Barbless is Best A view of fishing with barbless flies Lubin Pfeiffer There is no limit to the size fish you will land making the change.
T
here have been many changes in the fly fishing world over the last decade. There’s always new gear becoming available to anglers, new techniques to master and too many different gadgets to list. While some of these are a fad, and come and go as quickly as they arrived, there is one that is here to stay and with good reasons. That is using barbless hooks. In this article, we’ll take a closer a look at how barbless hooks made it on to the fly fishing scene, why they are the superior option for both anglers and fish, and the reason why they are here to stay on the fly fishing scene for good.
Where did Barbless Originate Like most new techniques or methods in the fly fishing world today, barbless hooks originated from competition fly fishing. FIPS Mouche made a ruling that all flies must be dressed on barbless hooks to be legal in a fly fishing competition many years ago. Fips Mouche regards fish health as a huge part of their competition regulations and will disqualify any fish that isn’t able to be released in good health. So moving from barbed hooks to barbless was a no brainer. Anyone that has caught a fish with a barbed hook will know if that hook buries deep or finds some hard bone it can be a real issue to remove from the fish in quick time, even with the use of forceps. Even worse when that barbed hook finds its mark anywhere in the gill region, that is pretty much a death sentence for the fish as removing it is almost impossible without damaging the fish. I think personally that in this new world of catch and release angling, for the most part, barbless hooks were always going to be a natural progression. We are still able to catch fish for a feed but by using a barbless hook the fish that we do release are in the best condition they can be.
Why Barbless and Not Crushed Barbs I’ve heard many anglers talk about losing many fish because they are starting to crush the barbs on their flies in an effort to go barbless. This is a great move as it is better for the fish but I can sympathise with them as crushing a barb on a barbed hook takes away the effectiveness of a barbed hook greatly. Which does lead to many fish lost. The reason for this is a barbed hook is designed in a way that the barb is the part of the hook that secures the fish. Whereas when you move to a factory-made barbless hook, they are designed in such a way to retain the fish without the use of a barb. This means that the barb is not the only part of the hook that’s going to keep the fish attached. I’ve experienced this first hand as my competition career has spanned over the time of the crushed barb hooks (as this was the only option) to manufactured barbless. Having used both types extensively, I can tell you that manufactured barbless is the only way to go.
Availability Over a decade ago when the crushing of barbs started to become a regular occurrence with both competition and recreational anglers, there were very little options on the market for anglers looking to use manufactured barbless hooks. I can remember a friend of mine who used to import Knapek hooks which were the only ones I can remember offering a barbless option. These hooks had all sorts of different curves in the hook point which were supposed to replicate the holding ability of the barb on a hook. They were handcrafted, as the demand for them was so small, and no two were ever the same which meant it would be quite a lucky dip when you received your order of them! These days numerous manufactures are offering all styles of quality barbless
hooks off the tackle shop wall. I’m feeling old writing this but I could remember the days when Kamasan was pretty much it on the tackle shop wall and now there are many different brands of barbless, not barbed, hooks taking their place. Many commercially tied flies are now offering a barbless range in their flies which is proof of the rise in popularity with the angling community. With the rise in availably, there is no better time to start using barbless in my opinion.
Hook styles for Fishing Styles As we move into the finer details of barbless hooks, we can now start talking about different hook points for fishing styles. Not everyone fishes the same on the water and having different hooks styles to suit the angler is a great thing. Gone are the days of the multicurve Knapek being the only barbless hook available. You can now get a straight point, curve point, spear point or a combination just to name a few. I’ve been amazed at the difference such a little change can make, but I assure you it is well worth trying a few different ones to find out which suits your fishing style the
Every good fly shop now stocks a big range of quality barbless hooks.
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Fishing News - Page 43
