I have been river fishing now for years... yet still I find myself losing far greater numbers of hooked fish... (like today)... this is using barbless hooks... I play fish hard to the net sometimes... and also allowing them to fight... nontheless I lose a huge majority... This is using various types of hooks.... right... I cannot answer this so.... anyone?.....

That's interesting, think of all the articles that have been written with the writers saying they thought they'd lose lots of fish by switching over to barbless, and surprise they reported they didn't. I personally don't feel I lose any more fish by fishing with barbless. Could it be too fast a tip on your rod, bumping the fish off? Have you by any chance tried the same hooks in barbed versions?

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Supporting the Owls you should be used to losing quite a few lol Les.

The only thing I can think of Martin is you aint using the bung enough.

The Pirate

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Last year I switched to barbless 'cos I got fed up with cutting the damned hook out of the landing net.

Don't think I'm loosing any more fish than before.

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Plusnet/Madasafish > Liars to the internet community

Hi Martin

Trying to give advice to one of the UK's great stillwater fishermen is a bit intimidating, but here goes....

You're keeping everything tight and the fish is not bumping about too much (which would indicate too stiff a rod)? OK.

When you catch fish, where are they hooked - lips or scissors? If the lips, try making sure you've got a little line to pay to the fish when it takes by fishing with a raised rod (above horizontal) and/or don't strike so early - give the fish a chance to turn. Also, how are you fishing - upstream, across and down, or down and across. If it's the latter, it's really necessary to keep a high rod tip so there's plenty of slack in the line to allow the fish to turn.

Try to get downstream of the fish when playing them (you can often do this by just keeping in touch with the fish and waiting until it swims upstream of you, before applying hard pressure) - this turns the weight of the current to your advantage, rather than it working against you.

If you're already doing all the above, I give up - bite the bullet and give John Tyzack or some other river wizard a call and pay for a day's fishing.

All best
Mal

PS - how did you get on with the coiled indicators? If you are still losing fish when using these it suggests your rod is too stiff.

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If you're loosing the huge majority of the fish, then it isn't the barbless hooks that are to blame.

I can think of three reasons:

1. Sculpin chaser has already mentioned what I'd consider to be the most likely cause--an excessively stiff fire-poker rod action. This makes the rod unresponsive and unable to smoothly "give back" when the fish makes a sudden move, resulting in the hook being pulled out or thrown.

This is one of those things that drives fishing guides over here crazy. Distance-obsessed anglers are so absorbed in the "faster is better" mindset that they don't realize that there's difference between a casting tool and a fishing rod and they lose too many fish.

2. Letting the fish break the surface too much by playing with a high rod. Steelhead especially are masters of throwing the fly by either headshaking or slack-lining you if they get their heads out of the water.

3. You said you sometimes allow the fish to fight, but I think it's at least possible that you're still horsing them in too quickly.

Grouse

Martin,
remember in late 70's early eighties, when faster action, stiffer carbon, became the in thing??

what did we do to stop breaks and losing fish??
if you were logged in i would stop the post now!!!

you aint, so the answer is ----------










power gum


lol
you must remember it!


regards
bert

Martin, for what its worth, we can have a look at a couple of things next time we're both out on the Don.

JT definitely put me onto lines of improvement (and there is always room for improvement!) but I TEND to stick hold of a lot more fish now than when I started the conversion from my stillwater background.

Apologies that I couldn't make it out to fish at the weekend - but next time we are both out, collar me....

PG

Thanks for all comments even PP's ... It may be just a percentage thing??... Maybe if I hooked less eh?... I do have my rod high.. cast across n down... short line long line... excellerator etc.... Trust me I have been coached over the years by some brilliant river anglers (no names mentioned) Maybe its just 'me'... My gear is a pretty fast actioned 3/4wt rod with line to suit.... Using a bit of Powergum may be the answer as suggested tho?... Bugsy (damn I said no names mentioned) uses that... aaarggghhhh