Barbless Still Is Best ?

[flyfishy]

Well not sure where to start!! Had a hook in the finger skin, slipped right out haha!!!

Just thinking,I'm stil fishing barbless.

Are you?

Any thoughts.../ GO

[Jayhad]

i've been using barbs because the barbs help the worms stay on the hook

[Ricinus]

Ha...

 

Mike

[RedBeard]

#stillbarbless

[DaveJensen]

Caught the same cutthroat nearly 50 times over 11 years on barbed hooks. Caught the same browns on the Red Deer dozens of times through the years on barbed hooks. If allowing barbed hooks is good enough for the best brown trout country in the world (NZ) it's good enough for me.

People need to stop worrying about a +/- 1% mortality in fish and start spending time, attention, and voice on things like Hidden Cr, the Brazeau being turned off, Alberta's quad free for all, gravel mining rivers, the ridiculous plan to rip rap essentially the entire Bow & Highwood for 'flood control', unrestricted logging into buffer zones, endless road construction (and subsequent sediment loading of streams) of the back country, etc. Those issues eradicate fish and/or have the ability to severely limit populations.

The barbed / barbless debate is for those that don't really want to get too involved in the whole of the series of larger picture issues that have real impact. It allows them to stay at a safe distance as a general rule. (I had to come back to edit this as what I typed sounds harsh but wasn't meant to hard-assed. Then again, to my point, how many people from this board have driven out to Hidden Cr to take photos since seeing what was happening?)

100% barbed - always.

[somereddeerguy]

yup still fishing barbless! never found a big diff between barb or barbless. not sure of the effect on the fish but i enjoy it much more when i hook flies into my vest or the odd time u bury a streamer in the finger haha

[aaa]

Barbless...easier on the fish, easier on me.....

[Simpson]

Barbless - prefer an easier removal, just a preference, not a belief..

[Heimdallr]

The barbed / barbless debate is for those that don't really want to get too involved in the whole of the series of larger picture issues that have real impact. It allows them to stay at a safe distance as a general rule. (I had to come back to edit this as what I typed sounds harsh but wasn't meant to hard-assed. Then again, to my point, how many people from this board have driven out to Hidden Cr to take photos since seeing what was happening?)

100% barbed - always.

 

That seems pretty presumptuous and dismissive, Dave. I fish barbless because in my own experience it reduces my handling of fish. With someone like you or I, that time difference is probably less substantial than the overall population as well. On the other hand, I am under no illusions that barbless regulations are going to save our fisheries. I also very much agree with you that the other issues mentioned are of a much greater importance in terms of the health of our aquatic ecosystems. However, I don't think the reasonable answer is to say that no one should debate other issues like barbed/barbless regulations or to diminish their feelings on the issue as some sort of conservational cowardice. For some, dealing with relatively small problems like this can become a gateway towards a recognition of the bigger problems. I guess I just don't see how talking down to people is going to help conservation in the province at all and, in fact, I would consider it more damaging than people caring about whether or not the province is barbless.

 

Edit: After re-reading your post it is clearer to me that you were coming from a good place, but I think you could have articulated your concern better.

[DaveJensen]

That seems pretty presumptuous and dismissive, Dave. Edit: After re-reading your post it is clearer to me that you were coming from a good place, but I think you could have articulated your concern better.

I agree. That's why I went back to try to edit it but even at that it didn't read right. So be it. And then you have the different angles of: I'm coming at it from influencing the regs perspective while someone else might simply be making a statement in fishing. Either way, you're right and it didn't read how I hoped in expressing my angle. I still love forums.

[Heimdallr]

I still love forums too, and I know you do a lot to try and protect our fisheries. This will be my last post regarding this aside, but I wanted to stress that I do very much agree with you that we need to start being much more coherent and much more active when it comes to those larger issues. Being out of province for the last year, I am just learning about Hidden Creek now that you've mentioned it. It is a disgrace and something needs to change.

[PeteZahut]

I still go barbless out of habit and for ease of release for me. I confess I am not the best handler of fish so I adapt where I can. Sometimes I think to go barbed to catch the many I lose. Either way I am okay with my impact and sleep at night. That is all I focus on, perhaps I need to start focusing on what else is going on...the hidden creek issue is really starting to boil internally for me.

[bcubed]

The barbed / barbless debate is for those that don't really want to get too involved in the whole of the series of larger picture issues that have real impact. It allows them to stay at a safe distance as a general rule. (I had to come back to edit this as what I typed sounds harsh but wasn't meant to hard-assed. Then again, to my point, how many people from this board have driven out to Hidden Cr to take photos since seeing what was happening?)

100% barbed - always.

 

Nice holier-than-thou mindset there...have you been to hidden creek yet? have you contacted anyone regarding it?

