Mormyshka
Encyclopedia
Fishing lure
A fishing lure is an object attached to the end of a fishing line which is designed to resemble and move like the prey of a fish. The purpose of the lure is to use movement, vibration, and colour to catch the fish's attention so it bites the hook...
or a jig
Jig (fishing)
Jigging is the practice of fishing with a jig, a type of fishing lure. A jig consists of a lead sinker with a hook molded into it and usually covered by a soft body to attract fish. Jigs are intended to create a jerky, vertical motion, as opposed to spinnerbaits which move through the water...
. The word is derived from Russian word Mormysh - that means Freshwater Shrimp (Gammarus).
Mormyshka was invented in the 19th century in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The prototypes were big spoon lures used for ice fishing. Trying to imitate shrimps, anglers made lures smaller and changed the way of fixing them on the line. As a result, efficient lures appeared and were spread quickly among ice fishermen all around Russia and Scandinavia.
Mormyshka consists of a metallic head, often made of tungsten
Tungsten
Tungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
, and a hook soldered in it. There is a small vertical hole in the middle of the head where the line passes through.
When suspended, Mormyshka keeps an almost horizontal position, and the point of the hook is above its shank.
Some mormyshkas have a Bead Head on the hook.
In contrast to Jig Heads, original Russian Mormyshka jigs have no up eye;
Mormyshkas are not always globe-shaped. There are many forms that provide different presentations to fish;
Usually, high quality Mormyshka is not painted, but coated or plated with Nickel, Brass, Copper, Gold, Silver, or combination of two metals, that provides better attraction to fish.
For the past few years Mormyshka has been used in summer fishing as well with long poles and a float or a nod. It is used either with live bait or alone. Also, anglers use palmers tied on Mormyshkas.
In this sentence "nod" is a wrong translation of the Russian word "kivok" which actually means "spring bobber". The use of ice fishing like tackle to fish on open water in summer (some anglers say they do it all year round providing the water is not covered with ice) really is quite popular here in Russia.
