you need for the quarry you
are chasing. Its no use giving someone a 4/0 hook for bream just to keep
them happy, because they won't be happy, as they don't catch many fish,
they just get the bites (very frustrating to say the least).
The style of hook is probably less important, as they will all generally catch fish if they are the right size. The angler must be happy with the hook style as it seems to them, as it is part of the "confidence" bit.
The difference between "wire" hooks and "cast" hooks, is not really
debatable in the smaller sizes, until the anglers become more proficient
and knowledgeable, and special requirements are needed. In the bigger sizes
(?/0) sizes generally wire hooks are better.
Obviously when "Tiger" and specialist species are involved, then
it does become a little more selective and important.
VERY IMPORTANT
It is important that your hooks are sharp. Have hook file or stone
to sharpen the hooks, and test them on your thumbnail. (No
don't try to push them through)
The colour of the hook can also play a role, especially with some
of the bream species, as they seem to see the silver hooks and catches
are often better on brown hooks.
Some anglers "bend out" the hook, and others also straighten the
twist in the hooks, but this is a "specialist" kind of thing, and generally
they should have bought the right hooks in the first place.
A chart showing some of the important things about hooks is shown
in Chapter 8