 

While I have not been to Hidden Crk, i have emailed numerous government agencies and NGOs and yet, I'm still up for the barbless debate. Plus i work full time. Since you posted at approximately noon today, i can assume that you were not guiding.... Did you go to Hidden?

 

Let me rephrase this for you in a way that is not hard-assed, and gets your point across a little better.

 

 

The barbed / barbless debate is, in my opinion, for those that don't really want to get too involved in the whole of the series of a much lesser concern when compared to larger picture issues that may have real impact.

 

 

Look, same point, without pointing accusing fingers at people that think differently then you, and blaming them for inaction. If the barbless debate initiates someones thoughts/fury/annoyance enough to get them to write a letter to the government (to something that may actually have a chance of getting changed), they're going to be a heck of a lot more likely to write about something like Hidden Creek.

[Taco]

Mostly barbed and I walked 5k up Hidden today

[Sean84]

I tie all my flys on barbed treble hooks, I just cut the line to release the fish... oh I also took a piss in hidden creek last week after i clear cut an area to haul in my trailer with my quad up the creek.

[DaveJensen]

BCube - gee - who knew I needed an editor (besides every editor I've submitted anything to! and that's sincere self deprecation) Yup, your edit's better but sometimes these things go that way on forums: you know, when you stop running your own forum and make a firm decision not to allow yourself to get too involved on line in the future because it typically goes exactly this way - then you wind up not writing as clearly because of that mindset. That, and I've just been on forums for the past 20 years and the same thing keeps happening: people talk and do nothing and usually someone takes offense at someone pointing out that nobody does anything and more energy is put into that argument than actually following up to see what's going on with a potential issue.

 

I've had my hands full enough up this way the past long while with our region's own issues as well as into BC Parks Mgt Plan involvement - for a couple of hours today, in fact. Amelia & I have decided I'm only allocating time to tackle my home region's environmental issues - which is a large enough bowl of dough to kneed. Sanity boundaries.

 

With any luck a few folks down that way get out, get involved, write letters once the picture gets clearer if it truly warrants it. Hopefully someone actually gets out - and hopefully the conditions are better than Taco's experience so a relevant series of shots are taken.

[Weedy1]

Mostly barbed and I walked 5k up Hidden today

I tried but couldn't find it.

[LastBoyScout]

No barbs for me, can't figure out how to weld them back on.

[Taco]

I tried but couldn't find it.

You bein' sarcastic again Weedy?

[flyfishy]

Thanks for responses - I didn't know barbless would be a fighting word. All I know is that when I stuck my finger with the size 4 streamer hook - in there all the way- I was glad there was no barb. Almost went into shock! I'm a huge believer in large hooks, must be mandatory for safety of the angler. Food for thought when tying on your next big streamer. Thanks. Safe fishing out there.

[flyfishy]

-This is how the story goes - after releasing a beautiful trout I stood up quickly and was standing on my leader, the line went taunt and the hook went right in under the bone- I stood there, looked at my finger in awe saying wtf / OMG - wasnt sure if it was barbed or not with the new pattern and regulation change about barbless in Alberta. Had a moment - gave it a yank. Was barbless. Wow!

Share your barb or barbless story../GO

[Jayhad]

I was drifting the upper bow a few days ago with Tungsten. We drifted by some clown that had snagged a small trout in the anus with a big streamer, we watched "the angler" pitch the baby trout back in the water like a baseball... well more like a softball, he threw like a 12 year old girl.

As we drifted by he jumped up to wave at us, he must of been standing on his line because he snagged his hand with a glass shattering scream. Then he started to cry uncontrollably, Tungsten and I discussed helping this guy but he looked like he may be a hazard to himself and us.

We drifted along on our way.

 

Flysquishy was that you?

[WinstonConfluentus]

Thanks Dave, we know what you meant about the other stuff, but we do like 'em barbless.

 

Here's a Cutty Buddy of mine who can't close his mouth anymore even with such a tasty morsel nearby.

 

 

He's going to slowly starve to death, when he gets weak one of us will help him out. Kinda sad though eh?

[flyfishy]

Rereading all the threads , with barbless World stories again!! Can't stop Hahain" with all of that fun town.

I did put a black and purple woolybugger in my throat 15 years ago.and4 stitches later glad where was a big ass bard, not.

Who's next?

[snuffy]

Thanks Dave, we know what you meant about the other stuff, but we do like 'em barbless.

 

Here's a Cutty Buddy of mine who can't close his mouth anymore even with such a tasty morsel nearby.

 

 

He's going to slowly starve to death, when he gets weak one of us will help him out. Kinda sad though eh?

 

That is quite unfortunate, but the reason is that his maxilla is jammed. Next time you see his like, do him a favour and use your forceps to pry it lateral to his mandible. It's not pretty, but he'll live.