Barbed trebble hooks = trouble.

[Caddis]

While standing on a bridge that runs over a PA Spring creek, I witnessed an angler attempt to carefully remove a trebble hook from a wild browns mouth. The only problems were that he had the fish up to his nose while standing on the bank and he took much too long. I watched this guy for about 10 minutes try to get his trebble hook out of the fish's mouth. Once removed, he gently placed the fish back into the water and tried reviving him.

I'll have to admit that I don't always debarb my hooks while fly fishing however, I can't remember the last time I hooked a fish which couldn't be released by simply jiggling the hook out of its lip. I very rarely have to hold a trout for more than a few seconds. Either way, you should debarb your hooks.

I know some will disagree that barbed trebble hooks cause more damage to trout, but let's try a little test. Get an old sweater. Stick 1 hook into the sweater and try to remove it. Now take a lure with a trebble hook and hook all three hooks into the sweater and try to remove them. Which took longer to remove? Now remove the barbs from the hooks and repeat the test. Please post your conclusions here.

I'm wondering how often some of you hook a fish on a fly and the fish swallow's the fly?

 

[TomE]

treble

I'm not a big fan of the treble hooks. When I fished more for bass, the mid & smaller size had a bad habit of getting the top and lower lip hooked.

I basically removed all the treble hooks and replace the last hook w/ a single circle hook (with a skirt).

This isn't to start a debate on flies vs lures ... Its just how I solve the treble problem

 

[Johnw]

I happened to use treble hooks this past weekend probably for the first time in 40 years and anyone who thinks that treble hooks don't do more damage to trout than single hooks is a fool. I debarbed the treble hooks but it still takes longer and is more difficult to remove the hooks and requires more handling than a single barbless hook does. I usually debarb the flies I use and I find when using streamers I can simply leave the fish in the water and remove the fly - no handling at all. I can't remember having a trout swallow a fly in all the years I have fished and can't remember any fish that I've released that I doubted would survive

 

[Andy B]

Treble hooks for trout should be outlawed. If any one has noticed via the fly swaps, I always smash the barb down on my fly's. I really try to practice this all the time. I feel that treble hooks are really ment for the people who will harvest everything they catch. Just my two cents worth.

Andy B

 

[Unregistered]

Treble Hooks... yeegads!

I thought trout fishing with treble hooks went out with the middle ages. Those hooks are miniature grappling hooks, and they're used for climbing not fishing. Barbs just add to the insult. If you can't give our fisheries resources more of a fighting chance by using a single barbless hook, take up another sport... like climbing.

 

[Caddis]

Re: Treble Hooks... yeegads!

I thought trout fishing with treble hooks went out with the middle ages. Those hooks are miniature grappling hooks, and they're used for climbing not fishing. Barbs just add to the insult. If you can't give our fisheries resources more of a fighting chance by using a single barbless hook, take up another sport... like climbing.

WOW!!! Now that's probably the best description of a trebble hook I've ever heard! Nice.

 

[fcch]

I guess we're all of the same opinion. Further, I find that on occasions, the multi-point hooks can lead to LOSING a fish.

I fish mostly for Atlantic salmon. I have on many occasions seen fish suddenly shake off the hook. Me and several other guides are sure that the double hooks (barbed) eventually open up a larger wound in the salmon's lip and pouf... of he goes. Remember we're talking #12 - #14 doubles.

We are opening this year with catch and realese ONLY on samon over 63 cm. I'm going to the wildlife departement next week to try to get doules and trebles banned for the duration of the catch and release season. We already banned lead, beads, and leaded leaders. Tis year I hope to get rid of sinking lines and braided leaders.

My 0.02$

 

[JohnO]

Chris,

Why get rid of braided leaders? Or do you mean lead core leaders?

JohnO

 

[fcch]

Ooops,

Around here, braided "usually" means the treated ones which can be made to sink (like Rios) Also, Moser makes some lead core ones too. We feel that once NO braided leaders are on th eriver, it'll make life that much easier for the wardens. No more wondering if the braided leader he sees is sinking type or lead core.

