Fishing weight release device

Abstract

A fishing weight release device for allowing a fishing weight or lead or sinker to be released upon the lure being bitten by a fish. The device is formed from a clip 7 which has an arm (7d, fig. 2) ca

Description

Field of the Invention This invention relates to a fishing weight release device, and to a fishing rig including such a device. Background to the Invention A bottom fishing rig typically has a weight or sinker tied to the end of the fishing line and one or more hooks, each tied to a hook link above the weight. The weight serves to keep the rig at the bottom of the body of water in which they are used. Examples of such rigs are referred to as paternoster rigs or helicopter rigs. The hook link is a length of line secured to the line at a distance above the weight or sinker, by tying, by an attachment swivel or by the use of an attachment bead. One problem with this type of rig is that, when a fish is caught on the hook and pulls against the line, the weight can cause a pull in a different direction risking damage to the fish. Accordingly, devices have been proposed to release the weight or sinker when the fish pulls on the line. An example of such a device is disclosed in EP2735228A1. The device is intended to attach to the end of the line and allow a loop extending from the weight to be engaged in the device, with a latching arrangement releasing the weight when the pull on the line causes a spring in the device to compress. While such a device can be effective, it is complex in construction. There is also a risk that the movable parts could become clogged by mud or other materials and cease to operate. Summary of the Invention According to the invention, a fishing weight release device comprises a body having at one end thereof a resilient clip in which a portion of a fishing line can be engaged, the clip being configured to release the line therefrom when a predetermined pulling force is applied to the line, and an arm extending from the opposite end of the body along the body, terminating adjacent to the said one end, the arm being configured to receive thereon a connecting loop for a fishing weight, the device having intermediate the ends thereof an attachment point for a fishing line such that, when an attached fishing line is released from the clip, the device pivots about the attachment point, allowing the connecting loop of the fishing weight to slide along the arm towards the end thereof. The invention further provides a bottom fishing rig, having a weight secured to the end of a fishing line and at least one hook attached to a hook link secured to the line above the weight, the weight being connected to the end of the fishing line through the fishing weight release device of the invention. Other features of the invention are set out in the claims. The device can be formed as a one-piece plastics moulding and is therefore a low-cost item, while being reliable in use, having no moving parts to become prevented from movement by mud or other contaminants. It avoids the risk of detachment of the weight when there is no fish on the hook, while ensuring easy release when a fish has been hooked. Brief Description of the Drawings In the drawings, which illustrate a fishing weight release device according to an embodiment of the invention: Figure 1 is a view of a bottom fishing rig incorporating the device, in the as-cast configuration; Figure 2 is a view corresponding to Figure 1, but following release of the line from the clip in the device; Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 2, after the weight has slid along the device to the release position; Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Figure 3, after release of the weight; Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the device with the line and weight in the configuration shown in Figure 1; Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the device from the front; Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the device from the rear; Figure 8 is a side elevation of the device; Figure 9 is a front elevation of the device; Figure 10 is a rear elevation of the device; Figure 11 is a top plan view; and Figure 12 is an underneath plan view. Detailed Description of the Illustrated Embodiment Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figure 1, a bottom fishing rig consists of a fishing line 1 extending, for example, from a reel on an angler’s rod to a fishing weight or sinker 2, which may be formed of lead or other materials. A hook link 3 consists of a short length of fishing line having a hook 4 at one end and a loop 5 (or swivel attachment) at the other end attached to a safety chod bead 6 which is positioned on the line 1 at a short distance from the weight 2. The bead 6 is configured to be friction fitted to the line 1 so that, during casting, it remains at the desired position spaced from the weight, but can slide along the line if a force is applied to it by a fish taking the hook and pulling against the line. When a fish is caught on the hook 4, it causes a pull on the hook link 3, which in turn pulls the line 1 via the chod bead 6. There is a risk that the weight 2 at the end of the line will give rise to a drag on the line in a different direction to the line 1, which could cause damage to the fish. In order to enable the weight to be released in these circumstances, the weight 2 is connected to the line 1 through a weight release device 7. The weight 2 is provided with a swivel connector 8 which has a first loop 8a at one end thereof engaging a loop 2a moulded into the weight 2. The weight release device 7 is integrally moulded from a resilient plastics material, and consists of an elongate body having at one end thereof a line clip 7a which, as may be seen more clearly from Figures 6 and 11, has a passage 7b therethrough having along one side thereof a pair of lobes 7c spaced apart by a distance less than the thickness of the line 1 and resiliently deformable so as to permit the line to be introduced into the passage 7b by drawing it between the lobes 7c. The device 7 has extending from the end thereof opposite to the line clip 7a an arm 7d which is spaced from the remainder of the device by a small distance and follows the side of the device to end adjacent to the line clip 7a, but on the opposite side of the device to it. This provides a slot 9 extending from the free end of the arm 7d through to the end of the device. The free end of the arm 7d has a portion 7e angled inwardly towards the body, which is shaped so as to maintain constant the width of the slot 9. ln use, the line 1 has a ring 10 secured to the end thereof, and this is passed over the arm 7d to a position at the end of the device where it is engaged in a recess 7f which is aligned with the passage 7b. the line is then drawn between the lobes 7c of the clip, forcing them apart resiliently so that the line can pass through the passage 7b, as illustrated in Figure 1. The loop 8a of the swivel connector 8 of the weight 2 is passed over the arm 7d to reach a position in which it rests at the lowermost point of the slot 9 immediately below the ring 10. The hook 4 has bait or a lure 11 attached and the rig can then be cast out, the weight 2 coming to rest on the ground beneath the body of water. When a fish is caught on the hook 4, the resultant pull on the link 3 transversely to the line 1 causes the chod safety bead 6 to slide down along the line 1 and into contact with the sloping surface on the front of the line clip 7a. This pulls the line 1 out of the clip 7a, as shown in Figure 2, causing in turn the device 7 to pivot about the engagement point of the ring 10 in the recess 7f. The generally transverse portion of the arm 7d at the lower end of the device thus moves from a position in which it is extending slightly upwardly, and therefore tending to retain the loop 8a of the swivel beneath the ring 10, to the position illustrated in Figure 2, in which the loop 8a has slid along the arm 7d. This sliding movement in turn causes further rotation of the device 7 about the pivot point at the ring 10, allowing the loop 8a, and with it the weight 2, to continue to slide along the arm 7d through the slot 9 to the position shown in Figure 3. The loop 10 moves along the slot 9, as may be seen from Figure 3, shifting the pivot point and increasing the rotation of the device 7 so that the portion 7e of the arm 7d that was previously generally horizontal, as shown in Figure 3, becomes angled downwardly, as shown in Figure 4, thereby allowing the weight 2 to be released and so no longer causing tension on the line 1 opposing that due to the fish on the hook 4 via the link 3.

