Removing barbs from hooks, What is your technique?

[tcorfey]

Removing barbs from hooks, What is your technique?

On smaller hooks 22 to size 10. I use a hemostat to crimp the barb, the first click is usually the barb breaking and the second click is the first lock on the hemostat. Then I take the hook, visually check it and then poke it through cloth to see if it catches on the way back out. If there is still some left I take my hook hone and file down the stub.

On Larger hooks I use some needle nosed pliers and do the same test and file method. However, if I am prepping at home I might use a Dremel tool to grind down the barb.

What do you do?

Tim C.

 

[AzTrouter]

I squish them in the vice jaws down to size 24 and use some smooth jaw pliers for the rest.

I fish barbless everywhere.

 

[mcnerney]

I follow the method Tim outlined!

 

[westcoast]

Every year more and more waterways are going barbless, I'm going to fix or exchange all my lure/fly hooks over the winter. Last thing I need is a fine by forgetting to check the "specific" lake regulations.

 

[trev]

I have a small set of smooth needle nose in my tying tools. Jeweler's? I have used hemostat and didn't like it. I find using the vise is (in my mind at least) slower than pliers. I usually mash a dozen (or however many I plan to tie) at a time. I don't normally do the panty-hose check nor file because I don't fish where barbless is required or checked for and a barb too small to see isn't big enough to cause a problem unhooking or to make setting the hook difficult.
I can't imagine using a Dremel, I'd probably either cut the hook in two or grind my fingers shorter.

 

[partsman]

All of the above methods work, but Im going to barbless hooks, I like the hanooks and there are many others available from many flytying stores. My favorites are flyfish food and tactical flyfishers, these folks have some really cool stuff, hope its okay to name some dealers.
Mike.

 

[AzTrouter]

All of the above methods work, but Im going to barbless hooks, I like the hanooks and there are many others available from many flytying stores. My favorites are flyfish food and tactical flyfishers, these folks have some really cool stuff, hope its okay to name some dealers.
Mike.

I’ve been going the route myself, I really like Firehole hooks, but I’ve still got a lot of old stock on hand.

 

[ia_trouter]

I smash them. It seems more than good enough. Hooks remove easily and the residual bump seems to have some advantage.

 

[philly]

I'll use barbless hooks if I can find them in the size and type I want. Otherwise I use flat or needle nose pliers depending on the size of the hook. I flatten them as I need them.

 

[MCHammer]

I use a small pair of needle-nose, smooth jawed pliers. As part of my tying routine, mashing down the barb is the first thing I do, and it's become second nature.

I hold the pliers at a right angle to the hook. It's just the easiest way to hold the pliers; with smaller hooks I have to be careful not to bend or break the hook.

A couple of years ago, I bought a few flies from a very knowledgeable fly shop owner, and she insisted on mashing the barbs for us using her technique--she held the pliers parallel to the hook shank. She said that there was less chance of weakening the hook this way. I've tried doing it that way, but I seem to wobble the pliers too much and can hold the pliers much steadier perpendicular to the hook.

 

[flav]

I prefer barbless hooks, but some hook styles I like only come with barbs. On those hooks I smash the barbs before I tie on them, and use flat jawed pliers that are sold in fly shops specifically for that purpose.

 

[Ard]

There seems to be a caveman within even the best of groups and today I'll wear that mantel by admitting that when I fish for steelhead & silver salmon I use a very small hook. They are marked 'Specialty' and are meant to be used with beads or a single salmon egg and the size 8's are very small I think. I generally only do half a job of crimping them down using my fishing plier that I wear on the belt. I fish barbed or half a barb at the least unless I'm in rainbow trout waters then I mash them all the way to flat.

Those hooks are the same I think I sent to you Tim stuffed into the hook holders on those tube flies. Unless a fish gets one way back in the gill rakes they seem harmless. If I get one hooked that deep I cut rather than trying to remove and with the tubes all I leave is that little hook. Not that that makes me feel good but I've only cut 2 as far as I can remember and that's a lot of fish.

About 99.99% of what I catch is a jaw hook and after I comb through miles of water looking for one I want the barbed edge.

 

[jzim]

I'm surprised more commercial fly tiers don't use barbless hooks. Fishing barbless is so prevalent and the statement the tiers would make by using barbless would be huge.

 

[dennyk]

Pretty much the same routine Tim uses. I use the Dremel tool and a fine stone much more often on larger, harder hooks for barb removal.

Denny

 

[kentuckysteve]

I don't always use barbless hooks for my waters but when i do i usually smash them with the vise before tying the flies on them.If i am on the water and need barbless i use my needle nose pliers and crimp them.

 

[jpbfly]

I buy barbless hooks......the very rare barbed hooks I use... I squish them in the vice jaws down like Aztrouter

 

[LisaChu]

I'm also a little confused. How can I reduce the harm of hook to fish? Every time I release a fish, I worry about affecting it.

 

[brianrap]

I tie all my own flies so if the hook I am tying on isn't barbless, the first step in the tying process is to mash the barb in the jaws of the vise. On the rarer occasions when I am tying some larger flies for saltwater, I use needlenose pliers to crimp the barb before the hook goes into the vise.

 

[AzTrouter]

I'm surprised more commercial fly tiers don't use barbless hooks. Fishing barbless is so prevalent and the statement the tiers would make by using barbless would be huge.

I wonder that myself, even at tailwater destinations like the San Juan, Lee’s Ferry or even the Big Horn below Yellowtail, you won’t find barbless hooks in the bins.

At this point I don’t understand the barb thing anyway, I’m not sure I’ve ever lost a fish to lack of barb, even on big head shaking tailwater trout. Barbless sure makes it easier for me release fish and unstick flies from truck seats, me, wool shirts, vest etc etc

 

[jdwy]

I always crimp them with needle nose pliers before tying. If I find a barbed one while fishing I use my hemostat.