Same thing for BIG wooly buggers. I discourage my clients from using them as it avoids confusion when you see SPLAT and a big #6 wooly hits the water from 150 yds away. The game warden doesn't have much choice but to call you over to check the fly isn't leaded.

 

[quality time]

BUMP

An oldie, but a goodie, associated with a poll that has interesting results.

So sorry NJAngler. :rofl:

 

[Hllywd76]

QT,

I saw this a month ago or so. Seems fitting now like you said. I like the grapling hook detail that's a hoot. Could you imagine someone debarbing one of those not likely to happen.
I fish in Canada the first time with barbless and learned quickly to keep the preesure on when debarbed even when I lose a fish it's ok. No meat sticker here. Only when fishing for camp food or hunting deer. I won't cook fish

Hllywd

 

[NJAngler]

Are the odds higher that a treble will do more damage? Of course, but a high % of fish I hook using barbless spinners are hooked by one point and rarely all three. A good 25-30% also fall off before i can even land them whereas "falloffs" for barbed flies are generally rare. most trout lost are because the tippet breaks and not so much the hook coming out. Not sure how many of you use barbless flies but I imagine falloffs there are also quite high.

Another "point" as it were, is trout size. I find I catch much smaller wild trout - 1.5" to 3" size trout - using size #14 or smaller flies and because they're mouths are so small, the barb of just one single hook can really inflict damage incl. eye, gill and brain. Fish that size are rarely hooked successfully using a treble spinner and since they are smaller/weaker, they are more susceptible to mortality. Just an observation.

Mark

 

[quality time]

Are the odds higher that a treble will do more damage? Of course, but a high % of fish I hook using barbless spinners are hooked by one point and rarely all three. A good 25-30% also fall off before i can even land them whereas "falloffs" for barbed flies are generally rare. most trout lost are because the tippet breaks and not so much the hook coming out. Not sure how many of you use barbless flies but I imagine falloffs there are also quite high.

Mark

Thanks for clearing that up for us! This is a very sound argument to support the use of trebel hooks on WTSs. And to think, some of us actually thought the resource was more important than keeping our catch numbers up.

QT

 

[Hllywd76]

A good 25-30% also fall off before i can even land them whereas "falloffs" for barbed flies are generally rare. most trout lost are because the tippet breaks and not so much the hook coming out. Not sure how many of you use barbless flies but I imagine falloffs there are also quite high.

Mark

I personally lost 4 large fish last night with a barbed popper. No break offs. I have also lost a few trout in the barbless hookup when I didn't loose the pressure on the fish. would a barb have helped land the fish? Yes/Maybe, but handling the fish is what the barbless is all about and getting the fish back in the water with as little damage as possible. LDR's seems to be the same for me barbed or barbless. As above less time to set the fish back sometimes without even handling the fish. I don't see that happening often with a treble hook. yes it can I've done it with my forcepts or needle nose when Pike fishing.

I doubt some could even imagine not handling a fish they spent time catching. I can and do as do other's here.


Hllywd

 

[dcabarle]

The other day while fishing the WB with my Wife, I would hook into a fish and it would get off. One fish would have probably been the biggest fish of the year had the hook not broke right in the middle. Just knowing that I tied on the right fly to fool a fish 60 feet away into taking it was plenty excitement for me. Would I have liked to land it, sure but I think it was actually more exciting and interesting that I hooked it and lost it. Interesting because that's the one that I remember (broke my hook right in half).

If I catch 1 fish on the D in my 12hrs of fishing, that's plenty more satisfying to me than catching 30 10" fish in some WTS. Doesn't that get friggen boring?

There has to be a challenge for me to find it rewarding. Shit... I can put 20 trout in a bucket in my backyard and catchem all over and over again. Now there's an idea.

