Need alternative Hook

[garyb72]

I currently use and swear by the Gardner Wide Gap Covert Talon Tip hooks (barbless) for my carp fishing. Problem is I may be fishing a new lake soon that only allows micro barbed hooks. It looks like Gardner only do these hooks in barbed and barbless so I need an alternative. Can anyone recommend/suggest suitable alternatives for me?

 

Thanks Gary.

[Phone]

Gary,

 

If such a insane minuscule difference were required over here you could bet your bottom dollar the pond boss could fix you up with something suitable for as little as a 1000% mark-up.

 

Not sure if you have them but the sharpest out of the package hook is the chemically sharpened VMC Vanadium steel line of hooks. They are WAY to expensive for me. (They are micro-barbed).

 

Oddly, just like hook "size" each manufacturer has its own definition of "micro-barbed". There is no industry standard. VMC is one of the bigger barbed - micro-barbed hooks. The package says "micro-barbed".

 

Are you allowed to flatten a barbed hook? That may be the answer.

 

Phone

[pearbo]

I use the same hook and would say that the barbed version is really a micro barb anyway. I use both as some waters i fish also insist on barbed.

[SpecimenSean]

a water that insists on micro barbed but not barbed or barbless? :|

[Dales]

I think more and more waters are coming around to the idea that barbed cause less damage.

[Phone]

Dales,

 

You would only have to come fish with me and my pals a couple times to realize barbed vs barbless vs micro-barbed is NOT, Not, not the issue. Angler technique, is 99.9% of the issue. When we say "let's go rip some lips" that's what we mean.

 

I noticed the same is (was) true in the UK. Once you decide to spear a fish none of the static kit is responsible for "damage" - you are.

 

Phone

[garyb72]

Cheers guys. In response to the above, yes the hooks have to be micro-barbed as opposed to barbed or barbless. I will get a packet of the Gardner barbed hooks if the barb on these is more like a micro barb anyway. I wonder how the bailiff will be able to tell? After doing some searches I spotted the Nash micro barbed hooks and like the look of the Nash Fang Uni. Anyone got any experience of using these?

 

Cheers,

 

Gary.

[Phone]

gary,

 

Until you are better aquainted, I'd carry the packagings along in my kit. That would be the only way for a bailiff (pond boss) to know with any degree of certainty I'd think. Don't believe I would use anything I tied myself for awhile.

 

Phone

[Andy Macfarlane]

I've started to come the conclusion that barbed Vs barbless and losing fish is down to the size of the fish and the fight itself. Smaller, piddly and erratic fish seem to able to literally shake themselves free of the lighter, wire gauged hooks and losses are inevitable much of the time.

Bigger, weightier fish move around a lot less and the sheer gravity of the fish means it can't just bump the hook, as it were. The larger hooks are often deeper, with a thicker gauge, which by the way, when embedded in the thicker, maturer mouthparts of the adult fish are far more difficult to simply shake free...what say you?

 

Damage is another debate.

 

I'm away tenching now so go away....