GB2363958A - Back lead or other weight for use in angling - Google Patents

Abstract

A back lead or other weight 10 for use in angling which is provided with an opening mechanism 12 through which the line (52 of fig 5) passes when the back lead 10 is in use, the opening mechanism 12 being constructed and arranged so that it will only open when a strike is made. The opening mechanism 12 may comprise a pivotable member 26 which is pivotable about a pivot 24 of the opening mechanism 12.

Description

2363958 -1 Back lead or other weight for use in angling The present

invention relates to a back lead or other weight for use in angling to hold a portion of a fishing line at the hook end substantially horizontal against the water bed or in a generally more horizontal angle than it would otherwise be so as to reduce the likehihood that a fish approaching a hook will detect a line It will be appreciated that the back lead or other weight may itself be nearer to the rod than the hook to achieve this, as long as the line at the hook end is horizontal or more horizontal than it otherwise would be.

Previous constructions of such a weight have involved a more or less permanent attachment of the weight to the line As a result, when a fish is hooked, it is possible for the weight to interfere with play For example, it may get caught in weeds, even to the extent that these are trapped and jam the line altogether, or the weight may spin on the line and jam it or reduce the extent to which it can be paid out or reeled in.

The present invention seeks to provide a remedy.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a back lead or other weight in accordance with the opening paragraph of the present specification in which the back lead or other weight is provided with an opening mechanism, through which the line passes when the back lead or other weight is in use, the opening mechanism being so constructed and arranged that it will not readily open under conditions in which the said portion of the fishing line is so held, but will readily open when a strike is made.

Preferably, for retrieval purposes, the back lead or other weight may be provided with its own retrieval line.

Preferably, the opening mechanism comprises a pivotable member which is pivotable about a pivot of the opening mechanism.

The latter may be provided with a narrowed portion.

The transition between the narrowed portion and the rest of the pivotable member may be smooth to reduce the likelihood of snagging of the opening mechanism on the line, and to reduce the likelihood of wear on the line.

It is desirable for the opening mechanism to be provided with a generally L-shaped portion under which an end of the pivotable member, which is further from its pivot, is received The opening mechanism may be generally U-shaped, one arm of the 'U' being constituted by a support for the pivot, and the other arm being constituted by the L-shaped portion The opening mechanism may be provided with attachment means to enable such a retrieval line to be attached to the back lead or other weight This attachment means may define an imaginary axis of the back lead or other weight constituted by a line passing through the centre of the back lead or other weight and the attachment means.

Preferably, the pivot axis of the pivotable member is generally perpendicular to the axis of the back lead or other weight.

The angle which the pivotable member makes with that axis when it is in its closed position may be in the range from 30 to 60 , with the pivot end of the pivotable member being further from the attachment means than the other end of the pivotable member.

Preferably, this angle is substantially 45 .

An example of a back lead made in accordance with the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the back lead with a pivotable member thereof in a closed position; Figure 2 shows a plan view of the back lead; Figure 3 shows a side view of the back lead, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrow III in Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a further plan view of the back lead with the pivotable member thereof in an open position; and Figure 5 shows an elevational view of the back lead shown in Figures 1 to 4 in use in combination with a retrieval line therefor, as well as a rod, main line and rigging.

Figures 1 to 3 show a back lead 10 provided with an opening mechanism 12 supported on an integral mounting plate 14 attached to a top of the leadweight 10.

Generally U-shaped attachment means 16 are provided at ;;; a a I a one end of the back lead 10, which means define an imaginary axis 18 passing through the attachment means 16 and the centre of the back lead 10 The opening mechanism 12 comprises a generally U-shaped block 20 having as one of its arms a pivot support 22 through which extends a pivot pin 24 generally at right angles to the axis 18 The pivot pin 24 passes through a pivot end of a pivotable member 26, the latter thereby being able to pivot about the pivot pin 24.

The pivotable member 26 has a narrowed central region 27, the transition from this narrowed region to the rest of the pivotable member 26 being smooth.

