Hooks for newbie

"Hooked" wrote in message
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wrote in message
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I recently saw a comment that when you want to mash down the barb your
pliers should be inline with the hook and not acroos the bard. FWIW

Dave



Personally, I think that is an easier way to break the point. I put my
pliers across the hook, use the tips of the pliers and gently squeeze to
mash the barb down.

I guess the magic work there is "gently." If you don't be careful with
either method, you'll be buying a lot more hooks than you intended to.

It also helps to use the right tool for the job. I've had to use a hemostat
in the stream from time to time.....next to worthless. Needle nosed pliers
are the best, but not just any old needle nosed pliers, either. The
smaller, consistent with enough strength to do the job and survive, the
better. Find a pair with jaws small enough that no part touches the point
on the smallest hooks you want to mash.....if you touch the point, you stand
a good chance of breaking it off and, at the very least, you will blunt it.
Equally important is getting pliers with smooth jaws.....no grooves. It's
virtually impossible to get consistent results when you can't be certain
whether the barb is resting on a ridge or a groove. It's very easy to
damage hooks if grooves are not perfectly aligned with the axis of the wire.
And the grooves on pliers jaws are often deep enough that they are
absolutely useless on micro-barbs on very small hooks; you can close the
jaws completely without touching the barb at all on some of the smallest
hooks.

Wolfgang

BRBR
recently saw a comment that when you want to mash down the barb your
pliers should be inline with the hook and not acroos the bard. FWIW

Dave BRBR
I mash a lot of barbs in a year. My Regal vise does the best job. Smooth
jawed needle nose pliers are second best for me. And, some packages of Mustad
seem to be more likely to break at the tip than others. Many Mustad styles
also have longer hook points beyond the barb than do equivalent styles from
other manufacturers. And some Mustad hooks have larger barbs than most
equivalent styles from other manufacturers. I can't evaluate the tempering
process by looking at a Tiemco vs. Mustad hook.
GKT

"Wolfgang" wrote in message
...


It also helps to use the right tool for the job. I've had to use a
hemostat
in the stream from time to time.....next to worthless. Needle nosed
pliers
are the best, but not just any old needle nosed pliers, either. The
smaller, consistent with enough strength to do the job and survive, the
better. Find a pair with jaws small enough that no part touches the point
on the smallest hooks you want to mash.....if you touch the point, you
stand
a good chance of breaking it off and, at the very least, you will blunt
it.
Equally important is getting pliers with smooth jaws.....no grooves. It's
virtually impossible to get consistent results when you can't be certain
whether the barb is resting on a ridge or a groove. It's very easy to
damage hooks if grooves are not perfectly aligned with the axis of the
wire.
And the grooves on pliers jaws are often deep enough that they are
absolutely useless on micro-barbs on very small hooks; you can close the
jaws completely without touching the barb at all on some of the smallest
hooks.

Wolfgang



I don't like using my hemostats for mashing down the barbs, but if I find
myself on the water with a hook that has a barb, and I want to remove the
barb, I will use them. Fortunately, I haven't broken a hook point yet using
them. I don't like using hemostats for removing hooks either. Only if I
can't get to it with my fingers. Or if that fish has some big teeth, like a
pike.

I picked up a pair of smooth jawed pliers at "The Flyfishers" that I keep on
my tying desk. (Someday I'll have to get another pair for my vest.) I
probably should debarb all my hooks prior to tying, but some flies I like to
keep the barb on. If I find that I keep losing too many fish with the
barbless hooks, I'll switch to a fly that hasn't been debarbed. I'll try to
bend the barb down some to try to keep the fish on a little longer, but
still make it easier to remove the hook from the fishes jaw. Easier than a
hook with a full barb anyway.

On Sat, 6 Dec 2003 21:15:02 -0600, "Hooked" wrote:

"Wolfgang" wrote in message
...


It also helps to use the right tool for the job. I've had to use a
hemostat
in the stream from time to time.....next to worthless. Needle nosed
pliers
are the best, but not just any old needle nosed pliers, either.

