Moffitt Angling System, Anybody Try???

[seanbritt]

Hey Everyone-

 

Saw an add for this system in the latest edition of Fly Fishing: http://www.moffittangling.com/control/main. You fish three hookless flies, with one plain circular hook at the end of your line. When a fish strikes, you pull the hookless flies through the fish's mouth and hook into it with the circle hook. From what is advertised, it is better for the fish as it provides cleaner hook-ins. It also proposes that you "outfish your buddies." I don't care about the latter statement, but as a conservationist the former is intriguing. Anyone try these or have any thoughts? Think I might order some....

 

p.s. pardon the post if its already been discussed, but I did a search and didn't come up with anything...

[SilverDoctor]

These thing come and go, but mostly go.

[Din]

I inquired about the legality of this system with a head CO in our area and he confirmed that it would be classisfied as snagging. You are getting the fish to take the hookless flies then basically flossing it until your hook catches.

 

Snagging – means attempting to catch or catching a fish using a hook:

1. other than to induce the fish to voluntarily take the hook in its

mouth; or

2. by intentionally piercing and hooking a fish in any part of the

body other than the mouth

 

Snagging Device – means:

1. an instrument that is designed for the purpose of snagging fish;

or

2. hooks or lures that are altered to facilitate the snagging of fish.

[Badger]

...

[seanbritt]

Thanks for the feedback. Never read that section of the regs as never had to. You guys just save me $$ that I will now have to spend on other fishing stuff:)

[headscan]

I recall seeing a thread about this on FlyBC a while back and I think everyone there concluded it was snagging as well.

[Conor]

That's too bad. I'd bet this system would result in fewer foul hooked fish when fishing multi-fly rigs. If you fish droppers, you foul hook fish- there is no way around it. This might be a decent answer.

 

I like the idea of tying on a piece of rubber/plastic, as well. It could cut down on the cost of tying considerably.

 

I can't see floating a #20 trico with a 14 circle hook below, as they claim.

[theiceman2]

In the ice fishing world they call those "stingers". They rarely hook the mouth but rather grab the fish by the gills or throat. It works but it it really hard on fish. Not recomended

[Brownstone]

on rivers like the Bow with dense fish populations, you'd foul sooooo many fish with that .. clearly not a legal device in Alberta for sure

[reevesr1]

In the ice fishing world they call those "stingers". They rarely hook the mouth but rather grab the fish by the gills or throat. It works but it it really hard on fish. Not recomended

 

A stinger hook would never be a circle hook, they are always J-hooks or even trebles. A circle hook wouldn't work as a stinger as the point is turned back in on itself toward the shank (hence the name circle hook). They are used quite often when using natural bait because they almost completely eliminate gut hooked fish. If the fish swallows the bait, the hook cannot catch on anything internal. The gap of the hook catches on the side of the mouth on the way out and rotates the point into place by tension. You don't jerk to set the hook, just apply tension and the fish hooks itself. I used them all the time when fishing with bait and cannot think of a single time the fish was hooked anywhere but in the side of the mouth. You missed a lot of fish with them though, but if you were practicing catch and release they were priceless. When my dad started doing catch and release I told him about circle hooks. He started using them and said "if you are fishing for fun, use a circle hook. If you are fishing for food use a treble hook."

 

All that said, I have a hard time seeing how they could be effective as they are advertising for this system. The best way to hook a fish using a circle hook is the steady application of force against the fish. The worst way was to quickly set the hook. They would not rotate properly and just come out of the fish's mouth. But as a foul hooking device, they would be useless. Far far less effective than say that 2nd or 3rd fly in a 3 nymph system.