Go barbless baby!
Hooks come in all sizes and shapes. Most come with a barb that is supposed to prevent fish from coming off the hook. Here is the problem with that: The barb needs a solid hookset to bury in a trout’s mouth. With winter/spring trout being finicky biters, you get most of your fish just picking up the rod tip and feeling a headshake from the fish. The hookset is weak and the fish gets off because the barb does not enter the mouth of the fish. With a barbless hook it is easier to have more hook in the mouth of the trout and with proper tension on the line you should land every fish! -Barbs pick up nicks and cuts from rocks as the fly bounces along the stream beds. This results in tearing the fish’s mouth when pulling out hooks and tend to do more damage then necessary. A barbless hook easily is removed from the trout’s mouth with small pliers or fingers even. Think of a cut in your mouth or lip and how hard it was to eat that day. We want to preserve our fisheries for another day on the stream or another angler to catch the same fish....Go Barbless!
How to go barbless- Using a pliers pinch down all barbs on the flies you have tied. We will inspect every fly you use on the trip. Make sure you bring only barbless hooks. Thanks for being Fish Conscious!!!! |
