Hooklength size

[daniel121]

I know nowadays the modern way of fishing and has been for some time is so use a really short uniform hook link, Even when match carp fishing. As opposed to going straight through or using a long hooklink

I know the score, people say the benefits are;

1) Speed when changing hook with the aid of hook length boxes.

2) Making them uniform length you can keep for rig exactly the same important when using a short length of line between the float and pole tip in the event of a breakage.

3) Not weakening the hook length with shot/style

4) You can make up several rigs one gauge of line, and change your hooklinks to make different rigs

I get it and in man made carp waters especially when hair rigging I do no different. However (you knew it was coming) I think when fishing clear rivers on the stick or waggle, I personally use up to 3 foot at times, I am more than happy to put shot on my hook link and this has never caused me no problem ever on modern lines.

The benefits? Well I think the extra length of line lighter line aids my bait presentation, the extra flex enables me to get those slight better roach sitting above the smaller ones. Not one of the so called benfits of short hooklinks mentioned above would apply in a Stick/waggler running line situation bar maybe number 1?

My question is more in fun really as everybody I talk to tell’s me I’m doing it wrong. I don't really care about that, I'm way too old in the tooth to worry about that but out of interest does anybody agree with me?

 

[sam vimes]

Many river anglers still do stick to long hooklinks when float fishing. I'd go so far as to suggest that the bulk of the few I still see do exactly that. I find it a little difficult to believe that many river regulars would suggest otherwise.

However, I consider myself well out of step with the majority of regular river float anglers in that I do use short hooklinks. I started experimenting with them several years ago knowing full well that it went against percieved wisdom. I actually started doing it in the expectation of it adversely affecting my catch rate. Thankfully, though it's nigh on impossible to prove it, I don't believe it has. If my perception had been otherwise, I'd still be using hooklinks of twelve inches or more.

All I've really done is substituted the last dropper shot with a quick change micro swivel. It does mean that I've sacrificed the ability to quickly move the last dropper to alter the rig characteristics, but I can easily tie a longer or shorter, hooklink if I deem it necessary. The reality is that I'm invariably using five or six inch hooklinks and rarely anything else. The added bonus is that I'm suffering from far fewer twisted hooklinks than I used to. I suspect that, if I were fishing deeper rivers, my go to length would be n inch or two longer.

This way of rigging a float has been successful enough that I've since taken to using it for every aspect of my float fishing. I'm not advocating that anyone follows suit, or that it's the "best" way, but I'm quite content that it works for me.

 

[Keith M]

Whenever I’m float fishing (not with a pole) I much prefer to use a longer hooklength, mainly because it adds a bit of stretch on the strike, and will allow me to use finer hooklengths without too many fears of breaks even if I struck a little too heavily.

If I were to change my habits and start to fish commies full of Carp with stronger hooklengths then I might change my mind.

Keith

 

[nottskev]

That's me, too, Keith. Short hooklengths of modern line on the pole where the elastic provides....elasticity. And longer ones on rod and line, where I tend to go for old-style stretchier hooklength line, like Bayer/Kamasan in 1.7 etc. I don't worry about putting shot on - it's always in lead-legal sizes and I've never had line break at a shot.

 

[barbelboi]

Guilty as charged Chris - longer hook lengths for me too with most of my fishing on flowing water...............

 

[steve2]

On the method a short hook link other than that it’s straight out of the ready tied packet and onto the line.
That’s unless I tie the hook onto the main line therefore no hook link at all.
It hasn't stopped me catching, I might catch a few more if I did use different hook links but I have caught enough not to think it really matters.

 

[bracket]

I am similar to most others. It being 3 inch for the method, 6 inch for the pole, 12 inch for the float on running water and anything up to 3 ft for the feeder. As a point of interest, when I was tying hooks for the trade the general spec was for an 18 inch looped hook length. Pete.

 

[108831]

I'm afraid,I tie hook lengths on the bank and I will not have shot on them,so,length is dependant on how I'm fishing,when waggler fishing I tend to use 15-18" lengths, when stick float fishing around 12",but this is only on average,as altering these lengths alters,or helps alter presentation...

 

[rich66]

I tie 90% of my own hook lengths, 3” for the method, 4-5” for most of my other feeder leger work, 6” for my float. I do think sometimes I should go longer on the float but my hook length storage box does not accommodate longer, so for now 6” is the longest I tie.

 

[Mark Wintle]

I tie my own hook lengths and long ago settled on 6" for pole fishing and 22" for rod and line. I only ever put legal lead shot on the hook length and rarely have anything closer than about 12" on rod and line, certainly no swivels!

