Treble Hooks

[tgo]

I have talked with a few people lately about treble hooks and none of us could come up with a good reason for why they aren't banned, especially since a barbless treble hook would still probably do more damage than a single, barbed size 16 fly. What gives? Anybody have the inside track on why this hasn't been addressed, or has it and I haven't been paying attention.

 

Very sad to see the deformed mouths and jaws of most of the cutties I caught in the Livingstone last week. I don't think I will go back there, it has gotten worse in the past 5 years. Not saying it's related but it just got me thinking about it. I cut the line of the fly is deep, but some guy fishing a $6 Rapala might not agree. Any thoughts?

[ÜberFly]

I think they should ban them, personally...

 

I think it has to do with manufacturing... But then again, from what I've heard, most packaged lures in BC come with singles that you are required to replace all the trebles with the one single...

 

Can anyone in BC confirm this?

 

P

 

 

I have talked with a few people lately about treble hooks and none of us could come up with a good reason for why they aren't banned, especially since a barbless treble hook would still probably do more damage than a single, barbed size 16 fly. What gives? Anybody have the inside track on why this hasn't been addressed, or has it and I haven't been paying attention.

 

Very sad to see the deformed mouths and jaws of most of the cutties I caught in the Livingstone last week. I don't think I will go back there, it has gotten worse in the past 5 years. Not saying it's related but it just got me thinking about it. I cut the line of the fly is deep, but some guy fishing a $6 Rapala might not agree. Any thoughts?

 

[fish4trout]

I have talked with a few people lately about treble hooks and none of us could come up with a good reason for why they aren't banned, especially since a barbless treble hook would still probably do more damage than a single, barbed size 16 fly. What gives? Anybody have the inside track on why this hasn't been addressed, or has it and I haven't been paying attention.

 

Very sad to see the deformed mouths and jaws of most of the cutties I caught in the Livingstone last week. I don't think I will go back there, it has gotten worse in the past 5 years. Not saying it's related but it just got me thinking about it. I cut the line of the fly is deep, but some guy fishing a $6 Rapala might not agree. Any thoughts?

 

I'm not for or against treble hooks. I've seen them do 0 damage to a fish, but the odd time fish are hooked in a bad spot. Yes, it still is possible to eye hook a fish with a single barbless as well.

 

As for the above quote, if your cutting the line because your fly is deep you need to learn how to remove hooks. I dont see a reason why you should ever leave a fly or hook or anything inside a fish. The hook will NOT dissintegrate as they use to think.

[streamguy]

I'm not for or against treble hooks. I've seen them do 0 damage to a fish, but the odd time fish are hooked in a bad spot. Yes, it still is possible to eye hook a fish with a single barbless as well.

 

As for the above quote, if your cutting the line because your fly is deep you need to learn how to remove hooks. I dont see a reason why you should ever leave a fly or hook or anything inside a fish. The hook will NOT dissintegrate as they use to think.

i think that is the dumbest thing i've ever heard. cutting the line would be better that digging around in the fishes mouth and getting the gills, then the fish dies from that. as for treble hooks ban them thing. just my thoughts.

[Gil]

I'm not for or against treble hooks. I've seen them do 0 damage to a fish, but the odd time fish are hooked in a bad spot. Yes, it still is possible to eye hook a fish with a single barbless as well.

 

As for the above quote, if your cutting the line because your fly is deep you need to learn how to remove hooks. I dont see a reason why you should ever leave a fly or hook or anything inside a fish. The hook will NOT dissintegrate as they use to think.

There is no doubt, barbless trebles certainly do alot more harm than a single barbless. I say get rid of them. No good reason to have them.

[ironfly]

Trebles are fine, it's stinger hooks that should be banned.

[cdock]

Banning anything doesn't solve any problems. Education is key. Think about it for a second, people still use barbed hooks, bait where there are bait bans, fish on closed waters, etc. There are laws and regulations against these things yet they still happen. Perhaps fishing should be banned? NOPE! Education and enforcement is what is needed. Sure it may help reduce the number of treble hooks out there but it won't stop them from being used. Perhaps the regulations should include something about the use of treble hooks i.e. when and where to use. I agree that BC restricting treble hooks from streams has some merit. Also remember there are other methods of fishing other than fly fishing and other places to fish other than streams. To ban treble hooks entirely doesn't work, after all treble hooks have their place just maybe not on streams.

[Harps]

I hate trebles.

 

But...

Everything I've read indicates that trebles aren't worse for trout (Mortality only). typically trebles are bigger and harder to eat, and often taken less deep. They can however, cause more damage just for the fact that they have more hooks.

 

Worse: Baited and barbed/barbless

then barbed (not baited) single and treble

then barbles single/treble.

 

In terms of leaving hooks in:

Hooks swallowed completely can not be removed by an angler without killing the fish.

In some studies hooks have caused injuries in the stomach and/or associated bacterial infections (mostly pike, musky, etc). Some studies have shown fish dying long (+50 days) after the release, but they survive the immediate release (Most C&R mortalities are within 24 hours). Hooks taken that deep were all baited.

Oddly enough, one significant study showed most delayed mortalities from eye and tongue hookings (24-72 hrs) and low esophegus delayed mortalities. Maybe those fish would have dies much later, or maybe they would have survived?

 

Heavy bleeding often indicates a mortality.

 

Flies stuck in gills and esophagus... it is still recommended that an angler cut the line and leave the hook in. The hooks (especially small ones) do disolve/disinegrate/weaken/get shed. The chances of survival are better if you leave it, as opposed to digging it out and causing additional injury.

(See this study and this study for examples of line cutting reducing mortality)

 

Hooks in eyes... do cause mortality (over 50% in some cutthroat studies)!! Of course, barbless are better here.

 

Now I've typed so much that I don't even recal what the original question was... something about trebles right?

[fish4trout]

Now I've typed so much that I don't even recal what the original question was... something about trebles right?

 

 

@streamguy,

 

I said deep hooked fish, not gill hooked fish. I rarely get deep hooked fish with flies, but if it does happen... I find with a set of long nosed needle nose pliers(mastercraft from can tire). You can pretty much unhook ANY fish very fast with no harm done. If the fly is hooked on the gill filament? I'd agree as to cutting it. Pretty sure that leaving a rapala inside a fish's gill is sure death to a fish anyways, as he will rip it out himself. The original poster refered to spin fisherman being too cheap to leave a rapala inside the fish's gill. Best case scenario in that case is a pair of wire cutters, which I'd say 99% of spin fisherman do not carry or ever would.