AJ spey hooks

[Piker20 0]

Has anyone experienced fish coming unstuck on these hooks or similar bend hooks?

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

only if I lose tension on the line

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

or if the fish jumps 6ft in the air and shakes it free, i think you may be treading carefully towards the great up and down eye vs straight eye debate. In experience i never found it an issue, fish come loose on gamakatsu octopus hooks too.

[Piker20 0]

I'm trying to avoid the up eye straight eye pit. This was more about the short point, special bend on the hooks. I've heard some say the same about salar hooks too.

[Frank G. Swarner III 0]

I have a lot of confidence in them especially when the barb is crushed. Not so much with the barb intact. Same with the Blue Heron Hooks by Dave McNeese and other hooks that have a similar shape. Crushed barb gets better penetration and seems to hold better during the fight. I've definitely lost fish on them, but I don't think it was the fault of the hook.

[Piker20 0]

Can I ask what you crushed the barb with? And then are you sharpening the hook. I use a rounded non toothed plied to do trout hooks but it was suggested this might weaken a Salar or AJ and thepoint snaps off?

[Frank G. Swarner III 0]

Small needle nose pliers with flat/smooth jaws. I use another flat nose plier as well and the nose is about a 1/4" wide. I haven't had a problem with the point breaking but I typically use size 1.5 AJ hooks. I try to use just enough pressure to get the barb bend.

 

I don't sharpen the hook initially. If it gets dull during fishing then I will will sharpen it a tad so it is "sticky."

[Piker20 0]

cheers.

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

Where i fish there is no need to be barbless so often i just can't be assed, a load of water is however single barbless and in north america we have no issue with spey style hooks, i know it may be a bit different from doubles or trebles but for releasing fish it is great.

 

Here is one i got the other day on a 1.5 gold AJ (Grey Heron Fly), as u can see it wasn't going anywhere. These fish are quick, i think i broke my tippet twice on them and i was running 10lb.