Barb-less Hooks Do You Use Them?

[haresear]

Some Fulling Mill Scorpion hooks below; only three barbless models, but they retail at the same price ?3.95/50 as the barbed ones. Not tried them myself, though the brand seems reasonably well thought of. I quite like the look of those little straight eyed ones

.D., I use Fulling Mill a lot. I did get one packet where they were too brittle, but that was a one-off.

Like you say, you can't get barbless in all profiles, but a pinch of the barb fixes that.

Alex

[The General]

I debarb as I start fishing.   No problems with barbless  - must have been the ten years coarse fishing in Brum.
Did buy my wee pal a fly disgorger for xmas for those hard to reach hookings.

Davie

[Fishtales]

For those who tie there own flies. De-barb before you tie the fly at the vice, that is the best time to find out you have a bad hook not when you are about to start fishing

[Wildfisher]

For those who tie there own flies. De-barb before you tie the fly at the vice, that is the best time to find out you have a bad hook not when you are about to start fishing

This is a habit I must get into. I tend to debarb at  the waterside. It's too easy to forget

[.D.]

Cheers .D.  I've oft heard that they are more expensive, just haven't really looked into it for reasons mentioned above.  An urban myth, then, being perpetuated by posts like mine. :oops:  I'll keep to nipping mine until the local starts selling barbless.  Maybe I should ask them to get some in.

Ardbeg

Well..... no need to be embarrassed   .

A lot of people like Kamasan hooks because they seem to be widely available in bulk, and fairly cheap. I don't think they do much in the way of barbless stuff. So in that sense some people might find it more expensive to turn to factory made barbless hooks.

Anyway, these micro-barbed chemically sharpened hooks work just as well if you crush the barb down at the vice. Some even find the little bump left behind reassuring. I still do that with a lot of heavier wire/ funny shaped hooks: the options for barbless hooks are much poorer when you start looking at light to medium wire curved grub hooks , heavy wet fly hooks, streamer hooks etc.


Cheers,

.D.

[greenwell]

Have used debarbed hooks for a number of years now and can't say I've ever had any problems with them. For dry flies I used  hooks manufactured without a barb, can't remember the make but they were very light and slim ( I don't tie my own flies nowadays ) and although quite "bendy" were strong enough to hold bigger fish. My wet flies are made on barbed hooks, I just flatten the barbs when each batch arrives.

                      Greenwell

[Highlander]

Until recently I was always a barbed man but as I become more inclined to release most of my fish I have been going down the barb less route. I do think that you lose more fish than with barbed but with the amount of fish I have caught in my lifetime that does not seem such a big concern that it did in my younger years. I have a small pair of smooth pliers I use & just nip down carefully the barb waterside.
One thing I will point out a tying vice is not a good way to flatten barbs. It is designed to hold a hook not crush a barb. One is asking for problems doing this, simply from a health & safety aspect it is fraught with danger. bits of hook flying about at 100 miles an hour........take it from me do not do it. Oh you will get away with it possibly for years or longer but one day a bit might get in your eye. So be careful out there.
Tight Lines

[Fishtales]

I don't use the vice, I flatten the barb with pliers and test the point under my thumb nail before I start to tie the fly. If the bits are flying everywhere when you crush the barb then I would say the hook is over tempered and is liable to break off easier. On an even tempered hook the barb should either just snap off or just bend over leaving a bump. I would rather loose just the hook than the materials and time it took to tie the fly up.

[Ian_M]

I seem to be the only one who voted "Never"   :oops:
Not sure why I don't remove the barb as I always return any fish I catch.
Anyway, I'm converted, so new year resolution is - "barbless for this season"

[Clan Ford]

One thing I will point out a tying vice is not a good way to flatten barbs. It is designed to hold a hook not crush a barb. One is asking for problems doing this, simply from a health & safety aspect it is fraught with danger. bits of hook flying about at 100 miles an hour........take it from me do not do it. Oh you will get away with it possibly for years or longer but one day a bit might get in your eye. So be careful out there.
Tight Lines

I've de-barbed my hooks like this for over 20 years and I can honestly say I've never had a bit of hook fly off from a trout hook - the barb simply gets crushed.  With Salmon hooks, the barb tends to crush but occasionally breaks off but I've not noticed it flying around at 100 miles an hour, it simply falls on to the desk.  I actually think it is a safer and simpler way then fiddling around with pliers and a hook but maybe there is some danger I am not taking into account :?  Maybe a pair of safety glasses would give piece of mind?

Norm