NZ280168A

NZ280168A - Fish hook with a projection which extends away from the bight

Info

Publication number: NZ280168A
Application number: NZ28016895A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Paul Daniel Louis Barnes
Original assignee: Paul Daniel Louis Barnes
Priority date: 1995-10-04
Filing date: 1995-10-04
Publication date: 1998-08-26

Description

<div class="application article clearfix" id="description"> 28 0 168 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No: 280168 Date: 4 October 1995 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "Fishing Hook Appendage and/or Fishing Hook" I, PAUL DANIEL LOUIS BARNES, a British citizen of 18 Styca Place, Glen Eden, Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - 1 - INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 2 2 JUN 1993 RECEIVED -2 280168 The present invention relates to fish or fishing hooks and/or appendages including retrofittable appendages therefor. A variety of different types of fishing hooks are known. It is a possible disadvantage of known fishing hooks that if the hook and bait, which may be attached thereto, are of a suitable size, the hook and/or bait can be swallowed completely by a fish thus causing the fish to be hooked by its gut or gill. It is difficult to unhook fish caught in this manner and therefore the removal of the hook may result in such injury to the fish that it may be killed or severely disabled. This is a disadvantage, in particular, when considering species of fish for which there is a legal minimum size limit as it means that any said under size fish which are hooked (and thus which must be returned to the sea) in the gut or gill may be killed thereby adversely affecting the management of the fishery. It is an object of at least preferred forms of the present invention to provide a fish or fishing hook and/or an attachment or appendage for fishing hooks which will, at least in part, reduce the incidence of fish completely swallowing a hook and thus getting hooked by their gut or gill or which will at least provide the public and/or industry with a useful choice. In a first aspect the present invention may be iiroadly be said to consist in a lip hooking fish hook having: a hooking portion (or "bight") which may optionally have one or more barbs or other retaining means thereon; a shank; and either a projection from the shank or an appendage of a self supporting material attached or fastened by means of a fastening portion to said shank defining an "extension", said extension extending substantially away from said bight, wherein said extension is adapted not to move to any substantial extent with respect to said shank or bight otherwise than as a result of any inherent resilience and said extension is at least 10mm long. and wherein the hook by virtue of its extension will prevent hooking of a target species further than the inside front of the mouth (eg; not into gills via mouth and not into other internal parts via the mouth), any such target species being of fish of a size related to the hook size Preferably said extension and said bight extend in substantially opposite directions from said shank. Preferably said extension is substantially rigid or "springy". Preferably said extension is at least as long as said bight. Preferably said extension is at least as long as said shank.^f^S^ ^ 280168 Preferably said extension is least 10mm long. In another aspect the present invention may broadly be said to consist in an attachment for retrofitting to existing fish hooks, said hooks having a hooking portion or "bight" and a shank, said attachment comprising: a fastening portion suitable for fastening said attachment to the shank of said hook; and an extension portion in use extending substantially away from said bight of said hook. Preferably said extension extends from said shank of said hook. Preferably said extension and said bight extend in substantially opposite directions from said shank. Preferably said extension is substantially rigid or "springy". Preferably said extension is at least as long as said bight. Preferably said extension is at least as long as said shank. Preferably said extension is at least 10mm long. In yet another aspect the present invention may broadly be said to consist in a method of reducing the incidence of gut or gill hooked fish, said method comprising: providing an extension on the shank of a fishing hook extending away from the bight of said hook. Preferably said extension in said hooking portion extend in substantially opposite directions from said shaft. Preferably said extension is substantially rigid or "springy". Preferably said extension is attached to said shaft portion. Preferably said extension is at least as long as said bight. Preferably said extension is at least as long as said shank. Preferably said extension is at least 10mm long. In yet another aspect the present invention may broadly be said to consist in a fish or fishing hook as herein described with reference to one or more the accompanying figures. In yet another aspect the present invention may broadly be said to consist in an attachment for fish or fishing hooks as herein described with reference to one or more of the accompanying figures. In yet another aspect the present invention may broadly be said to consist in a method of reducing the incident or likelihood of gut or gill hooked fish as herein described with reference to one or more of the accompanying figures. In yet another aspect the present invention may broadly be said to consist in a method of fishing as herein described with reference to one or more of the accompanying figures. To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting. The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples. One preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures in which; Figures 1A to ID show a fishing hook 1 according to a preferred form of the present invention, said fishing hook having a hooking portion or "bight" 2 and an extension 3, the extension is preferably held on to the hook by attachment or fastening means 4, said fastening preferably occurring on or near the shank 6 of said hook; Figures 2A, 2B and 2C show various configurations of an attachment or extension 3, the form of the extension may be as shown in Figure 2 A wherein an eyelet may be provided which may overlie the eyelet or other attachment means of any said hook or which may in fact provide an eyelet for the attachment of said hook to a line 5, Figure 2D shows a form of the present invention having the extension 3 and attachment portion 4 combined; Figure 3 shows a form of the fish hook wherein the hook and extension 3 are unitary; Figures 4 A, 4B and 4C show various forms of the attachment means 4; Figures 5A and 5B show the attachment of said extension 3 to a hook along with the attachment of the fishing line 5; Figure 6A shows