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Hook for Snag Fishing

Mr cook is bang on,or one of the better designed carp alley clips.
Simple running rigs is all you need,no need for any complicated/carpey type rigs.

P

mh
 
Chris Turnbull said:
In my experience, in the long run, all that hook and hold snag-tree tactics manage to achieve is to make the barbel increasingly spooky making it increasingly difficult to draw them out to settle on the bait. The main element to catching barbel is to get them feeding confidently and, in doing that, you can draw them a long way out from their hiding holes. Also, I'd suggest that a less beefy rod of say 1.12 tc. will more effectively soak up the struggles of a hooked fish and put less stress on the line and hook-hold than a stiff brute stick

I have seen the damage hook and hold fishing can result in, where one particularly big fish ended up with one of its pectoral fins cut clean off as a result of making it into the snags. Personally I wouldn't do it as I think it isn't necessary.
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I think Cris Turnbulls comment are sound particularly in relation to the type of rods used in this sort of situation . There seems to be a trend that ahigher TC , beefier rod is inevitably better and that softer 1.5 /1.75 TC Avon type rods are not '' man enough '' for the job . I fish in rivers which are filled with snags both seen and unseen , known and unknown . If I know there is a snag present I will fish away from it and try and draw the fish out . However if I am fishing and don't know of snags ,if I am lucky enough to hook a fish I will play it hard and give as little line as possible and let a softer action rod absorb the lunges of the fish as much as is viable . In other words unless I am absolutely sure there are no snagsI will not let a fish run any distance imagining that there MIGHT be a snag near by . A fish can tire itself by pulling against a yielding rod , but the fact that it yields puts less strain on the hookhold/ fish . I have witnessed increased hookpulls with anglers using stiff / high TC rods , whilst not immune to them myself , [I have had 3or 4 this season ]. I think the more pliant rod approach is overall the best compromise
 
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Interesting thread that I just happen to be reading as I'm watching Matt Hayes fishing for barbel right up to a snag pit under an overhanging tree.;):D With that in mind, is it OK for some to do and not others? It certainly seems to what some posters are suggesting.:confused:
 
Chris Jones said:
Interesting thread that I just happen to be reading as I'm watching Matt Hayes fishing for barbel right up to a snag pit under an overhanging tree.;):D With that in mind, is it OK for some to do and not others? It certainly seems to what some posters are suggesting.:confused:
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Who has suggested that? I've not studied every single word on this thread but I've not seen anyone suggest that it is okay for TV stars to snag fish but not for ordinary anglers to do so?
 
Chris Turnbull said:
Who has suggested that? I've not studied every single word on this thread but I've not seen anyone suggest that it is okay for TV stars to snag fish but not for ordinary anglers to do so?
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No specific suggestion about TV stars, as such. However, there has been one post talking about Tref West doing similar on film. I've not seen anyone denouncing such practice from them, hence the question.

Dave Burr said:
My major concern is for the fish and the actions of fellow anglers. You have to consider your audience and BFW is viewed my many that are new to barbel angling. To give them the appearance that you can poke your bait under a bush and haul them out with all that pressure onto a small hook is, in my humble opinion, wrong as it can encourage bad angling practice.

We all apply extreme pressure to the fish at times and, as Steve recalls, Tref took a double and hauled it straight out but that would have been on a Drennan Continental sized 4 or 2 not on a size 10 which could have had a very different result.
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This forms the basis of my impression that some folks think that experience means that it's ok for some to do exactly what others are being criticised for doing or wanting to do. It's a frequent thing to see people accused of "skulldragging" because they are using heavy braid and/or heavy TC rods, even though reality might be quite different. Sounds like Tref has "skulldragged" this particular fish but no one says a dickie bird. Why is that? It also appears that he's done it on film which means that, heaven forbid, some very inexperienced anglers will have got to see it. If it's OK for Tref to do it, with the proviso of using suitable hooks, what's so wrong with anyone else trying it with suitable hooks as suggested in a thread asking that very question?
 
If Trev has done and said things which leave questions..... and he's big and ugly enough to argue his own defense!

I've also seen loads of anglers fishing for tench in weedy swims that they loose more fish than they land from.... it's wrong but that don't stop them.... Then when all the tench have parrot mouths, the same blokes blame the carp anglers!
 
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Chris Turnbull said:
If Trev has done and said things which leave questions..... and he's big and ugly enough to argue his own defense!
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Absolutely, but it wasn't about Tref (or Matt Hayes) as such. The question was about some being denounced for doing something when others aren't. Smacks of a double standard. The thread was about suitable tackle to employ in a method of fishing, not the ethics of that method.

P.S. I happen to agree that deliberate snag fishing isn't ideal and will only make the fishing harder in the long run. However, if someone is going to do something, surely it's better that they get good advice on the type of kit to use rather than being hounded for asking?
 
