"Dave LaCourse" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:32:25 GMT, "Larry L"
wrote:

I fish barbless hooks 100% and it's time to restock for tying next years
fly
supply

My question: IYourHO is there any reason to prefer bending down barbs
on
traditional hooks over buying factory barbless varieties? Reverse?

Experiences to support your notions on this?


TIA

Larry L ( who already knows to buy stainless steel hooks for brining
purposes :-)


I use both. I have a helluva lot of barbed hooks that I am not going
to throw away. I bend the barbs regardless the regulations. This
past June I got interupted by a Maine Game Warden. Scared the hell
out of me by sneaking up behind me and anouncing his presence with a
whisle (lips not a ref whistle).

After he checked my license he asked to see my fly. I had on a barbed
hook with the barbs bent. He held it up to the sky, against some
white water, back up against the sky, and finally let it go saying it
was ok. But, he sure did give it a good look-see. Then, like all
good Maine GWs, he shot the **** with me for about ten minutes while I
continued to fish. I was the only guy on the river. We talked about
mutuals friends who were guides on the river. Nice guy once his
business mode was finished.

Dave



I use a Dremel grinder on my hooks. Here you have to use barbless in the
ocean for salmon if using bait. Years ago, I bought a pack of barbless
hooks, in those days it could be a J hook and not a circle like now required
and got about 2 miles offshore and realize the "Barbless" are barbed. Hoped
I would not get checked as in those days they looked for any catch at all.
I think a court finally stomped them in the Q-tip test. Since I hate to
remove barbed hooks from my body, I debarb almost all my fish hooks. Fly's
included. I lost fish on barbed hooks, I lose fish on barbless hooks, so
does not really matter.