Hooking Mortality of Trout: Barbed vs. Barbless

[Wayne SW/MO]

Real men just yank 'em out.

SM, when the weather changes.

[Don]

I tried being a real man several times by not netting my fish. I lost alot of flies that way because I cannot hold on to fish very well.

I guess since I'm not a real man, I must remain as a lesbian trapped in a man's body as long as I continue to use my net.

I watched my cousin release about 50 fish one day. His fish always remained in the water except for some quick pictures he took. He stated there is no reason to use a net on a stocker size fish and experience without a net will make me a proficient catch and releaser without losing flies by breaking tippet. Any pointers on the best way to handle a trout in the water and releasing without a net?

Thanks.....Don

[Wayne SW/MO]

The best reason for using barbless hooks is so you can remove the "earring" that you have just created with a poor backcast.

Real men just yank 'em out.

Sorry for the confusion, I was just, with "tongue in cheek", making a wisecrack to jOrOb's comment, which I believe was also made "tongue in cheek".

My use of a net has nothing to do with developing skill in releasing fish, because with a net I can, more often than not, skate them into the net early, which in turn relieves them of any further stress. Its not my skill I worry about, its the fish and this fall the fish will get larger and larger, and during a generation it takes time to bring one to hand where one can easily slip the hook. I don't use it 100%, but its always there as an option if I feel its use will be good for the fish. I find, and I don't think its my imagination, that when you drop one into a C&R net and leave them about half in the water, they fight very little. When I've remove the hook I drop the net lower and let him swim out, but if he acts like he needs a minute, I give it to him.

I can bring a fish in, keep him in the water and remove the hook, I simply need to wear him down to the point I can control him. I choose not too, and if the use of a net makes me look amateuristic, then so be it.

[jOrOb]

Hey Don,

If using a net makes me a Lesbian then I need a new net!

Seriously, I never use a net. I have one, but I don't carry it with me. I just don't. I rarely pick a fish up, just slip the fly out. I do see Wayne's point though. It would help to land a fish more quickly to have a net. But then, what fun is it to land them quickly?

[gonefishin]

I'm not sure about the breathables, but in the duck blind with neoprene waders, escaping gastrointestinal vapor usually results in what is termed "perma-fart" and is almost impossible to get out...

Dontcha just hate it whey you come out of the blind looking like the Michelin Man?

[mizzouflyfisher]

I find that nets cause more trouble than save time. I use a 2 fly setup 90% of the time, maybe more like 99% of the time at Taney. The only time I use a net is when I'm in a boat. The second fly used to always get caught in the net. I also rarely use barbless hooks. I rarely hook fish deep so that's not a concern and don't think I'd really notice a difference in ease of fish release between barbed and barbless. Maybe someone can convince me otherwise, I'm always receptive to facts.

Mizzouflyfisher

[mizzouflyfisher]

I posted the last reply without reading all of the posts. Just wanted to know if those of you using nets and advocating barbless hooks are using nets with nylon mesh or rubber mesh. Surely you must be using rubber mesh because the nylon mesh strips all of the protective "slime" from the fish. Doesn't matter how quickly you land them and release them with the help of your barbless hooks and C&R nets if you strip the fish of all of its "slime". Just a thought.

Mizzouflyfisher

[crappiefisherman]

all this lesbian talks got me wonderin,,,,,,we sure kicked that Kadafy"s butt didnt we

[Wayne SW/MO]

Surely you must be using rubber mesh because the nylon mesh strips all of the protective "slime" from the fish.

The experts say that doesn't hold true for the new soft nets, unlike the old stiff large mesh nets, there is little difference, or so they say, between rubber and soft mesh, but rubber does resist getting hung on hooks. Thats not a concern for me because barbless backs out easily.

[Danoinark]

Wayne said:

My use of a net has nothing to do with developing skill in releasing fish, because with a net I can, more often than not, skate them into the net early

With this I have to agree, it seems releasing with and C and R net is much quicker and less stressful than reaching down with a pair of hemostats, trying to grab a little fly (sometimes takes me several tries).

Wayne said:

Its not my skill I worry about, its the fish and this fall the fish will get larger and larger.

Yeah Baby!! Woo Hoo!!

And as to JoRob's comments, I fish with him alot and the ONLY reason he doesn't carry a net is because with all the stuff he carries in his vest, I would have to get him a flotation devise

Dano