 

[Lark]

When I first got into match fishing, back in the mists of time, particularly stickfloat and waggler fishing on running water, it was at a time when hi-tech lines were starting to evolve, really quite quickly.
I was using a reel line of around .125mm (about 2.5lb bs in old money). Frustratingly, I can't remember the make at this time. This line was far smaller in diameter than the usual reel lines that were in common and previous use at the time.
My set-ups for both stickfloat and wagglers was about the same apart from the shotting. Hooklengths were generally around 9" to 12" in length. The hooklength line I was just starting to use was Damyl Tectan in .07mm and .09mm diameters. Fishing matches on the Thames at Maidenhead, Windsor, Marlow and Henley way, I rarely had to change my set up for float fishing. I never felt the need for longer hooklengths as the reel line and hooks I was using (barbless Mustad spade-ends in sizes 19, 21 and 23) rarely created a problem with presentation. These hooks were virtually weightless.
I always used to tie my hooklengths water-knot style to create an almost seamless join. Also the shotting patterns that I used then normally ended with a size 12 either directly above the knot (standard starting point!) or varied, depending how the fish were feeding.... or not. If I needed a longer length of line between the final shot and hook, I just moved the shot around. With the low diameter lines in question, it made no difference at all.
Now, of course, I would barely be able to see a number 12 shot let alone find the split and line it up.
I also (reluctantly) tie my hooklengths loop-to-loop style these days as it's more convenient and less time consuming for me and my fat-fingers.

 

[108831]

I prefer loop to look because my hooklink starts from the same place if I need to change it,the idea of your books being virtually weightless is incorrect imo,I used find wife books on the Lea to 24's and found at least 22" hooklengths had to be used so a clean run through could be achieved( presentation),I could have lifted my no.12/13 shot a few inches higher,but my datum was my loop,to be returned to if the shot moves,we all get over our problems in our own way,it's methodology...

 

[daniel121]

Well well.

Thank you for all your replies interesting reading and quite, pleasantly surprised to see that the fishingmagic community don't seem to follow the trends as many genras of fishermen do nowadays, I find

Jan porter was the first I saw to use exceptionally short hooklinks on the Trent near me, Jan is far better than I, however his style did not work for me.

I've just joined the club where I can drive behind the river and fish. To be honest I really missing my river fishing because I just don't do it anymore because I'm too old. This is the what brought this topic up in my mind from something from years ago, literally as I fish the river in my head.

Maybe I'm not as unique as I thought, I've certainly had a go at many of the things has been suggested in this thread in particularly using swivels as a bottom drop a shot. I used to do this a lot in fast water where you had to fish double caster or double maggot or what have you, it did reduce line twist but I only have a did it on fishing for chub in shallow water.

Thank again for your replies I enjoyed you them all

 

[rayner]

I use longer hook lengths for bomb fishing 18 inches, pole 6 inches, waggler 12 inch to 3 feet, method 4 inch.

 

[John Keane]

Bomb fishing - 15”
Method fishing - 4”
Waggler fishing - 6”
Trotting - 12”
PVA bag fishing with small boilies - 8”
Barbel legering on river - 24-36”
Pike wire trace - 12-18”

Edit: Pole - 6”

We’re all different.

 

[daniel121]

Bomb fishing - 15”
Method fishing - 4”
Waggler fishing - 6”
Trotting - 12”
PVA bag fishing with small boilies - 8”
Barbel levering on river - 24-36”
Pike wire trace - 12-18”


We’re all different.

Wow that's very regimented.

Do you have reasons for selecting these lengths? in particular the 6 inch Waggler fishing hooklength and the 12 inch trotting hook link?

I ask because I call trotting a waggler and trotting stick float the same thing, however when when fishing in this manner abet I don't do it that much anymore, but when I used to do I used too I fished at least 2-3 foot lengths if I thought fish would be up in the water and I've already said.

I'm certainly not saying I'm right and you're wrong, it personal I get that. I'm just genuinely wondering why you have selected 6 inch for the Wagler and 12 inch for trotting, is there a reason and what you you get from this?

 

[John Keane]

I don’t trot Wagglers so the length is for stillwater waggler and the trotting length is for stick floats. No special reason for any of these lengths and they’re only ever going to be approximate as I tie them without using any kind of tape or ruler.

 

[108831]

Do you have shot at the end of these hooklinks,when wagglering Stillwater I usually have 15-18" hook lengths,more often than not all dragging on,but you also get a better rate of fall fishing on the drop too with this length,that's my findings anyway....

 

[daniel121]

Do you have shot at the end of these hooklinks,when wagglering Stillwater I usually have 15-18" hook lengths,more often than not all dragging on,but you also get a better rate of fall fishing on the drop too with this length,that's my findings anyway....

I have shot on all the hooklink when waggler fishing in Stillwater or rivers. the only thing I won't put on a booking is a heavy bulk shot, but I see no issues with no 10s,9s and 8s on the hook link. Not that I use 10s much because of my eyes.

 

[trotter2]

To simplify the number of hooks I carry my go to lenght is just 6 inches. I use that on all my running line float set ups. I have longer hook lengths up to 18 inches but I very rarely use them. I may use a longer hook lenght if I feel it may just work better like in low summer flows and gin clear water. But 95%if the time a shorter hook lenght works fine for me.