Claims

1. A fishing weight release device, comprising a body having at one end thereof a resilient clip in which a portion of a fishing line can be engaged, the clip being configured to release the line therefrom when a predetermined pulling force is applied to the line, and an arm extending from the opposite end of the body along the body, terminating adjacent to the said one end, the arm being configured to receive thereon a connecting loop for a fishing weight, the device having intermediate the ends thereof an attachment point for a fishing line such that, when an attached fishing line is released from the clip, the device pivots about the attachment point, allowing the connecting loop for the fishing weight to slide along the arm towards the end thereof.

2. A fishing weight release device according to Claim 1, integrally moulded from a resilient plastics material.

3. A fishing weight release device according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the attachment point comprises a recess aligned with the clip.

4. A fishing weight release device according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the resilient clip comprises a bore extending axially of a portion of the body for receiving the fishing line and a pair of spaced-apart tabs extending along one side of the bore, the space between the tabs opening into the bore, the distance between the tabs being less than the diameter of the bore.

5. A fishing weight release device according to any preceding claim, wherein the arm has a first portion extending across the end of the body and a second portion extending along the side of the body.

6. A fishing weight release device according to Claim 5, wherein the first and second portions contain an angle between them of greater than 90 degrees.

7. A bottom fishing rig, having a weight secured to the end of a fishing line and at least one hook attached to a hook link connected to the line above the weight, the weight being connected to the end of the fishing line through a fishing weight release device according to any preceding claim.

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