Curve shank hooks

[Paul Richardson]

I've still got a small stock of the brilliant Fox Arma SSBP (B) that I ended up using on the Teme, where you had to 'emergency stop' barbel. I'd had a couple of Drennan patterns straighten on me, and barbel aint gonna straighten an SSBP. I don't fish the Teme much these days, and the big girls have (mostly) all gone anyway, so I only use the SSBP's for snag fishing the Severn now (I think the 'SS' stands for 'super-stopper' )
Hook sharpness has never been an issue for me, but the one hook I've been most disappointed in was Pallatrax's 'Gripz'. They're very sharp out of the packet, but the point bends over easily, and try as I might I can't re-sharpened one enough to given me confidence. They're the only hook I'd actually say no to if they were giving away free samples.

Interesting re gripz.
Been using them a lot this season and not had this issue? Will keep an eye on that though
Love them for the ease in which you can remove them by hand ( no forceps) yet not bumped any
More fish than if using bank wide gapes or any micro barbed hook for that matter
I am fishing silty/ Sandy river beds mind interspersed with rocks that knacker any hook if you find them

 

[Ian Lovett]

Interesting re gripz.
Been using them a lot this season and not had this issue? Will keep an eye on that though
Love them for the ease in which you can remove them by hand ( no forceps) yet not bumped any
More fish than if using bank wide gapes or any micro barbed hook for that matter
I am fishing silty/ Sandy river beds mind interspersed with rocks that knacker any hook if you find them

My experience exactly of gripz hooks. I rate them very highly and sometimes catch a lot of fish on on just one hook.

 

[Terry Harman]

if i want to use a curve shank hook for the hooking capabilities i use my favourite hook which at the moment is a gardner target i form the curve using a piece of shrink tube putting it into a curve over steam… then when you are playing a fish the tubing straightens out therefore doing no damage…. it’s how carp anglers got around the bent hook ban in the 80,s

 

[Rhys Perry]

I use them for the holding capabilities

 

[Ady Brayshaw]

I've still got a small stock of the brilliant Fox Arma SSBP (B) that I ended up using on the Teme, where you had to 'emergency stop' barbel. I'd had a couple of Drennan patterns straighten on me, and barbel aint gonna straighten an SSBP. I don't fish the Teme much these days, and the big girls have (mostly) all gone anyway, so I only use the SSBP's for snag fishing the Severn now (I think the 'SS' stands for 'super-stopper' )
Hook sharpness has never been an issue for me, but the one hook I've been most disappointed in was Pallatrax's 'Gripz'. They're very sharp out of the packet, but the point bends over easily, and try as I might I can't re-sharpened one enough to given me confidence. They're the only hook I'd actually say no to if they were giving away free samples.

I found that with the Pallatrax Terry. Using on gravel they would burr at the point. It was next to useless trying to resharpen so I gave my limited stock away. Back to my 'old faithfull' Guru's which tend to hold their point and once in tend to stay in. Hook pulls are very rare. I had a fish on them 5 minutes ago.