 

[klg neighbor]

I outfish Mark all the time. I may fish the same 20 foot pool all day long while he covers miles with his spinning outfit. The number of fish caught per foot of stream is much higher for me.

While large fish does have it's attraction, wild trout with vibrant colors, even if they are 5 inch trout, are special too. Now if that large trout you lost was wild (I'm guessing it was), then you have the best of both worlds.

 

[onemorecast]

Now if that large trout you lost was wild (I'm guessing it was), then you have the best of both worlds.

And there's the source of the addiction. That is called "angler's crack". Er, uh, no that's not the image I wanted to present. I think Dr JM did that already today. Angler's heroin - that's what I meant. Highly addictive and most would sell their soul to the devil to keep doing it.

 

[klg neighbor]

 

[millrun]

I tend to use allot of small flies this time of the year and they are all barbed. But I always get rid of the barb on spinners and beetles of any size since trout seem to enhale them. Without the barbs I can extract those flies easily. I catch fish on the WB of the D and you can tell by their lips and busted mandibles that they have been hooked with treble hooks.

 

[Burtbords149]

I was killing time once for bass with a spinner of some sort, this was before my eye opening and becoming a purist. Anyway I hooked a tiny bass, maybe 4 inches long. The treble on this spinner became stuck between his lips and there was just enough room to get it out. I had to do a job just to get it out and needless to say he was out of the water for a while. Luckily a bass is a resilient fish, if it was a trout he probably would have died.

 

[NJAngler]

I outfish Mark all the time. I may fish the same 20 foot pool all day long while he covers miles with his spinning outfit. The number of fish caught per foot of stream is much higher for me.

Nice try but I won't take the bait - excuse me - fly

 

[klg neighbor]

Nice try but I won't take the bait - excuse me - fly

Damn!

Welcome aboard!

 

[NJAngler]

If I catch 1 fish on the D in my 12hrs of fishing, that's plenty more satisfying to me than catching 30 10" fish in some WTS. Doesn't that get friggen boring?

There has to be a challenge for me to find it rewarding. Shit... I can put 20 trout in a bucket in my backyard and catchem all over and over again. Now there's an idea.

Never boring only because the next cast could produce a 15" wild brown. Every - and I do mean every - wild brown trout stream holds a few trophy fish(14" or more)I may get 8 hours straight of 6 to 10" browns on 4 diff't streams but just knowing a whopper may be next is enough to keep me motivated and attentive.

native brookie and wild bows the same thing: Plenty of 5" dinks along the way but once in awhile a nice 11 or 12" beauty shows up that can really make my day.

NJA

 

[NJpatbee]

If I catch 1 fish on the D in my 12hrs of fishing, that's plenty more satisfying to me than catching 30 10" fish in some WTS. Doesn't that get friggen boring?

I have never caught 30 10" wild trout in any WTS in the Northeast, where I have done all of my fly fishing. I have fished the the Mainstem and caught a few trout in the 12-16 inch range in one day and it was a good experience. However, a good day on a WTS, which requires a different approach, is for me more of a challenge and is extremely satisfying. A 10 inch wild brook trout in a small WTS to me is like catching an 18" trout in the WB.

Actually, I should not be encouraging anyone, and come to think of it, I fished a small WTS this morning and it was boring as hell, and I am never going to do it again. I urge everyone else to do the same.

However, I have a 3 year old grandson that would like to go fishing, and if he could hook some of those easy to catch 10 inch wild trout he may find it fun, at least for a while. So please PM some of the spots so I can take the little tike out.

 

[SleepsWithFishes]

ah , sometimes I just cant resist, at least on this one, because its a pet peeve.

"barbed treble hooks", how about treble hooks in general,..(lets just speak of trout fishing) .are very bad, and if you really need to be using them on a WTS, you are lame, plain and simple. I mean theres nothing better than ripping the lips off a beautiful 5"-10" wild trout .

I've heard enough of the other side of this story, and you know what, its a sorry excuse for being "so good" at being a fisher person.

