With more and more catch and release Lakes and streams around the country, and more and more fly anglers who prefer to release their catch no matter where they're fishing, shouldn't the manufacturers of fly hooks follow suit and begin to make ALL of their hooks barbless?
Apparently studies show that the barb makes little difference in whether or not a fish stays hooked, so what's the advantage? I know flattening the barb with a pair of pliers is easy to do but I've heard of fisherman on C&R waters who forgot to do so, were checked by a WDFW agent and issued a citation. Also, inspite of the relatively small barb on most fly hooks, releasing a fish becomes more difficult and is more likely to cause injury. So what's the point of the barb? Bob Martin
