Graham Marsden
Editor Emeritus
This is a dedicated thread for discussing article: Opinion Piece - Barbed Comment
Opinion Piece - Barbed Comment
- Thread starter Graham Marsden
- Start date
Stealph Viper
Well-known member
A very interesting comment and huge debate potential.
I use Barbless hooks because most of the fisheries i fish at insist on them being used.
I don't use Barbed hooks anymore as i feel uncomfortable pulling them back out of the Fishes mouth as i feel i have to assert to much force.
I look at it like a bow and Arrow, a Barbless arrow will still put a hole in you, but a barbed arrow will put a bigger hole in you if you try to remove it.
From a safety point of view it is a lot easier to remove a Barbless hook from your person than it is a Barbed hook.
I have seen anglers with barbed hooks stuck in there cheeks, ears, fingers etc you have to push them through the way they entered and then cut the eye off of them to remove it.
I'm not sure as to whisker barbs, i have used them in the past but i don't really feel they gave me an advantage over barbless hooks.
Just my opinion of course, but that's how i view it.
If anyone could prove to me 100% that Barbed Hooks were safer and better than Barbless Hooks, i would immediately stop using Barbless hooks, as would everyone else.
I use Barbless hooks because most of the fisheries i fish at insist on them being used.
I don't use Barbed hooks anymore as i feel uncomfortable pulling them back out of the Fishes mouth as i feel i have to assert to much force.
I look at it like a bow and Arrow, a Barbless arrow will still put a hole in you, but a barbed arrow will put a bigger hole in you if you try to remove it.
From a safety point of view it is a lot easier to remove a Barbless hook from your person than it is a Barbed hook.
I have seen anglers with barbed hooks stuck in there cheeks, ears, fingers etc you have to push them through the way they entered and then cut the eye off of them to remove it.
I'm not sure as to whisker barbs, i have used them in the past but i don't really feel they gave me an advantage over barbless hooks.
Just my opinion of course, but that's how i view it.
If anyone could prove to me 100% that Barbed Hooks were safer and better than Barbless Hooks, i would immediately stop using Barbless hooks, as would everyone else.
Ray Roberts
Well-known member
I usualy use and prefer barbed hooks, unless the powers that be rule otherwise. I prefer whisker barb type hooks when possible and in all honesty I don't think I have ever lost a fish because of them. I have seen it stated before that the deeper cut barb on a traditional hook causes a weak spot but I have yet to have one break there in over 45 years fishing. I think a company introduced a new type of hook a few years ago (may have been Preston Innovations) This had a swelling in the place of the barb............ I don't think they caught on. (Ha, ha, no pun intended).
Cakey
Well-known member
I like to think that fishery owners have done homework on their fish and know whats best for them
so I follow fishery rules
so I follow fishery rules
peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
I only use barbs or micro barbs in sizes 16 to 24 for roach,otherwise I invariably lose the bu88ers. Barbless for most other situations,not for any particular reason,I just dont think they are necessary.
Stealph Viper
Well-known member
For me, a Barbed hook is designed to go into a fish and then to stay in there preventing the hook from being expelled by the fish, great if you are planning on not releasing the fish afterwards.
Barbless hooks are more geared towards Catch and Release as they easily slip back out the way they went in.
If i was fishing for food i would use a barbed hook, other than that, i see no point (excuse the pun) in using Barbed hooks for the style of fishing that i do.
Yes, you may lose more fish using Barbless hooks, but isn't that what fishing for pleasure is all about, a reasonably even fairness between the angler and the fish.
All manner of fish species are caught on Barbless hooks, the only reason i can see for using Barbed hooks is so that you lose less fish, but then you still release them anyway.
Barbless hooks are more geared towards Catch and Release as they easily slip back out the way they went in.
If i was fishing for food i would use a barbed hook, other than that, i see no point (excuse the pun) in using Barbed hooks for the style of fishing that i do.
Yes, you may lose more fish using Barbless hooks, but isn't that what fishing for pleasure is all about, a reasonably even fairness between the angler and the fish.
All manner of fish species are caught on Barbless hooks, the only reason i can see for using Barbed hooks is so that you lose less fish, but then you still release them anyway.
Barney 2
Well-known member
I always used barbless, in the belief that was best for the fish, until I fished some waters that insisted on using barbed hooks only.
Their argument being that modern hook points are so sharp that barbless hooks move about deep in the flesh like a scalpel, and the damage this movement can cause is far worse compared to the damaged caused by removing a barbed hook - although it is not as readily apparent - the barb stops the hook moving about deep in the flesh.
So I am now confused, and would like to be convinced one way or the other. But most fisheries have their rules which will have made the decision for us anyway!
Their argument being that modern hook points are so sharp that barbless hooks move about deep in the flesh like a scalpel, and the damage this movement can cause is far worse compared to the damaged caused by removing a barbed hook - although it is not as readily apparent - the barb stops the hook moving about deep in the flesh.
So I am now confused, and would like to be convinced one way or the other. But most fisheries have their rules which will have made the decision for us anyway!
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Stealph Viper
Well-known member
Unfortunately Barney,
This is a debate that at this moment in time can not be resolved between Barbed and Barbless, some say yes, some say no.
