On Wed, 11 Oct 2006 20:26:51 +0800, "riverman" wrote:

Fact, or myth?

--riverman


Here's an experiment for you:

Gather a selection of hooks, any that you wish to test, and _file_ the
barb off any barbed hooks.

Take some fairly high strength (like 30-40 lb test) mono and tie a snap
swivel to one end to facilitate hook-switching. If you don't have a
reel loaded up with such, just tie the other end to a stick, length of
dowel, or any other object you on which you can get a good hold. I
realize that this is defeating the protection afforded by tippet, but
the test is for hooks, not other terminal tackle or line.

Then take at least one "soft" plastic container that will hold about
8-10 lbs/4 kg of water (where they are used, a gallon water/milk jug
will work) and fill it.them with water. If you are testing smaller
hooks, you one "jug," if larger, tie as many "jugs" together as it would
take to approximate the weight of any likely quarry for that hook. Tie
a retrieval line onto the jug(s) and hook your first hook _into_ the/a
jug, obviously attaching it to the swivel and mono (use an awl,
marlinspike, nail, etc., if needed to get an appropriate hole for the
hook). Toss the "jug" into a swimming pool, hot tub, etc. (NOT INTO A
LAKE, RIVER, POND, or any other place where you'd be polluting unless
you're willing to do _whatever_ it takes to retrieve _everything_ you
toss in).

Give the line a few hard tugs until _something_ happens.

I suspect that you'll find that hooks can "straighten out" (or break) at
least enough to lose fish (or water jugs, hence the retrieval line and
cautions about where you conduct this experiment...)

TC,
R