Thoughts on need for barbless hooks

[Kevin Giusti]

I dont know about where you all fish but in California I am pretty sure almost all rivers are barbless hooks only for salmon and steelhead. I know some companies make certain barbless hooks that can be used for steelhead but for the majority the sizes and styles I use all have barbs. Now you can call me lazy but pinching or filing barbs gets to be a pain. Sometimes the barb breaks sometimes your left with a questionable little nub that leaves you saying "HMMM" Ive heard there is a fish and game officer on the trinity that carries panty hose(urban legend who knows?) Anyway I use alot of Alec Jackson and partridge and unless I cant find em I know of no barbless hooks of that style. Maybe someone can help me out. Anyway I emailed a few hook companies with the suggestion so maybe if you use strictly barbless for reasons of the law or for the ease on the fish take some time and send an email to them saying you have a need for em. I just went to the websites and found an email address. Only took a few minutes. Wouldnt an alec jackson barbless spey be nice! Just thought I would see what others thoughts were. Kevin

[Rory McMahon]

I cant really help you with finding a barbless style of the hooks you want, but i have something to add about the whole barbless thing. When fishing a dry fly, the barb will trap an airbubble. So im sure you would get a lot more bites without the barb.

[kodiaksalmon]

I tie and fish 100% barbless, and have for going on a decade now. I consider it standard ops to pinch a barb before it even goes in the vise. I also tie alot on 3407 and 34007, so I've got a file out anyway to sharpen them. So if the barb breaks, the file is already out and ready to go. Going through the extra steps is the least I owe the fish for their time spent with me.

[Skilly]

If you ever hook yourself, you will make all your hooks barbless.

I like many others pinch, file the barb when it goes in my vise.

Have I hooked myself in the last 55 years of lfy fishin ? Sure I have. Learning to snake roll can be a dangerous thing.

Skilly