Terminal Tackle Explained

Terminal tackle, also called end tackle, is everything on the business end of your main line apart from the bait: hooks, hooklinks, swivels, clips, beads, weights, feeders, floats and stops. It is the cheapest part of your kit and the only part a fish actually touches.

It is also where tackle shops lose beginners. One wall holds hundreds of small packets, and most of them are optional. Korda’s own beginner guide to carp terminal tackle says you don’t need most of it to get started, and that buying everything gets in the way more than it helps.

This guide works up the line from the hook, sets out the lead weight law in England, explains what fishing beads do, and finishes with a minimum kit for coarse, carp and predator fishing.

What Counts as Terminal Tackle (and Is It the Same as End Tackle?)

In UK usage, terminal tackle and end tackle mean the same thing: the gear between the end of your main line and the fish. Here is the full cast list, so the rest of this page has a map.

Component	What it does	Where it sits
Hook	Holds the bait and hooks the fish	The very end of the rig
Hooklink (hooklength)	A short, separate length to the hook	Swivel or main line to hook
Swivel	Stops line twist and joins main line to hooklink	Where main line meets hooklink
Snap link or quick-change bead	Quick swaps without retying	Main line or end of a trace
Lead clip	Holds a lead that drops off if the line breaks	Above the hooklink on carp rigs
Shot and leads	Cock a float or hold the bait on the bottom	On the main line
Feeder	Adds weight and delivers feed	On the main line, sliding or fixed
Float	Shows bites and sets depth	On the main line, above the shot
Beads	Protect knots, buffer sliding weights	Above a knot or swivel
Stops	Fix a float, bait or rig part in place	Main line, hair or hooklink
Tubing and leaders	Cut tangles and protect the line near the lead	Lower main line on carp rigs

Your rod, reel, main line and bait are not terminal tackle. For those, browse our tackle explainers.

The low price hides how much rides on it. A blunt hook loses fish, and a lead that cannot come free can leave a snapped-off fish towing it.

Hooks: Patterns, Sizes and Barbless Rules

Hook packets fill more shelf space than anything else in the terminal tackle aisle, yet most anglers settle on one or two patterns they trust. Korda’s beginner guide puts this down to confidence, says there is no single right answer, and reckons a few patterns cover almost all carp fishing.

Every hook has an eye, shank, bend, gape (the gap between point and shank), point and, usually, a barb. Spade-end hooks swap the eye for a flattened tab and need a spade-end knot.

Hooks are sold by number, and a higher number generally means a smaller hook. Sizing varies between patterns and makers, so match the hook to the size of your bait rather than to a chart, and check whether the fishery sets any limits. Our fishing hooks guide covers sizing in full.

Wire thickness matters too. Heavier-wire patterns (Korda marks these with an X) are less likely to bend out on a big fish. Check the point every cast, and always after a fish or a snag, and replace the hook if it has turned or dulled.

Barbless rules come from fisheries, not national law. The Environment Agency’s national byelaws for England contain no barbless requirement, but many commercial fisheries and clubs insist on barbless or micro-barbed hooks, so read the ticket before you buy.

On lures, many anglers swap trebles for inline singles because they come out more easily and do less damage. When I’m lure fishing for pike and perch on Windermere, I’ve found singles far quicker to remove with a fish in the net.

Starting out, buy one trusted pattern in a few sizes that suit your bait.

Weights, Shot, Leads and Feeders (and the Lead Law in England)

Buy split shot in England and, unless it is size 8 or smaller, it will not be lead. Under the Environmental Protection (Anglers’ Lead Weights) (England) Regulations 2015, in force since 1 July 2015, it is an offence to supply lead weights for weighting fishing lines unless they weigh 0.06g or less, or more than 28.35g (1oz). Supplied split shot is presumed to be for fishing lines.

Using lead is covered too. The Environment Agency’s national byelaws say you must not attach a lead weight to a line unless it is 0.06g (size 8 shot) or less, or more than 28.35g. Lead inside a weighted line, a swim-feeder, or a fly or lure is excluded.

