Why do we....

  • Thread starter Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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I am talking about the various types of weights we use at the ends of our lines of course.

What prompted this question is the possibility that in the future, lead (Pb) will be banned totally for all fishing weights, so it will be silly to carry on calling them "Leads" won't it?

In other parts of the English speaking world, these weights are almost universally known as "sinkers", which is as good a term as I can think of; because it decribes the function of the weight quite well. And it comes from the old description of fishing tackle as "Hook, Line and Sinker."

Also there is confusion. I have had anglers from other countries often ask me if a "lead" is the hooklength?

Confusion also exists between lead as in "leader", "to lead", or a dogleash. And you can hardly call those "Stonze" which are used as sinkers - "Leads" - could you?

But we also know that a fishing weight is also used as an aid to casting, and setting the hook, as in a bolt rig.

So what do you think we should be calling them? "Sinkers", "Legers" or "Fishing Weights"?
 
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The Monk

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I think lead was the term used when they started producing them from lead pb, lead weights, with was shortened to leads, the old shot tins of the 60s used to have weights embossed on the tin, sinker was a much older term used to describe what they actually did.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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And the more I think of it, the more I am convinced that the term: "Sinker" is the best of the lot.
 
Peter Jacobs

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Personally, I'd be happy with 'Legers' although why on earth we would need to change from 'leads' is beyond me.

As far a "Sinker" is concerned - its another lousy Americanism that we don't need - otherwise we'll be calling our floats "bobbers" next ;-)

There is nowt wrong with keeping to the traditional description of "Leads" though.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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If they are not made from lead, how can they be called "leads".

I think you will find Peter that the term: "Sinker", is very English indeed. It is also used in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

The only reason we might still use the term: lead, is because of tradition. I say begone with tradition! I think that logic is far more important than tradition.

It didn't take us long in this country to use the more correct term: "leader" for the rather illogical term: "cast" to describe the bit of line that connects the fly to the fly line did it? Neither did it take us long to see the immense advantages to be had from using the AFTMA system of fly line weight gradings either. Now we all talk about a "weight 6 forward taper fly line". The whole idea was conceived in the USA.

Can you imagine us going back to HDH and GFG lines?

I can't.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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And by the way, some of the pole floats are called: "bobbers".
 
Peter Jacobs

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The term "cast" was used as in; "a cast of flies" and even Coarse anglers took to using 'cast-winds' for their pre-shotted and hooked float rigs - I'm sure you rememebr that Ron as you are older than I am, and I certainly remember buying them as a kid.

Just because something is conceived in the USA doesn't make it instantly correct either - best example is to take a look at where G.W. Bush was 'conceived' (QED!)

Maybe you should go back and read "A Fiddler on the Roof" to see what happens when too many good traditions become overtaken with modernisms.

Alternatively maybe you should start to refer to your mobile as an effing Cell Phone?
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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Of course I do Peter, but they were silly old terms.

I've used the term "Cell Phone" because it's more logical and avoids confusion with a cordless phone. "Cell" is short for cellular which is eminently more correct.

And it's the name that is used in SA and Oz too.
 
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stikflote

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And so did i Monk, i have a Canadian friend whos just been over here,she was mystified at our name mobiles, its cell phone in Canada A mobile to her is a car lol
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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When I first heard the Brits talking about mobiles, I thought it was a new form of vehicular contrivance.

"You can get me on my Mobile!!!"

:eek:)
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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Hey, that's 8 bites and the season hasn't even opened yet!!!

Heee Heee Heee!!!

:eek:D
 
Peter Jacobs

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The original name was: Mobile Cellular Phone, because,

1. They were used for Mobile communications and,

2. They were connected via a cellular network of base stations (known as cell sites) which were in turn connected to the public switched telephone network or PSTN.

The exception being satellite phones.

;-)
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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The technology actually is very old and was known about almost 100 years ago.

It also costs much less than land line phones as you don't need wires and other connections. However because it is still fairly new, cellphones cost a fortune to use.

We are being ripped off quite horribly by cell phone operators.
 
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The Monk

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of interest when employees used to have time off work at one well known textile mill in Lancashire, many of the lads used to go fishing in the mill lodge, the employer having caught them one day, sacked them and everytime an employee had a day off after that, they were said to be swinging the lead (fishing), not a lot of people know that)
 
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blankety blank

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Golf clubs have not been made out of wood for 20 years, but British golfers still refer to those ypes of clubs (drivers/3 woods and fairway woods) as "woods". In the US they now call these sorts of clubs "metals" (not to be confused with "irons")

Simple really.
 
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