The art of angling is one that as been with us since the dawn of recorded time, and before. It's very therapeutic to sit by a lake on a cool spring morning waiting for the fish to bite, that and it being a source of food, is probably the reason we enjoy it so much. Although the fundamentals remain the same, the equipment used for fishing has been re-invented many times through out history.



It started out as a sturdy stick, tied with a long, sturdy cord, equipped with a baited hook. The idea has remained the same, yet the equipment used for fishing has become vast in variety, and upgraded to achieve maximize efficiency. Sturdier, refined wooden poles were made, and materials like bamboo were, and still are, often used for non-reel fishing poles. But the fishing pole didn't undergo a major change until the invention of the reel. Soon fishing poles were equipped with shoddy brass reels that were sluggish and high maintenance. The invention of the reel would change most of the equipment used for fishing forever.

Soon, reels became more and more refined, letting the angler catch bigger and better game. If the fishing pole was going to keep up, new materials would have to be used to produce better durability. Eventually, the rod began to undergo changes, specifically, the use of composite materials such as fiberglass and carbon fiber. Now, fishing poles were able to withstand more and more weight. The next advancement in equipment used for fishing would be the advancement of the reel to a smooth flowing, open face reel.

Not only did the rod and reel change, but the tackle used to lure fish in changed too. For standard live bait fishing, the bobber and sinker was key. Although the sinker hasn't changed much, the bobber are now usually made from Styrofoam or hollow plastic rather than cork. Lures have come into being since the invention of the reel which allowed line to be reeled in causing the lure to move. Since then, an assortment of jigs, replicated worms and crayfish, and replicated baitfish are now made in a colorful and vast variety of shapes and sizes. The invention of the lure is possibly the biggest change in equipment used for fishing. Since the only method of attracting fish before the lure was live bait, its invention opened a whole new set of possibility for the angler. Without them, your tackle box would be filled with nothing more than spare hooks bobbers and sinkers.

So in conclusion, the spirit of fishing will always remain the same, but advancements in equipment used for fishing will occur in years ahead. There will always be a new product, but the art of angling will remain a love shared through out the world.