In practice, shot and bombs between those limits are made from non-toxic alternatives, while leads over 1oz can still be lead. The 2015 regulations apply in England only.

Nation	What this page confirms	Who to check with
England	Lead weights between 0.06g and 28.35g banned for supply and use on a line	Environment Agency
Wales	Not confirmed here	Natural Resources Wales and the fishery
Scotland	Not confirmed here	Scottish Government and the fishery
Northern Ireland	Not confirmed here	DAERA and the fishery

The weights themselves fall into three groups:

• Split shot and styl weights: small weights pinched onto the line to cock a float and sink the bait.
• Leads (bombs): heavier weights for ledgering, holding a bait still on the bottom.
• Feeders: cage, open-end and method feeders act as the weight and put loose feed around the hookbait.

For shapes and sizes, see our guide to fishing leads and weights, and for feeder fishing, our pick of the best method feeders. When I’m feeder fishing for bream on Windermere, I rely on the feeder doing two jobs at once: holding bottom and keeping feed tight around the hook.

Whatever you choose, the weight must come free if the main line breaks. Every lead system should rule out a fish tethered to a fixed lead, and lead clips, covered next, are built for exactly that.

Swivels, Snap Links and Lead Clips

Swivels do two jobs: they stop line twist and join the main line to the hooklink. The barrel swivel is the cheap standard on ledger and feeder rigs, but cheap ones may not turn under load, which defeats the point. Rolling swivels turn more smoothly, which suits lure fishing, at the cost of a little extra bulk.

Swivel sizes run backwards: the lower the number, the bigger the swivel. Size 8 is a common all-round choice for carp and bream, and it is the size on Korda’s carp starter list. Sizes 12 to 14 suit lighter river work. Our fishing swivels guide goes through sizes and types.

Snap links and quick-change links or beads let you swap a feeder, lead or lure without cutting and retying. For pike, the snap sits on the end of a wire trace.

Lead clips are the carp angler’s standard. They hold the lead for a bolt effect, allow quick lead changes and let the lead drop free if the line breaks. Set up wrongly, they can do the opposite. Push the tail rubber on only far enough to hold the lead during the cast, and use a clip and swivel designed to fit together.

At a glance:

• Barrel swivel: cheap, the standard for ledger and feeder rigs.
• Rolling swivel: smoother turning for lure work, slightly bulkier.
• Snap link: quick changes of lure, feeder or lead.

Fishing Beads: What They Do and Which You Need

A bead looks like the most pointless thing in the box. On a sliding rig, though, it is often the only thing stopping a knot being hammered on every cast.

Most fishing beads on UK rigs are rig or buffer beads. They sit between a sliding lead, feeder or float and the swivel or knot below it, absorbing the impact so the knot doesn’t weaken. Material matters: hard plastic beads can damage knots, while soft beads cushion them but compress over time, so swap them once they flatten.

Beads do two other jobs:

• On a sliding float rig, a small bead between the float stop and the float stops the stop pulling through.
• Quick-change beads combine a bead with a clip, as covered in Swivels, Snap Links and Lead Clips above.

“Fishing beads” can also mean coloured attractor beads used on some lure, sea and game rigs. Those are a different product, so check the fishery rules before using them.

For most beginners, a small pack of soft buffer beads sized to your swivels is all you need.

Best for: sliding feeder, lead and float rigs where a knot or swivel takes repeated knocks.

Skip if: you are fishing a simple fixed float rig with shot, where nothing slides onto a knot.

Floats, Hooklinks, Stops and the Small Stuff

This is where terminal tackle budgets disappear: rig rings, shrink tube, putty, tubing and leaders. Here is what each remaining piece does, and which you can leave in the shop for now.

Floats show bites and set the depth your bait fishes at. When I float fish for perch on Windermere, I’d rather shot one float properly than own a dozen. Our fishing floats guide explains the types.