a form of the invention wherein the extension 3 and attachment portion 4 are produced from for example, a moulded plastics material, the attachment portion 4 clipping onto the shank 6 of the hook to which it is to be attached, other suitable materials could be used, Figure 6B shows a form of the invention wherein the extension 3 and attachment portion 4 are produced from a pressed, stamped or forged material such as pressed steel, Figure 6C shows another view of the form of the invention as shown in Figure 6B; and Figure 7 A and 7B show a retrofittable form of the present invention providing the extension 3 and attachment portion 4 as a unitary member, in preferred forms of the invention this item may comprise a piece of suitably corrosion protected wire, as shown INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.2 2 2 JUN 1998 RFHPIUPn -5- 280 168 in the figures it may comprise a portion 30 which clips around the shank of the hook and a portion 31 which may pass through the eye of the hook. As can be seen from the figures, preferred forms of the present invention provide a fishing hook having an extension 3 therefrom. The extension 3 extends away from the bight or hooking portion 2 of said hook. The extension 3 may be attached to the hook and preferably the shank 6 of the hook by a variety of means such as attachment or fastening means 4 or it may be part of the hook as shown in Figure 3 or part of the line 5 to which the hook is attached as shown in Figures 5A and 5B. The extension 3 may be of a variety of shapes, for example, as shown in Figure 1C the extension 3 may be provided with a loop or bend at the end thereof. The extension 3 may be curved as shown in Figure ID. In preferred forms of the invention the extension 3 may be produced or formed from a material similar to that which comprises the line 5 attached to the hook. In this form of the invention the extension 3 may simply comprise the end portion of line 5. In other forms of the invention the extension 3 may be produced from a suitable metal. This metal may or may not be of the same type as is used in the construction of the hooks and/or attachment portions 4. In forms of the invention the extension 3 may extend substantially parallel to the shank 6 of the hook. This is as shown in Figure 1 A. In other forms of the invention the extension 3 may extend away from said hooking portion on the opposite side of said shank 6. The extension is of a size such that the hook 1 cannot be completely swallowed by fish of a certain size or is at least unlikely to be completely swallowed by said fish of a certain size. For example, the extension 3 may be sized such that fish smaller than the legal size limit cannot or are less likely to completely swallow the hook 1. This means the smaller fish cannot or are less likely to be hooked by their guts and gills. They are therefore easier to remove from the hook and can be returned to the water in a less damaged condition. In other forms of the invention the extension 3 may be of a size that it is unlikely to be swallowed by any fish. Other forms of attachment will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. The extension 3 may be attached to the hook in preferably the shank of the hook 6 by attachment means 4. As shown in Figure 4A the attachment means may comprise a split ring 4 which may be crimped or otherwise squeezed onto the hook and extension 3 to hold it in place. The attachment means 4 may also comprise a short length of heat shrinkable tubing, for example, as shown in Figure 4B. In other forms a length of tubing may be provided which may be crimped or otherwise squeezed onto the extension 3 and INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 2 2 JUN 1998 shaft 6. The attachment means 4 may also comprise a spiral of wire or other suitable material as shown in Figure 4C. In other forms of the invention the extension 3 may be attached by means of a heat shrink or shrinkable tube or ring. This heat shrink or shrinkable tube or ring may form part of extension or may comprise a separate piece. In forms of the invention where in the extension 3 comprises an extension of the line 5 to which the hook 1 is attached, the attachment means 4 may comprise a suitable knot in said line 5. For example, it may comprise a "snood" knot. The attaching of said extension 3 to the hook 1 is, in a preferred form of the invention, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B. In this form an attachment means 4 such as a heat shrinkable tube or split tube or ring 4 is used to attach the extension 3 and optionally the line 5 to the hook. In other forms of the invention the hook 1 may be made as a unit with said extension 3. A preferred form of this is as shown in Figure 3 wherein the hook 1 may be produced from a single piece of wire. The attachment 3 may also be moulded from metal or plastic and clip onto the hook with a unitary attachment portion 4, as shown in Figure 6. In other forms of the invention the extension 6 and attachment portion 4 may be produced from pressed metal. The attachment portion 4 may then simply clip onto the shank 6 of a hook. To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates will realise that the present invention can also be used with those hooks having two or more bights. For example, it can be used with double or triple hooks. It is preferable that the material from which the extension 3 is manufactured is of a springy or resilient nature, that is, it is capable of considerable movement before plastic deformation occurs. For example, spring steel is a preferred material. Other materials such as suitable metals, said metals being preferably rust or corrosion proof. Those skilled in the art to which the invention relates will realise that a variety of retrofitting devices are possible. For example, extensions 3 such as in Figures 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D may be provided, said extensions 3 may be attached to hooks by means of attachment means 4. The preferred form of the invention as shown in Figure 2D provides an extension 3 and attachment portion 4 as a single unit. It is envisaged that the extension 3 may, in some forms of the invention, form part of further attachments or extensions to the hook. For example, the extension 3 may form part of a lure or other fish attractive means which may be present on or form part of the fish hook 1. Thus it can be seen that the present invention, at least in its preferred form, provides a fishing hook, retrofitting mean; for a fishing hook and a method of providing WltLlECTUAL PROPERTY OFF/cTf OF N.Z. | 2 2 JUN 1998 280168 a fishing hook which, in its preferred form, at least may limit the number of fish gut or gill hooked and/or which provides the public and/or industry with a useful choice. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 2 2 JUN 1998 RECEIVED </div>