Dave Burr said:
Its a very old clip filmed at Adams Mill (before the boom) when Matt was a regular there. I think the tactics were widely questioned as unsporting back then.
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I'm now left rather confused:
So on a small river such as the Great Ouse, Wey, Teme, Cherwell, upper Lea etc etc
Roughly how far away from a snag holding area should an angler try to draw a barbel to be seen as "sporting" ?
(and please don't give a non-descript answer like; every swim is different)
 
Chris Jones said:
Absolutely, but it wasn't about Tref (or Matt Hayes) as such. The question was about some being denounced for doing something when others aren't. Smacks of a double standard. The thread was about suitable tackle to employ in a method of fishing, not the ethics of that method.

P.S. I happen to agree that deliberate snag fishing isn't ideal and will only make the fishing harder in the long run. However, if someone is going to do something, surely it's better that they get good advice on the type of kit to use rather than being hounded for asking?
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Well, my second paragraph was intended to sort of answer that but..... who cares if the fish get damaged, because we can always blame someone else!:rolleyes:
 
Colin Gordon said:
I'm now left rather confused:
So on a small river such as the Great Ouse, Wey, Teme, Cherwell, upper Lea etc etc
Roughly how far away from a snag holding area should an angler try to draw a barbel to be seen as "sporting" ?
(and please don't give a non-descript answer like; every swim is different)
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11 feet 2ins :D
 
Chris Jones said:
Absolutely, but it wasn't about Tref (or Matt Hayes) as such. The question was about some being denounced for doing something when others aren't. Smacks of a double standard. The thread was about suitable tackle to employ in a method of fishing, not the ethics of that method.

P.S. I happen to agree that deliberate snag fishing isn't ideal and will only make the fishing harder in the long run. However, if someone is going to do something, surely it's better that they get good advice on the type of kit to use rather than being hounded for asking?
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Whilst I haven't watched it recently, I'm sure Martin Bowler on Catching the Impossible "hooks and holds" a 15lb fish on 10lb line and a 14's hook.
 
Common sense is one thing I see being used less and less every day.
It can't be taught and is somewhat hard to describe, maybe thats why less people get or have any.
Other forms of sense, etiquette or basically "rules" can be taught however when was the last time any of us spent time helping a beginner?
Maybe a few experienced members on here could offer to take a learner out for the day? Better way to learn than all the books , magazines and forums.....
dave
 
Virtually all my Barbel fishing is hit and hold, the exception being on the rare occassions when I fish a very popular and very busy weirpool. I use size 8 barbless hooks, Raptors or JRC's. The bit I fish has very little angling pressure, and I have yet to catch a barbel with any mouth damage, or any real damage at all. Have not had a hook pull for ages. After reading many of the above posts, it would seem I now have to give up fishing the Sussex Ouse, or just fish the pool, the Barbel there do show signs of damage.
I consider my self a resonsible angler and I will not fish a swim if I think it is likely I will lose a Barbel. For me the most important thing in hit and hold fishing is a very quick response to a bite, no alarms for me. If you let them get up speed you are in big trouble, to the detriment of the fish.
Alternatively I could try laying a ten mile trail of pellets and get them feeding out in the open in the Lewes area.
Enjoy your fishing everyone
Shaun of the dead
 
When I initially started this thread it was about what hooks to use when snag fishing,it has moved on quite a lot now to the ethics of snag fishing which is not what I wanted but it has the blessing of a super moderator(whatever that is):) so here are my thoughts.

I don't subscribe to the ''sporting chance'' theory,I want to land every barbel I hook and as quickly as possible(as we all do).That is not to say that the fish does not have a chance,even using the tackle I have described it is by no means a foregone conclusion that it will be banked and is still a stiff challenge.

Judging by the amount of terminal tackle I have removed from the mouths of several barbel this year there are a significant amount of anglers fishing for them with inappropriate tackle near snags.

As someone has mentioned how far away from snags do you fish I would like to make it clear that I wouldn't drop my lead right amongst some sunken tree roots,sharp rocks or other obstructions,that would be foolhardy and even with conger gear would result in lost fish.

I try and ascertain where the snag is by casting a lead around and 'feeling'' the bottom and then fish a couple of feet away from it trying to draw the barbel out by feeding.Once hooked I don't give them an inch and can normally stop them from getting back to their sanctuary which is what they invariably try to do.

I have the utmost respect for barbel and if a fish was damaged in any way I can assure everyone that I would not practice the hit and hold technique.In my own experience when fishing in this way the barbel has recovered quicker than a long,drawn out fight.

The only time I had one nearly go belly up was years ago in my match fishing days when I hooked an 8.6 on light float tackle,after a 20 minute fight it was exhausted and took an age to recover.
 
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