Rod sets were developed from fish tape. The “fish” in “fish tape” comes from the idea of fishing for wires. Fish tape (also called draw wire or draw tape or cable rats), was originally used by electricians to put wiring through wall cavities and electrical conduit.
Fish tape is usually stored coiled on a plastic reel. Because of this, it has a natural curvature and it’s this curvature that allows it to be guided. By manipulating the reel, the end of the tape can be directed slightly. The tape is rigid enough that it can then be pushed in the direction in which it is pointing.
The goal is to push toward an area where guide string has been dropped inside the confined space and to pull it through, so the guide string can then be used to pull through various types of wiring, such as’ phone wire, network cables or speaker wire.
Learning to work with this tool can be challenging at first. In fact, it takes practice to develop the skill of manipulating the wire.
Fish “tape” can be made from a number of different materials including steel, fibreglass, and nylon.
Fish tape is usually made with a special end, either a hook or loop or a specific fastener device, so that the user can catch hold of the cable before pulling it.