Claims

<div class="application article clearfix printTableText" id="claims"> 280168 WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A lip hooking fish hook having: a hooking portion (or "bight") which may optionally have one or more barbs or other retaining means thereon; a shank; and either a projection from the shank or an appendage of a self supporting material attached or fastened by means of a fastening portion to said shank defining an "extension", said extension extending substantially away from said bight, wherein said extension is adapted not to move to any substantial extent with respect to said shank or bight otherwise than as a result of any inherent resilience and said extension is at least 10mm long, and wherein the hook by virtue of its extension will prevent hooking of a target species further than the inside front of the mouth (eg; not into gills via the mouth and not into other internal parts via the mouth), any such target species being of fish of a size related to the hook size.

2. A fish hook as claimed in claim 1 wherein said extension and said bight extend in substantially opposite directions from said shank.

3. A fish hook as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 2 wherein said extension is substantially resilient.

4. A fish hook as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said extension is at least as long as said shank.

5. An attachment for retrofitting to an existing fish hook, said hook having a hooking portion or "bight" and a shank, said attachment comprising: a fastening portion suitable for fastening said attachment to the shank of said hook; and an extension portion in use to extend substantially away from said bight of said hook wherein retrofit use of such attachment results in a lip hooking fish hook of any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. An attachment of claim 5 wherein said fish hook is of a kind which includes an eye portion and said extension portion is adapted to extend through said eye portion.

7. An attachment of claim 5 or 6 substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.

8. A hook of any one of claims 1 to 4 resulting from the use of an attachment of any one of claims 5 to 7. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 2 2 JUN 1998 RECEIVED 280168

9. A lip hooking fish hook substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A method of reducing the incidence of gut or gill hooked fish so as to allow a better chance of survival of hooked fish to be returned to the water which comprises using, as the hook or hooks, sized for target species fish, a hook or hooks as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, 8 or 9.

11. A method of reducing the incident or likelihood of gut or gill hooked fish as herein described with reference to one or more of the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of fishing as hereinbefore described with reference to one or more of the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS ■22~l DAY OF IIIS A.J. PARK & SON AGENTS FOR THE APPLICANT h:\library\patcnls\djj\bjs\348557.bjs INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 2 2 JUN 1998 RECEIVED </div>