Have you ever caught a fly’s barb, but when you catch a fish and remove the hook, it doesn’t slip out easily? “Man,” one might say. “I’m sure I pinched that barb.” And it’s probably true: you put the barb in your tweezers and squeezed it tight. But that may not be enough to get the job done.
In this video Joe Rotter is from Red’s Fly Shop Demonstrates how to correctly clip the barb of a hook. You need to make sure you have the right tool, and then you need to take a little extra time to make sure you’ve really flattened the barb. The fish will thank you, and if you ever fish yourself or someone else, you’ll be glad you went the extra step.