Facts About Fishing Gear

In fishing, it is very important to an angler's success that he starts with the proper equipment. He may purchase or own the finest equipment in the world, but when it is assembled and put into use, it may prove to be a very decided handicap.

To guard against this, it is important that the individual items of tackle be properly balanced one with the other. Unbalanced equipment has been responsible for more difficulties and failures of beginners than any other single factor.

Fishing Rod

To fish with a good rod is to really enjoy fishing. It is much easier to learn with a good rod than with one of an inferior quality. This is no commercial plug to encourage the sale of expensive rods, but just a word of warning to prevent any possible or unnecessary discouragement because of using a rod that would be decided handicap to a competent caster.

Fishing Lines

This item of fishing gear must be selected with some careful considerations if anglers are expecting to enjoy fishing or casting.

This is because the size and weight of fishing lines made by various manufacturers are not entirely uniform, that is, the diameter of the line by one manufacturer may be slightly larger or smaller than a line by another manufacturer even though both bear the same size marking.

The Leader

The leader is also a very important item, and unless it is selected with care and consideration in comparison with the size of the line, the caster will have trouble in making it extend straight out from the line when casting.

The chief function of the leader is to serve as an invisible connection between the line and the lure.

Fishing Flies or Lures

The flies may range in size, from the tiniest used, which might be number 18 or 20, up to flies tied on number-2 hooks or larger. The heavier flies or lures create; more wind is needed. It also requires the use of heavier equipment or more power on the part of the caster during the back cast and forward cast.

Reels

The reel may be automatic or single action, but in any event, it should be larger enough to hold the usual 30 yards of fishing line without crowding it on the reel spool.

The reel should weigh from 1 ¼ to 1 ½ as much as the bare rod. The reel itself is of no specific use in casting or fishing except as a storage place for the line.

Consequently, the entire equipment should always be in good condition. Other wise, achieving success in fishing is impossible.

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Clownfish Trivia

Clown fish are between two and five inches long. They are recognized by their orange scales with black and white stripes. Clown fish are so called because of the way they swim in a 'bobbing' fashion rather than smoothly through the water. Clown fish are a great community fish. Clown fish live in small groups with a well established hierarchy. They live their life in the tropical parts of the ocean among sheltered reefs or shallow lagoons.

There are 28 species of clown fish. The Tomato Clown fish and the Percula Clown fish are two of the easiest and most frequently kept Clown fish species. The name Clownfish has probably been coined due to their vivid colouration and captivating behaviour. Clownfish and anemone fish are fishes from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family. They are related to a group of small, brightly colored fish called damselfish. Clownfish lay their eggs in bunches on the coral or rocks that are near the anemones. They are popular in marine aquariums since they are very beautiful and display vivid colours. They are usually quite active fish, which is often mistaken for "clowning around".

Clown fish live by a mutual relationship with sea anemones, or in some cases settle in some varieties of soft corals. Clown Fish are usually not eaten by other fish because they are kept safe by the stinging tentacles of the anemone. They are the only fish that can live in sea anemones without being stung by the anemone's tentacles. Thus the clown fish are safe from predators and in return they mount a fierce defence in the event of any threat to their host. Clown fish are a series of 28 marine species that can all withstand the sting of anemones.

The male guards the eggs until they hatch 4-5 days later. The male then cares for the babies until they all reach maturity, at which time they leave to find their own host anemone. Clownfish also have the ability to change sex, where the most dominant male will become a female, and can successfully produce offspring. The largest male will be at the top of the hierarchy and eventually morph into a female. The second largest male will form a couple with her and they will breed.

The rest of the males are simply hang-arounds. If the female is killed or otherwise removed from the group, the largest male will turn into a female and the largest of the non-breeding males will become a breeding male. If the male is killed or otherwise removed from the group, the second-largest male will simply take his place and his reproductive system will become activated. If the male is killed or otherwise removed from the group, the second-largest male will simply take his place and his reproductive system will become activated.


Clownfish can be bred in an aquarium, and the offspring have been raised successfully for many years. Clownfish will spawn all year round laying their eggs in large batches.