This is a debate that at this moment in time can not be resolved between Barbed and Barbless, some say yes, some say no.
Graham Marsden
Editor Emeritus
Bang on; it was Preston Innovations and they did drop them through lack of sales. They were called Pinch Barbless.
Jeff Woodhouse
Moaning Marlow Meldrew
And some say, "Horses for courses."
I will use barbed hooks in smaller sizes where rules permit. Generally I prefer barbless for a lot of big river species, but that's me and the fact I'm scared of gettign a barbed hook stuck in me.
However, one of the best barbel hooks I used for meats is a Kamasan B175 Fly hook with a barb, but, press the barb down carefully and you end up with the perfect hook with a bump rather than a barb. It doesn't move around in the wound and it's dead easy to remove.
S-Kippy
Well-known member
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I was not a big fan of barbless hooks until I started using them.I dont give it a second thought now.I carry both but the barbed ones are used less and less nowadays...mostly because of rules but also because I now have confidence in barbless hooks.
In fact,probably the only barbed pattern I use now [apart from fly fishing] is the Drennan Barbel hook and then only when rules permit.I just like that hook.
B175 is a terrific pattern.Use it all the time for fly & coarse.
In fact,probably the only barbed pattern I use now [apart from fly fishing] is the Drennan Barbel hook and then only when rules permit.I just like that hook.
B175 is a terrific pattern.Use it all the time for fly & coarse.
geoffmaynard
Content Editor
Horses for courses is right. Try fishing for big grayling with barbless and you'll likely lose a lot because they like to twist all over the place when you are playing them.
When I'm fishing for big fish I prefer a barbed hook just in case I hook up with something special. If I'm just on a commercial fishery then barbless is fine.
I've never gone along with the theory of barbless hooks slipping out and mouth damaging big carp, but a lot of anglers I respect do think this, so for me the jury is still out.
When I'm fishing for big fish I prefer a barbed hook just in case I hook up with something special. If I'm just on a commercial fishery then barbless is fine.
I've never gone along with the theory of barbless hooks slipping out and mouth damaging big carp, but a lot of anglers I respect do think this, so for me the jury is still out.
Ray Roberts
Well-known member
I don't in all honesty think that the fact of whether the hook has a barb of not makes as much difference to mouth damage as poor angling skills. Drag a fish through heavy weed and mouth damage is likely to result, deep hook the fish and the chances of damage are increased. unhook the fish carelessly without a disgorger of forceps when they are necessary and again the fish suffers the possibility of harm.
Occasionally you may encounter a situation as described by Ron, but they are few and far between. If you unhook the fish properly then it doesn't make much difference, that's why opinion is so divided on this issue.
I went to a fishery recently where all hooks up to 14 were to be barbed, over that had to be barbless. I know of other fisheries where barbless only or barbed only are the order of the day. They all have the fishes welfare at heart but they can't all be right.
Occasionally you may encounter a situation as described by Ron, but they are few and far between. If you unhook the fish properly then it doesn't make much difference, that's why opinion is so divided on this issue.
I went to a fishery recently where all hooks up to 14 were to be barbed, over that had to be barbless. I know of other fisheries where barbless only or barbed only are the order of the day. They all have the fishes welfare at heart but they can't all be right.
Dave Slater
Well-known member
As Graham said in an earlier post a great idea. I do not like barbless hooks as I think they can do quite a lot of damage by cutting so I often pinch down barbs to get the bost of both worlds. If they produced these hooks now I would certainly buy them.
Graham Whatmore
Senior Member
This is one of the same old arguments that crops up on a regular basis like the closed season. Anglers professing that one type of hook is better than another without actually knowing which is best for the fish, barbed hooks rip fishes mouths is the usual rubbish that comes out when in fact they don't, anglers rip fishes mouths when carelessly removing the hook.
The barbless hook is the norm on commercials nowadays because the owners believe this to be true yet some of the more thinking commercial owners are now insisting on barbed hooks because they believe they do less damage to the fishes mouth because the hook doesn't move about so much.
I use barbless hooks because it saves me buying both sorts not because I believe they are better but because most fishery owners make it a rule but I prefer micro barb.
The barbless hook is the norm on commercials nowadays because the owners believe this to be true yet some of the more thinking commercial owners are now insisting on barbed hooks because they believe they do less damage to the fishes mouth because the hook doesn't move about so much.
I use barbless hooks because it saves me buying both sorts not because I believe they are better but because most fishery owners make it a rule but I prefer micro barb.
Cakey
Well-known member
you dont fish Cemex waters then Graham
Graham Whatmore
Senior Member
Just read the Cemex rules Cakey, barbed hooks only on sizes bigger than 16 and optional for smaller, sounds good to me. No Cemex waters near me though 
Ray Roberts
Well-known member
Just read the Cemex rules Cakey, barbed hooks only on sizes bigger than 16 and optional for smaller, sounds good to me. No Cemex waters near me though
Almost the oposite rule at Marsh Farm, barbed 14 and smaller, barbless for bigger hooks. At the very least it makes the angler give some thought to fish welfare and that can't be a bad thing.