 

[Mark S.]

ah , sometimes I just cant resist, at least on this one, because its a pet peeve.

"barbed treble hooks", how about treble hooks in general,..(lets just speak of trout fishing) .are very bad, and if you really need to be using them on a WTS, you are lame, plain and simple. I mean theres nothing better than ripping the lips off a beautiful 5"-10" wild trout .

I've heard enough of the other side of this story, and you know what, its a sorry excuse for being "so good" at being a fisher person.

Flies tear off lips too not to mention eyes. And how many times have you set the hook in a trouts back or belly by accident? No lure or fly guarantees 100% harmless hooking so enough treble bashing already. This horse has been beaten to death and then some. .

Mark

 

[biot]

so enough treble bashing already. This horse has been beaten to death and then some. .

Mark

And it will be beaten into the ground in these forums until it's never even mentioned again.
Hell,the thread is five years old and now that it's dug up you expect the Fly Fishing community here to not bash treble hooks.
And especially when you post defending trebles under both your user names.

 

[SleepsWithFishes]

how many times have I set the hook in a trouts back, belly, or eye by accident? well Mark S., , NJAngler or what ever aka your going by these days,..to be completely honest,..and its shocking,..(1) time, many years ago I hooked a trout in its eye, (must have liked what it saw)...and it was with a single hook, I was very upset, I knew that beautiful wild brownie was not going to make it...

but I was in a TCA,..I looked around , the near by bridge had a CO watching me,..I yelled (can I keep it, eye hooked..)(he says, if it aint 15", No)(me, well, its gonna die)(him, well, guess the racoons will eat good tonight).=nice,..

yes I have used the trebles long ago, and they destroy the fish , besides making it to easy to "snag" them,..why do you think they are illegal in places in the know?..

ah enough of this, you are right, this poor dead horse has been beaten so badley for so long, I will now take my saddle off and send the dead beast to the dog food factory. In the mean time you keep on sneaking around with your (3) prong death hooks, and be sure to count each #,..

later , on this subject, I shall speak no more of it, I gots to get it together , there be some serious flyfishing to do!

 

[Mark S.]

And it will be beaten into the ground in these forums until it's never even mentioned again.
Hell,the thread is five years old and now that it's dug up you expect the Fly Fishing community here to not bash treble hooks.
And especially when you post defending trebles under both your user names.

Who's defending them? I'm merely "pointing" out facts about both methods. Heck one 11" wild brown today swallowed my beadhead and got it caught in one of its gill rakers. Another two were hooked through the eye socket just missing the eye. A few others had lip damage. I must be doing something wrong though 'cause I know this never, ever happens to anybody else right?

Mark

 

[biot]

Who's defending them? I'm merely "pointing" out facts about both methods. Heck one 11" wild brown today swallowed my beadhead and got it caught in one of its gill rakers. Another two were hooked through the eye socket just missing the eye. A few others had lip damage. I must be doing something wrong though 'cause I know this never, ever happens to anybody else right?

Mark

OK let me put it this way, maybe your not "defending" trebles, but you sure are going out of your way to point out the damage that is done by single hooks.
I admit that if someone say's (myself included) that they have never damaged a fish with a single hook, they are a f$#*& liar. It happens, but more damage occurs with a treble hook.
Hell I've had Trout feeding on spent spinners inhale my imitation were I had to cut the tippet (since it was hooked so deeply) so that particular fish mite have a chance of surviving.
And as far as hooking a fish in the back or belly, it usally happens during Midge fishing and usally it happens to stockies who are stacked up in a large group. This I believe is due to the fact of the flies being so tiny, they are not as easily seen by the Trout and alot of the time the fish runs into the fly.
I know people who have been doing this (fly fishing) longer than I have and can tell you where in the mouth that fish is hooked just by looking at the way an angler moves his rod while setting the hook.
So don't complain about the responses on this thread, because the more you respond to it, the more you will probably get bashed on it.




As allway's just begin "BRUTALY" honest.