[flyloon]

Hi all i was wondering what tool is best to you use to remove your flys from a hooked fish with damaging both fish and fly  as iam fishing for trout and they  tend to swallow the hook down inside them i no with past experiance some times there has been times in the past the hook is to far down to remove safely with out damaging the fish  i have thought about buying flys that are unbarbed or unbarbing the flys i have but like to know what tool you guy prefer to use for the job.

[Iain Goolager]

Flyloon,

they  tend to swallow the hook down inside them

This suggests it's a common occurance and if so I'd defo go barbless before you go any further.
 
What flies & method/s are you using when the fish swallow the hook? Certain methods lend themselves to the fish having time to devour the fly before any indication of a take is noticed and the rod can be lifted into the fish.

I highly recommend a Ketchum Release, I seem to use mine more frequently these days (which is still only on a very small percentage of my actual catch) 'cos If I can't easily get a good fingers hold on the fly from the start then I immediately use it.
Perhaps I get    ?? 5 fish a season that might have what can be termed 'swallowed the hook' and I'm so glad (and I'll bet the fish is too) that I don't have to fart about with forceps on barbed hooks.

Iain

[Mike Barrio]

Good advice from Iain, use barbless hooks and try to keep the flies moving.

Are you fishing on rivers?

Best wishes
Mike

[Rob Brownfield]

I have smooth, fine nosed forceps which allow a good grip on the fly, but with barbless hooks, a slight prod with the foreceps tends to have the fly drop out anyway.

Certainly, very often as soon as the pressue is off the hook hold, the fly just falls out. I had 3 'bows unhook themselves in the net at Glen of Rothes last time I was up. Clever fish!

Having said that, small flies, 20's and 18's can be  more difficult to remove than bigger hooks, they seem to dig in more.

[Loxiafan]

Hi Flyloon,

Absolutely Barbless from now on dude, and even then you can still get an occasional tricky one. I use forceps (posh Brown Trout Orvis ones) but also carry a couple of disgorgers as used by coarse fishermen  . Failing that a Bic biro pen with the tip and ink tube removed will also work - it allows you to cover your fly with the narrow tapered end and push DOWN and in to the fishes gullet further which will then release your barbless hook, keep the tension on the fly by pulling up on the loose tippet and remove from fish. If you get one that you can't get out without injuring the fish, cut your tippet as close to the hook eye and leave in in. Not great but will do far less damage. Barbless hooks fall out or will be digested by the fish. It will live.

To be fair to the loon in 2011 I had fish torpedoing at my DHE (in Summer Sedge hatches) and most were hooked right down the gullet despite seeing the fish take and striking appropriately so nothing to with bad angling etc

Lindsay

[Iain Goolager]

I use forceps (posh Brown Trout Orvis ones) but also carry a couple of disgorgers as used by coarse fishermen  . Failing that a Bic biro pen with the tip and ink tube removed will also work

Nothing quite like travelling light - Bob Nudd!
Get a Ketchum and be both trendy and efficient on the bank.

To be fair to the loon in 2011 I had fish torpedoing at my DHE (in Summer Sedge hatches) and most were hooked right down the gullet despite seeing the fish take and striking appropriately so nothing to with bad angling etc

Lindzer, you are meant to say 'God save the Queen' not 'God save the Queen due to her having been recently admitted to the hospital due to a bout of gastroentaritis' sp?

Iain

[Euan Innes]

Lindzer, you are meant to say 'God save the Queen' not 'God save the Queen due to her having been recently admitted to the hospital due to a bout of gastroentaritis' sp?

   

Well said Iain!

 

[Loxiafan]

Lindzer, you are meant to say 'God save the Queen' not 'God save the Queen due to her having been recently admitted to the hospital due to a bout of gastroentaritis' sp?

Just read this you cheeky munkey   Believe me I was saying "god" and striking and they were still deep hooked. They were either taking the flies like cruising basking sharks, mouths wide open, or were hitting them (literally) like a polaris missle. You really had to be there to see it. There was a lot of fish in this particular pool and the 'feeding pressure' just made them go nuts and gorge. It was verging on being unsporting  

btw whilst we are being picky, the premise of a ketchum is to release a fish in the water without touching it, and in this context only works if the fish is hooked in the lip or lower jaw. The angle that the extractor part is set, IMHO, makes it not great for deeper hooked fish. A coarse disgorger or BIC pen works better (for me). This sh1t only seems to happen at caddis time.


L

[Iain Goolager]

btw whilst we are being picky, the premise of a ketchum is to release a fish in the water without touching it, and in this context only works if the fish is hooked in the lip or lower jaw. The angle that the extractor part is set, IMHO, makes it not great for deeper hooked fish. A coarse disgorger or BIC pen works better (for me).

Lindz, works with the fish in the water, out of the water, in the water in the net, out of the water in the net, upside down, back to front........ No problems

It also works fine on deep hooked fish..........no problem

If you are going to be pedantic then Here is my counter offer.......A Trout is not a coarse fish so therefore you should not use your 'coarse fish disgorger' on it/ them.
A BIC pen is for writing with so do not stick them in a Trouts mouth. 

Has the 'Fishing Reports' section on your computer been deleted?   

C'mon, how'd ya get on?

Iain

[Loxiafan]

Lindz, works with the fish in the water, out of the water, in the water in the net, out of the water in the net, upside down, back to front........ No problems

It also works fine on deep hooked fish..........no problem

Has the 'Fishing Reports' section on your computer been deleted?   

I don't doubt you use it as you do, as I said IMHO it doesn't work well for deep hooked fish as the 'remover' is set at a 45 degree angle - fine on the big lunkers you catch not so good on a half-pounder with a wee gob !  The design of the Ketchum is such that you don't remove the fish from the stream, that is it's purpose, how you use it, and clearly you use it effectively, is entirely up to you my good man 

My fingers and hands are too sore from playing and yanking out Deveron lunkers so may type a report when fully recovered   

L