The anemones eat other fish, and the clownfish feeds on the remains. Some say that they have mucus that covers the body of the clownfish to protect it from being stung. This slime seem to be species dependent, because if you give your Clownfish a new type of anemone in the aquarium the fish will need some time to acclimatize itself to the new species. Rather than being mostly protein-based like most fish, the mucus layer on the clownfish contains more sugar. For some reason, this doesn't trigger the strike of the anemone, possibly because the coating on the clownfish is similar to that of the anemone. Kevin conducts Party Wall Surveys, and deals with Party Wall Agreements. In his spare time he enjoys scuba and freediving.

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Fish Trivia

All fish have a backbone.

All fish are cold-blooded.

The walking catfish is known as Frankenfish.

There are three classes of fish: jawless, cartilaginous, and bony.

Fish have been around for 500 million years.

There are about 25,000 different species of fish alive today.

There are about 20,000 different species of bony fish alive today.

Fish are identified by: a combination of the number of fins and their characteristics, scale counts, general features, colour, maximum length and distribution are used.

There are more species of fish than all the species of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals combined.

40% of all fish species inhabit fresh water, yet less than .01% of the earth's water is fresh water.

The spotted climbing perch is able to absorb oxygen from the air and will crawl overland using its strong pectoral fins.

Some fish like sharks don't posses an air bladder to help keep them afloat and must either swim continually or rest on the bottom.

Fish keeping began with the Sumerians more than 4,500 years ago.

The first display aquarium opened in 1853 at Regent's Park in London.

First time freshwater fish owners spend an average of $27.00 on fish when starting up
their new aquariums.

Students who are fish owners score the highest on both math and verbal SATs, with a combined score 200 points higher than non-pet owners.

High schoolers who keep fish or other pets have an average GPA of 3.5, versus
non-pet owners at 3.2.

Fish have a specialized sense organ called the lateral line which works much like radar and helps them navigate in dark or murky water.

The largest fish is the great whale shark which can reach fifty feet in length.

The smallest fish is the Philippine goby that is less than 1/3 of an inch when fully grown.

Some species of fish have skeletons made only of cartilage.

Fish have excellent senses of sight, touch, taste and many possess a good sense of smell and 'hearing'.

A fish is an animal which lives and breathes in water. All fish are vertebrates (have a backbone) and most breathe through gills and have fins and scales. Fish make up about half of all known vertebrate species.

Unlike other relaxation techniques, attending to a fish tank is a spontaneously initiated activity. The brain is programmed to attend to water and the movement of fish, therefore no training or practice is necessary to experience stress reduction.

Fish have been on the earth for more than 450 million years.

Fish were well established long before dinosaurs roamed the earth.

There are over 25,000 identified species of fish on the earth.

It is estimated that there may still be over 15,000 fish species that have not yet been identified.

Freshwater fish owners maintain an average of 13 fish and nearly one-in-eight U.S. households keep fish as pets.

Aquarium fish are the most popular pet in America, with nearly 12 million households
owning more than 158,600,000 fish.

Research and experimental evidence indicates fish aquariums lower blood pressure in
both hypertensive and normal subjects.

There are 27,000 fish species in the world.

A female ocean sunfish can produce more eggs than any other fish; 300 million in one spawning.

The fastest fish in the ocean is the sailfish. It can swim 68 miles per hour (110 kilometers.)

Freshwater fish inhabit all sorts of environments: streams, rivers, lakes, springs, lands, lagoons, billabongs, backwaters, estuaries, swamps, dune lakes, reservoirs, ponds and drains. Some freshwater fish also spend part of their lifecycle at sea.

Some fish make sounds by grating their teeth and others like some catfish make sounds from their air filled swim bladder.

Some species of fish can fly (glide) others can skip along the surface and others can even climb rock.

An ichthyologist is a person who studies fish.

Fish feel pain and suffer stress just like mammals and birds.

Tropical fish are one of the most popular pets in the U.S.

95% of tropical fish mortality results from improper housing and nutrition.

Many tropical fish sold in the United States are harvested from the wild in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America.

In some species the males and females have different shaped bodies or different colouring; in other species there is no visible difference.

Some fish have lungs and breathe air, but most breathe through gills. Gills are made up of thin sheets of tissue richly supplied with blood vessels.

The most poisonous fish on Earth is the puffer fish. Just .1 gram of toxin can kill an adult in 20 minutes or less.

There is extensive medical evidence indicating that aquariums are a highly effective means of alleviating stress even in difficult situations such as dental surgery.

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