Is the use of modern terminal tackle intuitive!

[mikench]

I pose the question following an occurrence today. To to relieve the boredom I went to spend a penny and a guy rooting around in the grass caught my eye! He asked me if I had good eyesight as he had dropped his 4" hooklength and couldn't find it! He admitted he had forgotten his glasses! He told me he had never fished before and was due to meet his son for some guidance but he had not, as yet, turned up! Son had given him a rod, reel and a takeaway carton containing a Preston method feeder, a pack of banded hair rig hooks to nylon for the feeder, a disgorger, and a pair of scissors!
All was going to be revealed when son arrived!

Dad had threaded the rings of the rod but was completely flummoxed how to attach the line to the feeder and how to attach the hooklength ! The pack of hooks only contained 2 hooks and he had lost both in the grass! Luckily I located both and proceeded to show him what to do. I asked him if he had a quick change bead. He looked vacant! I said it probably looked like a green rubber grommet! A light went on and he rummaged in his pocket and produced one! He admitted he hadn't a clue what it was and even now he couldn't imagine how a hook length and his main line could be connected to it! Would you think to pull one apart to find the hole for the line and the groove for the hooklength! I think not! I set it up for him and left him to it! I also dampened his pellets as he didn't know he had to do this! Son never turned up and the chap had gone within the hour!

If you had never fished before would you have worked it out from the equipment provided? I know I wouldn't!

 

[tigger]

I pity any fish unfortunate enough to be caught by him!

 

[mikench]

I doubt he caught any!!

 

[john step]

I think I would have been flumoxed if this tackle was available when I started fishing. However when I started it was with a rudimentry rod made of dowling with a wooden reel screwed to the end, one float that was of the grayling type.
So simple even as a child that was self evident.

 

[fishcatcher60]

I pity any fish unfortunate enough to be caught by him!

The fella shouldn't have been on his own and obviously needed guidance.
I take it you started as an expert then.

 

[thecrow]

I would have struggled to know what to do with that tackle, when I started fishing at the age of 8 I relied on my dad for the basics but as he didn't fish it was very basic fishing that I did, I didn't catch a fish for over a year, perhaps if his son had supplied a float things would have been a bit clearer to him?

 

[Molehill]

Son is a plonker and probably lost another potential angler for ever, give a total novice ( an adult, not a kid) tackle he has no idea how to put together and then not bother to turn up.
No further comment.

 

[stillwater blue]

I'm self taught and no option but to figure it out for myself 30 years ago, with the rise of youtube and commerical fisheries the beginner today has it easy!

 

[Philip]

Its not intuitive at all and I suspect the only thing most non anglers would know is that the hook gets tied to the end of the line. Even then if it was a spade end it would probably confuse them.

Thats not a dig at beginners by the way. Everyone has to start somewhere.

 

[Jelster]

Some of us use YouTube..... :wh

 

[108831]

Look,things have always been the same,if you want to learn you read and ask questions,either from other anglers or tackle shops,some advice will be rubbish,but you will learn and you will continually try modern gizmos,I use a maver hair rig tyer whilst barbel fishing and yes I can tie them by hand,but with this tyer I can set the hair length and it remains that length until I reset it,superb,just one bit of kit that has helped my angling over the years.

 

[nicholaslukey]

To to relieve the boredom I went to spend a penny and a guy rooting around in the grass caught my eye

Mike for an opening sentence that's a stunner lol.

 

[sam vimes]

Terminal tackle, of any era, has never been remotely intuitive to any complete beginner. There have always been odds and sods that would leave an experienced angler bamboozled if they were handed to them without any explanation or context.
I find some old items of tackle, from before my time, leave me really puzzled without any explanation forthcoming. They are invariably items that never really took off and weren't developed further by the trade. If you lived through the period that they were current, you may stand a chance, if you didn't, you are likely to be stumped.

 

[steve2]

When I go into a tackle shop these and look at the shelves I think what the hell do we need all this for we only want to catch a fish. Some of the rigs and bits and pieces you need a degree in science and technology to work out how they go together.
Do they catch you more fish I doubt it but they do sell so someone thinks they do.

 

[mikench]

Thanks for all the replies! I agree Tackle is not intuitive in its use! That poor chap probably has been put of for life! I offered to loan him a pellet bander jobby but he reckoned he could do it by hand! I can't unless I've got all day and not bothered about fishing!!

 

[Jelster]

I have to say, returning to the sport after a 5-6 year break, I wandered in to "Eric's Angling" at Farlows and just didn't have a clue what half the stuff on the shelves was.

So many hooklength materials, Carp rods that are so thin yet offer 3lb TC's, and what are these "barrow" things? Bite alarms about half the size of mine, the goal post rod pod systems.....

Method feeders, not really popular 5 or 6 years ago, are now all the rage, and all the bait additives & flavourings.

Really did my head in, I came home and did some more research before going back and parting with any cash.

 

[S-Kippy]

Of all the very many gizmo's available nowadays ( some brilliant, others not so much) the one that has ALWAYS defeated me is the hook tier. I have tried...believe me I have tried...but I just do not get it and never have. Likewise the whip finish tool used by fly tiers. Utterly defeats me.

Fortunately my eyesight is still good enough and fingers nimble enough to tie hooks down to as small as I need and I have enough flies to last me seversl lifetimes.

 

[xenon]

given the amount of free info on youtube/google/ etc. I'm surprised this chap didn't at least do some homework before venturing out? I was fortunate enough to be taught by my dad who was/is a very good angler-how i would have got on when I started 40 years ago without info, I dread to think.

 

[fishcatcher60]

Not everyone has access to the internet.

 

[Jelster]

Not everyone has access to the internet.

Really? I thought that was only the over 80's. You even get access to the web in prison these days