Using hooks from the mid-90s

[JSzymczyk 0]

There is no way those hooks are sharp enough to catch fish. No fish were ever caught before the mid 90's, so your hooks are non-functional.

 

Is this really what our sport has come to?

 

Please take my sarcastic first two sentences for what they are worth- absolutely nothing. Yes hook technology has "increased" over time, and perhaps some hooks are "BETTER" today than some hooks used to be... but by what metrics? Game Fish have not measurably changed in the last few hundred years. How many billions of fish have been caught worldwide prior to your questioned time of 1995? I have many hundreds, if not thousands, of "OLD" fly hooks dating back to the early part of the last century, and yes they look different than the current crop of jewelry-store fly hooks, but they still work perfectly fine most of the time, and the people who designed, made, bought, and tied flies on them when they were new, were just as pleased and proud as the people doing it today. If not more.

[Poopdeck 0]

And they were sufficiently sharp to penetrate a fish mouth before "chemically sharpened."

[SilverCreek 0]

And they were sufficiently sharp to penetrate a fish mouth before "chemically sharpened."

 

Isn't that like saying the fly rods and fly lines of the 1950's, 60's and 70's were good enough to catch fish?

 

Of course they were, BUT today's fly rods and fly lines are "better." That is what is being put forth.

 

So today's chemically sharpened hooks are sharper. Whether that matters is up to us individually. I used to sharpen my "old" hooks. I even still have a diamond dust hook sharpener on my vest, but I no longer routinely use it. If you used to sharpen your older hooks and do not do so now; may I suggest that is evidence that modern chemically sharpened hooks are sharper. BUT you must be careful to buy good brands:

 

http://www.fishthesea.co.za/fishingstories/chemicallysharpenedhooks.htm

 

http://www.asksaltwaterfishing.com/mechanical-vs-chemically-sharpened-hooks.html

[Poopdeck 0]

Nope. Never sharpened a hook in my life. Never felt I needed to, ever, even before laser chemical or what ever sharpened hooks. Yes it's an individual preference. If sharpening a hook provides confidence or if one feels it's important then have at it. I'm certainty not advocating for or against sharp hooks I'm just relating my experience and what I do. Over the years I never felt my hooks were not sharp enough so I don't concern myself with hook sharpness. Are hooks sharper nowadays? Sure they are in some exceptionally fine tolerence scale. Does it make a difference? IMO, Nope it sure don't.

[LivelyOne 0]

 

I have some cork beetles that I tied in the 70s, hooks probably came from Feathercraft, brand unknown. I still catch fish on them, but I have found the hooks have gotten brittle and break at the bend every so often.

 

I have never hear of hooks "getting brittle". Anyone else found that hooks actually change their tempering. I believe iron allows cannot change tempering unless heated to a critical temperature. Maybe the hooks are rusted and that has weakened them or the hooks were brittle too to begin with.

 

Maybe there were always brittle and I just catch bigger fish now... Another of life's many unsolved mysteries.

[Bimini15 0]

See.. It is evolution... we are all catching so many fish, that we are precipitating the evolution of fish jaws to much denser bone structures and cartilages. Hooks older than two years are totally inadequate today. Maybe two and a half if they are black nickel...

[j8000 0]

If that is the case and all older hooks are useless, I'll take them off your hands for you!!

[tjm 0]

I have always routinely checked hooks against a nail and sharpened if I felt it was needed, Even do this when fishing with live bait and the "chemically sharpened" hooks. Never did any science study on it but I believe fish often hook themselves on sharper hooks; I rarely feel a need to "set the hook".

I cannot imagine any drawback to a sharp hook.

 

ps I could also arrange "disposal" for limited numbers of "outdated" hooks.

[MikeQ716 0]

What is the worst thing that could happen? If your break a fish off, its still a fish that you had on!

[Poopdeck 0]

Actually, it's a fish that wasn't caught.

[Lesg 0]

I think it's called partial success.