Fishing Tackle
Whether fishing for trout or one of the many types of coarse fish found in UK waters, you can save a great deal of money on your hobby by making your own fishing tackle and baits. Even better, you can make exactly what you need for any given angling situation. Once the only way to get the equipment necessary for angling, home-made angling supplies are increasing in popularity as the best way to get high-quality bait and tackle on a budget.
Perhaps the most commonly home-made angling supply is bait. The "boilies" that are most popular among UK's carp fishers are very commonly made at home. In fact, it's not uncommon for old-time carpers to refuse shop-bought baits entirely and use only boilies they've made themselves. Other types of home-made baits include tending your own worm bin or mixing up leftover food scraps and molasses as "ground-bait"
If you're just getting started with making your own baits, experts recommend that you pay more attention to what is palatable to the fish rather than what sort of nutrition you think they ought to have. How a bait performs in the water is also very important. The use of egg, molasses and other binding agents will keep a home-made fishing bait from falling off the hook or disintegrating too quickly.
One of the most commonly made types of fishing tackle are flies. It is a point of honor among many fly anglers to craft their own, with little more than bits of feather and string. Floating lures can be carved from balsa wood and spoons fashioned from old silverware or other scrap.
Nylon and metal leaders are also a commonly home-made type of fishing tackle. These have the advantage of allowing you to choose exactly the type of leader you'll use, allowing you to change your hook presentation depending upon what type of water you'll be working and the species of interest.
