Barb or barbless flys?

[cgill]

I try to mash the barb down but sometimes I forget. So I voted barbless because I have good intentions.

[Mark Patenaude]

As all studies have indicated, the mortality rate is greatly increased when barbed hooks are used. I would recommend to all that they go strictly barbless.

When tying, the first thing I do is crush the barb, even before the hook goes in the vice.

Just my $.02.

f-w-f

[Uplander]

fishes-with-fly said:

As all studies have indicated, the mortality rate is greatly increased when barbed hooks are used. I would recommend to all that they go strictly barbless.

Lest we all forget, the heart and soul of fishing (including fly fishing) is that it is a blood sport. Catch and release is a noble sentiment that I myself practice most of the time. However, I don’t believe the preeminence of catch and release as the benchmark of fly fishing moral clarity is as cut and dry as it is often touted to be. There is one school of thought that postulates that catch and release is, in fact, crueler than “traditional” catch and kill fishing. Via catch and release, we fishermen are repeatedly tormenting, terrorizing, and injuring fish over and over – simply for our own “sport.” A quick, clean death might be preferable….

I’m not here to get into a debate over catch and release. To my mind, to each his own when it comes to fishing, whether that be choice of gear, choice of hooks, or catch and release….

I’ll readily admit that, sometimes when I go fishing, I go with intentional, premeditated death on my mind, and at the end of the day there’s blood on my hands, weight in my creel, and a succulent stream-side fish fry to enjoy.

For those occasions, barbed hooks are de rigueur….

If that makes me the forum’s resident Visigoth, so be it….
;D

[Joshua Field]

Uplander said:

Lest we all forget, the heart and soul of fishing (including fly fishing) is that it is a blood sport. Catch and release is a noble sentiment that I myself practice most of the time. However, I don’t believe the preeminence of catch and release as the benchmark of fly fishing moral clarity is as cut and dry as it is often touted to be.

Morality aside, I'm entirely appreciative of any effort another fisherman makes to give us that (now rare) shot at catching a 10yr old brown. After all, it takes 3-5 years for trout to reach maturity so it is a shame to take them out of the system before they can make these rivers more productive, let alone get big and selective.

I vote to at least crunch those barbs and put 'em back if you can stand to do it (and even if you can't if you are on the hoosic!).