The system starts with hooks that are sized 24, which are the smallest freshwater hooks, and go up in size (in even numbers only) until size 1 is reached, which is the largest freshwater hook. Hook sizes seem complicated, with confusion existing because freshwater hooks and sea hooks use the same scale. In these days of conservation and catch-and-release fishing some anglers use barbless hooks or crush the barb of standard hooks with a pair of pliers to make the hook easier to remove from fish. Obviously, the larger the barb the better it will hold a fish, but the more damage it will cause when it is removed. The purpose of a barb is to stop the hook from sliding out of the mouth of the fish once it is hooked. Some anglers take a sharpening stone fishing with them so that they can quickly re-sharpen hooks that have become blunted during the course of a fishing session.īarb: The barb of the hook is essentially a notch cut at the end of the point. Modern chemically sharpened hooks have very sharp points indeed, although anglers do need to check that hooks have not become blunted through use (such as when they are reeled in over rocks or sand). Point: The point of the hook is the most important part as this will penetrate the mouth of the fish and provide a hook hold to reel the fish in. Some hooks have extra-long shanks and these type of hooks can be easier to remove species of fish with small mouths, such as flatfish. Hooks can have shanks of varying length, with circle hooks having a short shank and Aberdeen pattern hooks having a relatively long shank. Shank: The shank of a hook is the main length of the hook which runs from the eye to the bend. The throat of the hook is the space between a line drawn from the point to the bend. Larger gape hooks are often used by anglers using bulky baits as they have enough space to accommodate the bait without obscuring the point of the hook. Gape and Throat: The gape is the gap between the point and the shank. This changes the way in which the hook moves when the angler strikes and can increase the chances of getting a good hook hold. Some fishing hooks have turned up or turned down eyes. However, larger hooks for big fish may have larger eyes so that stronger, thicker line can be used with them. Smaller eyes mean that less damage will be done to the bait as it is threaded over the hook and up the line (worm baits, in particular, can be badly damaged by hooks with large eyes).
The reason for offsetting a hook is that it is more likely to pull into the mouth of the fish when the angler strikes and therefore provide a strong hookhold.Įye: The eye of the hook is simply the circle at the end of the hook to which the angler ties the line. If the point goes to the left it is classed as Kirbed (or Kirbied), and if it goes to the right it is reversed. Offset: Hooks that are offset have a point that is twisted to the side, so it no longer runs parallel to the shank. Thick, heavy gauge hooks are stronger, and less likely to bend or break when fighting a large fish, but thinner gauge hooks will cause much less damage to baits and will lead to better bait presentation. Heavy, robust hooks for catching big fish will have a thick gauge, whereas light hooks for small species will have a much thinner gauge. Gauge: The gauge of a fishing hook refers to the thickness of the wire the hook is made from. The sizing of fishing hooks can also be an issue which confuses those new to angling, although as we will see the system for designating different sizes to different hooks is relatively simple.
A selection of hooks used in UK sea fishing.ĭespite the vast array of fishing hooks that are on offer anglers only need a relatively small selection of hooks to cover all of the species found around the British Isles. While there is a seemingly bewildering range of hooks on the market modern manufacturing processes which are used today, such as chemical sharpening, mean that even moderately priced sea fishing hooks are very good quality. Sea fishing hooks are of crucial importance as they are the only item of tackle which is in direct contact with the fish anglers are aiming to catch.
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