The other arm of the U-shaped block 20 is constituted by an L-shaped portion 28 which is so arranged that the end of the pivotable member 26, which is further from the pivot pin 24, fits in the inside of the L-shaped portion when the pivotable member 26 is in its closed position, as shown in Figures 1 to 3 As is evident from Figure 2, the angle between the pivotable member 26 in this closed position and the axis 18 is substantially 45 , although alternative constructions are possible in which this angle is anywhere between 30 and , and even beyond this range As shown in Figure 4, the pivotable member 26 can pivot about the pivot pin 24 away from the L-shaped portion 28 so that it adopts the position it has in Figure 4.

If the opening mechanism is viewed as a gate, it is closed when it is in the position of Figure 2, and open when it is in the position of Figure 4.

When the back lead shown in Figures 1 to 4 is prepared for use, with a rod 50 away from which extends a main fishing line 52 to the distal end of which is attached a rigging 54, the pivotable member 26 is opened, the main line 52 is inserted through the opening mechanism between the two arms of the U-shaped block 20 closer to the mounting plate 14 than the pivot member 26, so that when the latter is returned to the closed position as shown in Figure 2, the line extends between the arms of the U-shaped block 20 and cannot readily escape therefrom in view of the pivotable member 26 When the back lead 10 is released therefore, it slides down the main line 52 to a position away from the rod 50 closer to the rigging 54 until it reaches the water bed.

In this way, it holds that part of the main line 52 which is closer to the rigging in a generally horizontal orientation, reducing the likelihood that a fish will detect the line and be spooked by it Upon making a strike, however, the main line 52 will rise and become more taut and, in these circumstances, the pivotable member 26 will flip to the open position as shown in Figure 4 so as to release the back lead from the line.

If a retrieval line 56 has already been attached to the attachment means 16 of the back lead 10, this will enable the user to retrieve the back lead after a strike has been made.

Modifications and variations to the illustrated back r 9 @ O lead may occur to the reader without taking the resulting construction outside the scope of the present invention.

For example, an end of the retrieval line 56 may be cast into the back lead 10 so as to avoid the need for the attachment means 16.

Claims (13)

Claims:

1 A back lead or other weight for use in angling to hold a portion of a fishing line at the hook end substantially horizontal against the water bed or in a generally more horizontal angle than it would otherwise be so as to reduce the likehihood that a fish approaching a hook will detect a line, in which the back lead or other weight -is provided with an opening mechanism, through which the line passes when the back lead or other weight is in use, the opening mechanism being so constructed and arranged that it will not readily open under conditions in which the said portion of the fishing line is so held, but will readily open when a strike is made.

2 A back lead or other weight according to claim 1, in which the back lead or other weight is provided with its own retrieval line.

3 A back lead or other weight according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the opening mechanism comprises a pivotable member which is pivotable about a pivot of the opening mechanism.

4 A back lead or other weight according to claim 3, in which the pivotable member is provided with a narrowed portion.

5 A back lead or other weight according to claim 4, in which the transition between the narrowed portion and the rest of the pivotable member is smooth to reduce the likelihood of snagging of the opening mechanism on the line, and to reduce the likelihood of wear on the line.

6 A back lead or other weight according to any one of claims 3 to 5, in which the opening mechanism is provided with a generally L-shaped portion under which an end of the pivotable member, which is further from its pivot, is received.

7 A back lead or other weight according to claim 6, in which the opening mechanism is generally U-shaped, one arm of the 'U' being constituted by a support for the pivot, and the other arm being constituted by the Lshaped portion.

8 A back lead or other weight according to any one of claims 3 to 7, in which the pivot axis of the pivotable member is generally perpendicular to an axis of the back lead or other weight.

9 A back lead or other weight according to any one of claims 3 to 8, in which the angle which the pivotable member makes with that axis when it is in its closed position is in the range from 30 to 60 , with the pivot end of the pivotable member being further from the attachment means than the other end of the pivotable member.

A back lead or other weight according to claim 9, in which the said angle is substantially 45 .

11 A back lead or other weight according to any preceding claim, in which the opening mechanism is provided with attachment means to enable a retrieval line to be attached to the back lead or other weight.

12 A back lead or other weight according to claim 11, in which the attachment means defines an imaginary axis of the back lead or other weight constituted by a line passing through the centre of the back lead or other weight and the attachment means.

13 A back lead or other weight substantially described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.