How to De-Barb a Fly Hook

Fly anglers may prefer to use barbless hooks because of many advantages. Barbless hooks penetrate fish better because they have smaller cross-sections. They also remove easily from the fish or other parts, including your clothing or skin, because of the lack of a barb to latch on. De-barbing fly hooks is especially useful for catch-and-release fishing because anglers can release the fish faster with less tear and tissue damage, causing less trauma to the fish.

Things You'll Need

  • De-barb pliers
  • Vise
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lock the hook onto the vise by the hook jaw with the shank parallel to the ground or tabletop.

    • 2

      Place the hook point in the jaws of the de-barb pliers from the tip.

    • 3

      Press the pliers and crush the barb down to flatten.

    • 4

      Remove the pliers and take it to the side of the hook point. Press the pliers down and crush the barb completely.