Barb-less Hooks Do You Use Them?

[haresear]

never used to bother debarbing/flatening my hooks/flees till i started regular fishing with Allan L,it makes sense when 99.9% of the time you are returning the troots

as Fred Evans hints at, it is only when you get a hook in yourself that you notice how much tissue damage can be done.

I managed to liphook myself the other week. Thankfully I had remembered to de-barb, but I still had trouble getting the hook out.

[jimmyw]

I de-barb at the vice. I've only recently started doing so.
I have many flies in my box still have barbs so I de-barb as I use them(When I remember).

[Wildfisher]

barbless hooks come out easier but not just fish, a debarbed hook in the eyelid in a remote place might just come out.

I can vouch for that!

[whinging pom]

I do tend to lose a few more fish, but Its a case of keeping constant pressure if you really want to net them. Once i have done the stalking and managed to fool them into taking the fly, getting them into the net is secondary consideration over returning them safely to the water.
Our club voted through barbless only at an AGM, it was kept back till the end of the night when everyone was past caring and the bar next door was all that was on the members minds.
It was made policy by the 'Oh whatever, I just need a drink'. vote