I Believe in Barbless Hooks

Harry
Notice the deep hook penetration that I achieved with this barbless hook on the Murray's Magnum Hog Sucker
Notice the deep hook penetration that I achieved with this barbless hook on the Murray’s Magnum Hog Sucker

After extensive testing and reasonably accurate record keeping during the years the South Fork of the Shenandoah River was regulated so that it was …”Not legal to take fish for human consumption” I was convinced that I Landed 30% more fish on barbless hooks.

I believe that many of the fish that got off the barbed hooks during the fight did so because the hook did not penetrate the fishes jaw beyond the barb of the hook. Basically these fish were just “hanging on the point on the hook.” Had these fish been hooked on barbless hooks the hook would have penetrated to the bend of the hook and many would have been landed.

Today I use barbless hooks for all of my trout, smallmouth and saltwater fly fishing.

Watch my video “Quick Tip – De-barbing a Fly” shows how to remove the barb from the fly.