Wolfgang


.. . I'll try to
bend the barb down some to try to keep the fish on a little longer, but
still make it easier to remove the hook from the fishes jaw. Easier than a
hook with a full barb anyway.


Since both of you fellow Badgers are posting on this thread, I was
wondering if either of you knew the legal definition of a barbless hook in
Wisconsin. I remember reading about the test out in Pennnsylvania being
whether the hooks barb would snag a nylon stocking. When I tried that with
my ostensibly debarbed flies, none passed. Yikes! Any local knowledge?

g.c.

On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 03:35:29 GMT, (George
Cleveland) wrote:
Since both of you fellow Badgers are posting on this thread, I was
wondering if either of you knew the legal definition of a barbless hook in
Wisconsin. I remember reading about the test out in Pennnsylvania being
whether the hooks barb would snag a nylon stocking. When I tried that with
my ostensibly debarbed flies, none passed. Yikes! Any local knowledge?

"Badgers?!? We don't need no stinking badgers!"

;-)

"George Cleveland" wrote in message
...


Since both of you fellow Badgers are posting on this thread, I was
wondering if either of you knew the legal definition of a barbless hook in
Wisconsin. I remember reading about the test out in Pennnsylvania being
whether the hooks barb would snag a nylon stocking. When I tried that with
my ostensibly debarbed flies, none passed. Yikes! Any local knowledge?

g.c.

I really couldn't tell you. I asked at the flyshop once, and was told that a
mashed barb was ok. Of course, this answer didn't come from a DNR warden.
Call the DNR office in Wausau at 715-359-4522. They could tell you for sure.
Since I don't really fish for trout on barbless only waters, I just debarb
my hooks out of a courtesy to the fish. Plus the fact that I hate trying to
remove a hook that has a large barb on it from the fish. Can be a real pain
in the ass sometimes.

"George Cleveland" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 6 Dec 2003 21:15:02 -0600, "Hooked" wrote:

Since both of you fellow Badgers are posting on this thread, I was
wondering if either of you knew the legal definition of a barbless hook in
Wisconsin. I remember reading about the test out in Pennnsylvania being
whether the hooks barb would snag a nylon stocking. When I tried that with
my ostensibly debarbed flies, none passed. Yikes! Any local knowledge?

No idea. It's never come up. Come to think of it, I'm not sure that I've
fished anywhere in WI where barbless hooks are required.......have I?

Wolfgang

"Wolfgang" wrote in message
...


No idea. It's never come up. Come to think of it, I'm not sure that I've
fished anywhere in WI where barbless hooks are required.......have I?

Wolfgang



Isn't the early trout season barbless hooks only?

I know there's been talk about it.

I found this earlier. Didn't read much of it though. It mentions barbless
hooks.

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water...pubs/trout.pdf

On Sun, 7 Dec 2003 01:45:56 -0600, "Hooked" wrote:

"Wolfgang" wrote in message
...


No idea. It's never come up. Come to think of it, I'm not sure that I've
fished anywhere in WI where barbless hooks are required.......have I?

Wolfgang



Isn't the early trout season barbless hooks only?

I know there's been talk about it.

I found this earlier. Didn't read much of it though. It mentions barbless
hooks.

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water...pubs/trout.pdf


The early season is barbless only IIRC.


g.c.

Who came this close to posting "braless" instead of barbless. Probably not
a good thing to post here at 5am.

"George Cleveland" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 7 Dec 2003 01:45:56 -0600, "Hooked" wrote:

"Wolfgang" wrote in message
...


No idea. It's never come up. Come to think of it, I'm not sure that
I've
fished anywhere in WI where barbless hooks are required.......have I?

Wolfgang



Isn't the early trout season barbless hooks only?

I know there's been talk about it.

I found this earlier. Didn't read much of it though. It mentions barbless
hooks.

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water...pubs/trout.pdf


The early season is barbless only IIRC.

Oh yeah, no wonder it sounded familiar. So, I guess I have fished where
barbless hooks are required..

g.c.

Who came this close to posting "braless" instead of barbless. Probably not
a good thing to post here at 5am.

We must be using the same spellchecker.....that's what mine thought I meant,
too.

Wolfgang