Hooklinks, or hooklengths, are a separate short length of line to the hook. On coarse rigs they are often lighter than the main line, so a snag costs you the hook rather than the whole rig. On carp rigs they are usually braid, coated braid or a stiff material.

Stops hold things in place. Float stops set your depth on a sliding float, hair stops keep the bait on the hair, and rig stops fix beads or other parts on a hooklink.

Carp extras include rig rings, shrink tube, anti-tangle tubing, leaders and tungsten putty. Korda’s beginner list includes putty only if you fish pop-ups, and many fisheries set rules on leaders and lead systems, so check before buying any of them.

Pike fishing is the exception to the skip list. Pike teeth cut line, so a wire trace is essential.

Buy the small stuff only when the rig you are tying calls for it.

A Minimum Terminal Tackle Kit for Your First Sessions

You can fish your first sessions from a box that fits in a coat pocket, as long as you build it in the right order:

1. Pick your species and method.
2. Check the fishery rules on barbless hooks, leaders and lead clips.
3. Buy one or two hook patterns in a few sizes.
4. Add swivels, a weight or lead system and hooklink material to match.
5. Add stops and tools only if the rig needs them.

Discipline	Buy first	Add later	Skip for now
Coarse float fishing	Hooks, non-toxic split shot, a few floats, float stops	Hooklength line, more float patterns	Lead clips, tubing, putty
Feeder and method fishing	Hooks, hooklengths, feeders, quick-change beads or swivels, soft buffer beads	More feeder sizes and patterns	Carp rig extras
Carp ledgering	A few hook patterns, braided or coated hooklink, lead clip system, size 8 swivels, tail rubbers, hair stops, baiting needle, scissors	Stiff boom material, tungsten putty if you fish pop-ups	Every rig gadget on the wall
Predator lure fishing	Snap links, wire traces for pike, single-hook options	Split ring pliers for swapping trebles to singles	Big mixed hook assortments

The carp row follows Korda’s beginner list. For Windermere perch I keep a small, simple box of a few snaps and single hooks, and less choice means more time with a lure in the water.

Two things belong with the kit even though they aren’t terminal tackle: an unhooking mat and a pair of forceps. Take old line, hooks and leads home too, because the Environment Agency’s fishing byelaw guidance on GOV.UK asks anglers to dispose of tackle safely to protect wildlife.

Heading to a commercial fishery for mixed fish? Start with the feeder row.

Frequently asked questions

Is terminal tackle the same as end tackle?

Yes. Both terms mean everything from the end of your main line to the hook, apart from the bait: hooks, hooklinks, swivels, clips, beads, weights, feeders, floats and stops. The table near the top of this guide lists each part and where it sits.

Can I use lead weights for fishing in the UK?

In England, lead weights between 0.06g and 28.35g (1oz) cannot be supplied or used on a line, under SI 2015/815 and the Environment Agency byelaws. Lead in weighted line, swim-feeders, flies and lures is excluded. For Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, check with Natural Resources Wales, the Scottish Government or DAERA, and with the fishery.

Do I have to use barbless hooks?

Not under the national byelaws for England, which contain no barbless rule. Many fisheries do require barbless or micro-barbed hooks, so check your ticket. Separately, a foul-hooked fish (hooked anywhere other than the mouth or throat) must be released immediately on rivers, streams, drains and canals in England.

What should I do with old hooks, line and leads?

Take them home and dispose of them safely, as GOV.UK advises, to protect wildlife. Never leave rigs, line offcuts or hook packets on the bank, where discarded line and hooks can harm birds and other wildlife.

What terminal tackle do I need for a first session?

One or two hook patterns in a few sizes, plus the swivels, weights or feeder, and hooklink material your chosen method needs. Check the fishery rules on barbless hooks, leaders and lead clips first. The minimum kit table on this page gives a buy-first list by discipline.

Sources

• The Environmental Protection (Anglers' Lead Weights) (England) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/815)
• Environment Agency: local and national fishing byelaws (GOV.UK)
• Korda: carp fishing terminal tackle, a beginner's guide to the essentials