In-Terminable Tackle Talk

“Wait,” said FisherSpouse in that guarded way he has developed lately. “You’re starting an LLC?”

“Actually,” Fishergarten said, “You, me and Kickstarter are. I’m working on the project page now.”

Fishergarten is almost sure she told FisherSpouse about the business startup, but maybe that was still on her to-do list. She can’t quite remember. She let out the line.

Belongs in the Louvre

“So, we know from ‘Fishing for Dummies’ that terminal tackle ‘refers to the equipment that accompanies your line on its way to the fish.’ It’s often tarted up with bait or lures to coax the fish into biting the hook. With me so far?”

“I think I’ve got it,” he said dryly.

“So imagine you’re all excited about the Walleye you heard about near the dam on Rifle Gap reservoir last summer,” Fishergarten continued. “You grab your gear from the car and pick your way down the dam’s cauterizingly hot rocks to reach the water’s edge. There you are, perched precariously in your melting trailrunners, wishing you had your wader boots and feeling faint from the heat, when suddenly, dang, you realize you brought a coldwater-fish potluck instead of the warm-water Walleye menu you meant to pack. Those Walleye are no doubt teaming right out of your line of vision, grumpy and hungry while you’re empty-handed.”

“That doesn’t happen when you actually plan a fishing trip,” he said.

“Next, imagine a truck pulls up at that moment with all the warm-water terminal tackle and bait you could want. Well, that truck is us. With a little Kickstarter crowd funding, we can have our lake-specific TerminalTackle2Go fleet circling Colorado lakes by ice-off.”

She waited.

“Here’s the artist’s rendering of the truck,” she added helpfully.

 

FisherSpouse scanned the artistry, and Fishergarten thought she heard him mumble something about Terminal Tacky2Go, but she couldn’t be sure.

Clearly, she was fishing in the wrong water and would need to work on that line at some point. Instead, Fishergarten temporarily turned her attention to building a tackle box instead of a business.

Her research showed that that fishing line has active roles in

Not called bobbers--have some dignity

how one uses tackle and bait, but it’s best to stay simple when starting out. Three basic lines will work, but only one – monofilament – for beginners. If she is reading this right, that line is measured by test and to avoid test anxiety, she should get the right weight for her rod and reel. Fishergarten’s 12.84 came with 6 lb test, meaning it can reel in a 6 lb fish without breaking, assuming Fishergarten ever catches anything heavier than one ounce.

It’s the terminal tackle and the bait, though, that comprise the operational stuff. Fishergarten hasn’t shopped much yet, but has spent a lot of time learning the lingo and tutoring herself in tackle by poring through product catalogs, like this, this, and this.

Per Fishing for Dummies: "Don't chew lead sinkers."

Meantime, Fishergarten has practiced casting and reeling with exactly one lure, not including the three she left in Twin Lakes, Colorado, a.k.a. “The Lake of Hidden and Hookable Rocks.”

“Not so hidden if you pay attention,” FisherSpouse said peevishly. His eyes grew misty and distant, remembering the lures. “Those were some real beauties.”

“Well,” Fishergarten said comfortingly, “We can help. Let’s make sure it doesn’t happen to the next unsuspecting couple. Just sign right here and those TT2Go trucks are up and rolling.”

Next week, we’ll cover the make of the lake. But what about you, FisherFriends? What’s your bait? Use the comments section to throw us a few lines on what you packed into your inaugural tackle box.