“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.

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
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.
![]() |
Not called bobbers--have some dignity |
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.
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