Barbed Hooks or Barbless? Does It Really Matter?

Troutbitten

We’re halfway through Season 13, and tonight we have a discussion that’s been on our backburner for quite a while -- barbed hooks or barbless, and does it really matter?
Should we always fish barbless? Maybe not. The answer isn’t that simple. So the Troutbitten guys are here for a conversation and a few thoughts about barbs on hooks.
Each one of us has fished for long enough that we’ve used both barbed and barbless flies. We’ve also used barbs on lures and bait hooks, because we all grew up fishing in different ways. Some anglers who jump right into the fly fishing game — especially for trout — are exposed to a another sentiment. So their reference points are different. And like anything else, what might seem almost outlandish to one person can seem like no big deal to another.
So . . . barbed hooks or barbless? And does it really matter?
Resources

READ: Troutbitten | Are We Taking the Safety of Trout Too Far?
READ: Troutbitten | Category | Catch and Release Safely
READ: Troutbitten | Fight Fish Fast
READ: Troutbitten | Nymph Hook Inversion and the Myth of the Jig Hook
PODCAST: Troutbitten | How To Handle a Trout - S1, Ep2
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Skwala

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