[irish greg]

generally
when you hook a fish with a barbed hook penetration is normaly up to or around the barb.but with a barbles hook it can penerate right up to the bend of the hook.if the fish has engulfed the hook serious damage can be done by the deeper peneration into the tissue.

[zerolimit]

This is kind of a tough poll to answer as constructed. For those who go barbless, I'd say most (unless they tie all of the flies they fish) would want to answer both barbless and pinched. It's not easy to find commercially tied flies on barbless hooks at your average shop.

I'd say there are a half a dozen or so fisheries that I frequent where barbless is the law. For those who don't or never have used barbless, do you avoid those fisheries which require them?

[fyshstykr]

Great post Eric.

[fyshstykr]

Originally Posted by irish greg

generally
when you hook a fish with a barbed hook penetration is normaly up to or around the barb.but with a barbles hook it can penerate right up to the bend of the hook.if the fish has engulfed the hook serious damage can be done by the deeper peneration into the tissue.

Another thought may be as to type of hooks and sharpness.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi to all,

I always pinch down the barb on my hooks. That includes the big Bass hooks I use. I learned a sad lesson while tying a saltwater Clouser. I was on one side of the table and by fishing partner was on the other side of the table. We were sharing materials and I reach over the upturned hook to pick up something on the table. I got the 1/0 hook buried in my forearm. I had not yet de-barbed the hook. It was in up to the bend. We had to push the hook the rest of the way through so we could cut off the point/barb. It was not a fun time.

Frank

[GeorgeMcFly]

i've accidently killed a few fish with barbed hooks when they swallowed um too deep and I tried to remove them . now I switched to pinched down hooks. never lost a fish yet cause of it that I know of and they seem to come right out when removing. plus it helps when you hook yourself also . but I have also read the same thing irish greg has said. guess it could happen. guess its up to you to choose.
frank thats a big hook!!! ouch hurts me just thinkin bout it!!! and I thought the size 10 bugger I had in my finger was bad! I will always debarb my hooks now that I read this. guess fly fishing is more dangerous than I thought! I also seen a picture where a guy caught a hook in the eye! yowzers!!! I always wear me some polarized glasses cause of it.

[FISHN50]

I pinch down the barb at the vise before starting the fly. I probably have lost a few fish going barbless, but the ease of removing the hook from the fish or myself is worth it. If you nymph fish & use droppers you will occasionly have one of the other flies stuck in the fish's body & the faster you can release the fish the better it's chances. If you play the fish on a tight line I don't think the hook on a barbless fly will back out & cause more damage.

[Frank Whiton]

I also seen a picture where a guy caught a hook in the eye! yowzers!!! I always wear me some polarized glasses cause of it.

Hi GeorgeMcFly,

You bring up a very important aspect of fly fishing. Any body fly casting, no matter their experience, should be wearing glasses with POLYCARBONATE lenses. I have been hit in the glasses one time with a weighted bugger. I don't exactly remember how but it dang sure hit my glasses. Wait, I do remember, I was caught on a log and pulled it off with the rod tip and it sling shot back at me. This was when I was young and foolish. I bet all of us has been hit with a fly while casting at least once. It is just good sense to wear glasses.

Frank

[Wyatt]

I have been pinching the barbs down, since the local fly shops don't keep to many barbless flys in the patterns we want, we generally release everything we catch, if we are planing to keep any fish we go to one of the resivours that are stocked several time a year. I have never had a problem with barbles hook cutting a fish worse then a barbed hook but I have had problems getting a barbed hook out of a fish or my own hide and that convinced me to pinch down barbs.
Wyatt

[tbrillinger223]

Hello all,

Before I tie I pinch down the barb and run the file over the point a few times. even commercially tied feel the rath of my needlenosed pliers and my file.

Most of the fish I target have slot/size limits and seasons. it makes it alot easier to dehook the fish, and return them safely to the water. I have never lost a fish due to a barbless/debarbed hook. very few times have there been torn mouths.