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brianbailey1000

How do you crimp your barbs?

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I use smooth jaw small pliers from the electronics industry. The closer you can get to the hinge of the jaws, the smoother the crush and easier it goes. Mechanical advantage. As hook sizes get smaller, obviously you have to move farther toward the tips. However, smaller barbs require less force, so it balances out.

 

I have been consistently crushing barbs on all my hooks (not just flies) for many many years. I say with conviction that it makes absolutely no difference in keeping fish hooked, and simple physics shows it is easier to get a good hook set with barbless hook--- it's easier to drive a spike than it is to drive a wedge. Fish long enough, and eventually you will encounter a hooked person, either you or someone else. Barbless hooks slide right out. Barbed hooks can be quite traumatic. I've seen hooked children and even hooked dogs. Barbless equals minor pain and inconvenience and then it is over.

 

Most of the styles of hooks I tie on have no commercial barbless equivalent. "Just buy barbless hooks" is not an option.

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Pliers. No barb means easier in, and thus logically easier out, which also means there must be a difference in keeping fish hooked. Skill in playing a fish makes the difference, but think about it logically; the presence of a barb means that hook is "stuck" in the mouth of the fish, whereas barbless is essentially the hook on the back of the door that holds your coat. Slam the door hard enough and the coat falls, but pull down on the coat and it ain't goin' anywhere.

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I fish for smallmouth bass and everybody knows they will come out of the water with headshaking acrobatic moves, so since we are on the subject should I be pinching the barbs down on my flies? Im always afraid I will lose a good fish. Been fly fishing for about 6 years now and have never hooked my self yet. Been close a few times and I know its probably coming.

 

 

I fish barbless for smallmouth all the time. I wouldn't say that I lose anymore fish than I did when I fish barbed hooks. But it also doesn't upset me when I do lose a fish. Barbless does make it easier to remove the hook from the fish or a fishing buddy.

 

I usually smash the barb in the vise. And after hundreds and hundreds of hooks it shows no sign of wear.

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I quit flattening barbs with my vise when it started making dents in the jaws, they are ruined and have to be replaced, so now all barb removal is done with jewelry pliers, it is not a good idea to use expensive tools for things they weren't designed for.

 

Blane

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I quit flattening barbs with my vise when it started making dents in the jaws, they are ruined and have to be replaced, so now all barb removal is done with jewelry pliers, it is not a good idea to use expensive tools for things they weren't designed for.

 

Blane

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I prefer to buy barbed hooks and flatten the barb with pliers before tying the fly. I find the tiny bump where the barb used to be helps in holding fish, without any undue difficulty in unhooking them.

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I quit flattening barbs with my vise when it started making dents in the jaws, they are ruined and have to be replaced, so now all barb removal is done with jewelry pliers, it is not a good idea to use expensive tools for things they weren't designed for.

 

Blane

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Using your vise jaws is problematic, as they will often weaken your hook, due to the pressure at incorrect angles.

 

I too have several pairs of smooth jawed pliers that I used (and liked) for many years until I inherited the some tying tools from a great tyer, Micheal Verduin which included a pair of Xuron Model FF-1 pliers.

You can view Michael's Cap Spider video on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzZekzILGRI

The Xuron FF-1 cutter/pliers are used to pinch or roll down the barbs on all my hooks - from 24's to 6/0. I've never seen any better tool to do this job, and they never break a hook. If you truly want your flies to be barbless and to pass the Arkansas game warden's "stick that fly in your shirt" test, I highly recommend these pliers. I also use them to flatten mono for weed guards and on my woven shrimp flies.

 

I located the Xuron FF-1 cutter/pliers listed as Item #HM322 on Feather-Craft's website: http://www.feather-craft.com/wecs.php?action=display&store=feacraft&target=HM322

 

"FF-1 FISHERMAN'S PLIERS by Sport Tools. Use at the bench and on the water. Stainless-steel, Razor-sharp cutters for mono 1-lb to 300-lb test, spring-loaded jaws always open and ready for use. Comfortable non-slip grips are drilled for a lanyard. Precision jaws for pulling line, crimping barbs, mashing split-shot, and hook removal. This is one of the smartest on-stream tools you will ever own. $29.95 "

Years ago, Micheal extolled the virtues of these pliers, while I listened politely, but now that they are mine, i too will tell ya' that they are indispensable and worth every penny!

 

P.S. I don't have any financial or other connection to Feather-Craft or Xuron or any of their distributors...

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I use smooth needle nose pliers on barbs before the hook goes into the vise. Daiichi hooks have "micro" barbs on them, they crush down very easily.

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The Xuron FF-1 cutter/pliers are used to pinch or roll down the barbs on all my hooks - from 24's to 6/0. I've never seen any better tool to do this job, and they never break a hook. If you truly want your flies to be barbless and to pass the Arkansas game warden's "stick that fly in your shirt" test, I highly recommend these pliers. I also use them to flatten mono for weed guards and on my woven shrimp flies.

 

I located the Xuron FF-1 cutter/pliers listed as Item #HM322 on Feather-Craft's website: http://www.feather-craft.com/wecs.php?action=display&store=feacraft&target=HM322

 

"FF-1 FISHERMAN'S PLIERS by Sport Tools.

 

Ditto!

I use them to flatten my barbs and to flatten mono when I create a loop for my articulated flies.

 

Kimo

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Hi group,

 

We usually crimp the barb in the vise (needle nose pliers for really small hooks) always before we tie the fly. We'd rather accidentally break the hook before tying the fly rather than after. Take care & ...

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I use vice jaws for all but the smallest hooks - but rethinking after reading this thread...

 

I keep meaning to leave the barbs up for flies I submit for swaps in order to ensure they stay on the toe tag, but often forget since crushing the barb has become such a habit.

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