Barbless is Best — Lubin Pfeiffer

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.

There 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

best. For me, it is a straight point all the way. Whether I’m using a streamer hook in the lake, nymphing a river or casting a dry fly at a rising fish somewhere, I always prefer to use a straight point hook. While my wife Casey will always rather fishing with a curved point, as this suits her fishing style better. There are different levels of curves as well depending on the brand you choose to go with. What I have experienced is that if you get it right you will stay connected with more fish. That is why it is important to try ta few and find out for yourself what works best for you. Being a fly fisher you are part of a big community and there is nothing better than helping each other out. If you and some of your angling friends are looking at moving to barbless hooks, why not each tie some flies on different style barbless hooks are share them around, this is a quick way to find out which is better for who. Rather than having to buy an entire packet of each style of hooks just for yourself. Better yet, why not head to one of the many Fly Fish Australia competitions a get the chance to converse with other anglers who have had years of experience with different styles of barbless hooks. A selection of dries for Tasmanian rivers all tied on manufactured barbless hooks.

Striking Fish with Barbless

One important aspect to fishing with barbless hooks I learned is that you need to strike the fish effectively to stay connected. While this may sound simple enough, many anglers simply are too timid with their hook sets and this can often be the reason for the fish falling off during the fight. With a confident hook set, you can let the line completely slack and the fish will still be connected with a barbless hook.

Better for you and the Fish

There is no doubting how much better barbless hooks are for the fish we choose to catch and release. All you have to do is see how easy it is to remove a barbless hook from a fish. This is the same for anglers when receiving a hook into any part of the body can ruin a days fishing, particularly if it’s into a nerve heavy fingertip or the like. When I guide I always use barbless hooks as its just a simple pull the hook out process rather than a catastrophe which can result in having to use the line pull trick to pull out a deeply embedded barbed hook from a client. An event such as this for someone who is just starting to fly fish can have long term negative effects.

Make the Change

Like most new things in fishing, it takes quite some time for anglers to get on board and give it a try. While barbless hooks have been around for ages now, I know many of you reading this will have not tried them yet. Rather than just crushing the barbs on your existing hooks, make an effort to try the real deal as I can assure you differences are huge. Just like the feeling of casting a quality fly line, using a quality manufactured barbless hook is no different. I can tell you that 15 years ago I would have lost all confidence if I tied a fly on that didn’t have a barb, and now days not one single fly in my fly box has a barb on it. I’ve landed many hundreds if not thousands of fish on barbless hooks and can strongly suggest if you haven’t done so already, there is no better time to make the change!

Your catch rate won’t change going barbless.

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