Catch And Release

[Fugazi]

As we are all much more conservation minded these days I found the recent thread about dumped congers very disturbing. However, it prompts me to bring up the question of using barb less hooks, something I have been doing for the past few seasons. They make removing hooks very simple; especially if you need to use a T bar and I don

[Member Removed]

i find the story about the congers a bit hard to believe what are the chances of dumping fish and landing them on a wreck 200ft down on slack water let alone if there was any tide running !!!

[plaicemat]

Gordon, like you, I predominantly use barbless hooks and don't have a problem with lost fish. I picked up the habit after fishing in Canada where it is a requirement. For worm baits, I use VMC vanadium red worm hooks from UK-Hooks. They have baitholder barbs on the shank of the hook; as a bonus, they also seem to lip hook like circles, without the difficulty of baiting. As far as I know, they are not obtainable as barbless but it is no chore to do it oneself. Barbless also make it a lot easier to recover ones hook from those pesky doggies.

 

Terry B.

[Afishionado]

I usualy crush the barb down with a pair of pliers. This makes, as said before, unhooking LSD's much easyer, and I have never had a fish come off before the net.

 

Mad Mike

[Adam F]

Barbs for table fish - no barbs for sport fish.

[Paul J]

use VMC vanadium red worm hooks from UK-Hooks

 

These are nice -i must get some more

 

PJ