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Hook Sharpener Recommendation Required Please

S

Stephen Goderski

Senior Member
Hi guys,

We all love the What Bivvy Slippers? type threads - don't we?!

Anyway, I am after a hook sharpener that I can carry with me and use on the bank - so any recommendations gratefully received.

Many thanks, Steve
 
Stephen Goderski said:
Hi guys,

We all love the What Bivvy Slippers? type threads - don't we?!

Anyway, I am after a hook sharpener that I can carry with me and use on the bank - so any recommendations gratefully received.

Many thanks, Steve
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Personally I don't sharpen hooks, I can't be arsed to be perfectly honest... However I own a Lansky blade medic which is the mutts nuts for my knives in the house and on the bank, it has a ceramic sharpener which polishes the blade razor sharp, and the carbide sharpener which can actually strip a blade. Which Is good if your knife is really f@#$!d. Also it has a diamond tapered rod on it that folds out which I can imagine would be perfect hook sharpening.
Hope this helps mate.
 
15 quid off amazon.
 

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I brought the jag kit recently. Only use the black file though so in hindsight I should of just brought that. One of the smaller files was actually snapped down to about an inch and the broken off bit wasn’t even in there but couldn’t be bothered taking it back
 
A Boots diamond nail file works fine and costs virtually nothing (A couple of quid).

Going up from there I use DMT files of various types bigger, mostly saltwater hooks. Fly fishing first taught me that sharp hooks make a difference.

I don’t bother with a vice or a magnifying glass and I don’t over-sharpen like some carp anglers…..
 
Black Jag file is generally all you need (a couple of touches and your done) however it does depend on the gauge of your hook . . .
If you're using Carp/Specimen hooks in the larger sizes (6,4,2) this will be fine however you can easily 'over sharpen' and I wouldn't want to use it on finer gauges / smaller hooks . . .for this the finer red and green stones will probably be kinder so buy the kit and be done with it!

The other thing to note is your hooks may blunt even faster once sharpened . . .chucking a newly honed hook into silt at 100yds and leaving it for 24hrs is one thing - its another to lob 10yds every hour into a rocky outcrop of fast moving water . . .oversharpened hooks can easily bend over / dull in snaggy waters (ie. rivers) making the whole process a bit daft . . .
 
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It's something I've been considering a lot recently. I think a file could be really useful when you are in the middle ground, not as sharp as it could be but not blunt enough to consider changing.

I've been thinking one of these might be worth a try:
barbel.co.uk

Gardner Point Doctor - Barbel Fishing World

The Gardner Point Doctor is a very simple to use hook sharpening tool that is perfect for keeping your hook points sticky sharp. Since the Point Dr’s
barbel.co.uk barbel.co.uk
 
Derek Funcks said:
I just do the finger nail test after each retrieve, if it don,t scratch my nail, i replace with new. To me, the hook is the most important contact between you and the fish, and yet, people complain about paying 50p for a good quality hook, after spending hundreds, if not more, on rods and reels.
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Thanks Derek and everyone else that has contributed.

I too do the fingernail test and discard any hook that fails. However, I am down to the last few packets of my long-discontinued favourite hook in my favourite size so was looking to prolong the life of the remainder.

It sounds like I might only be causing myself problems by doing this?
 
Derek Funcks said:
I just do the finger nail test after each retrieve, if it don,t scratch my nail, i replace with new. To me, the hook is the most important contact between you and the fish, and yet, people complain about paying 50p for a good quality hook, after spending hundreds, if not more, on rods and reels.
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Your right it is the most important contact between you and the fish, but it is not just the cost of the hook. If you have gone to the trouble of tying a combi rig (for sake of argument) with say a line aligner or kicker, and even perhaps a blow back ring, it is a lot less hassle and time to re-sharpen the hook then it is to replace the hook and with it the rig. And a lot less wasteful.
 
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Joe Winstanley said:
Your right it is the most important contact between you and the fish, but it is not just the cost of the hook. If you have gone to the trouble of tying a combi rig (for sake of argument) with say a line aligner or kicker, and even perhaps a blow back ring, it is a lot less hassle and time to re-sharpen the hook then it is to replace the hook and with it the rig. And a lot less wasteful.
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. . agree with this sentiment, however dare I go back to the combi-rig discussion thread in the early part of the year?

This is why the loop and boom method (IMO) is a good one, irrespective of simplicity in rigs / necessity etc. It keeps materials to a minimum (you are only using small pre-tied sections of braid with fresh hook attached) and enables rapid hook / presentation changes without the faff of sharpening / remaking the whole rig on the bank etc.

Another route worth considering (for those not wanting to waste expensive hooklink materials) is a multi rig arrangement. If using coated braids etc blunt hooks can be removed independently and replaced in seconds . . .these could indeed be re sharpened whilst 'off rig' and re-used as required for further eco usage . . . . . .Just sayin' . .!!!
 
Chris Belcher said:
.

. . agree with this sentiment, however dare I go back to the combi-rig discussion thread in the early part of the year?

This is why the loop and boom method (IMO) is a good one, irrespective of simplicity in rigs / necessity etc. It keeps materials to a minimum (you are only using small pre-tied sections of braid with fresh hook attached) and enables rapid hook / presentation changes without the faff of sharpening / remaking the whole rig on the bank etc.

Another route worth considering (for those not wanting to waste expensive hooklink materials) is a multi rig arrangement. If using coated braids etc blunt hooks can be removed independently and replaced in seconds . . .these could indeed be re sharpened whilst 'off rig' and re-used as required for further eco usage . . . . . .Just sayin' . .!!!
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Excellent post.

As a regular user of combi rigs; I might take your advice and start using the loop method.

Having said that, it’s always hook sharpening first for me. My hooks last for ages !
 
Chris Belcher said:
.

. . agree with this sentiment, however dare I go back to the combi-rig discussion thread in the early part of the year?

This is why the loop and boom method (IMO) is a good one, irrespective of simplicity in rigs / necessity etc. It keeps materials to a minimum (you are only using small pre-tied sections of braid with fresh hook attached) and enables rapid hook / presentation changes without the faff of sharpening / remaking the whole rig on the bank etc.

Another route worth considering (for those not wanting to waste expensive hooklink materials) is a multi rig arrangement. If using coated braids etc blunt hooks can be removed independently and replaced in seconds . . .these could indeed be re sharpened whilst 'off rig' and re-used as required for further eco usage . . . . . .Just sayin' . .!!!
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I wasn't sure what you meant by the loop and boom method, so just googled it. Very interesting indeed Chris, going to give that a go.
 
Joe Winstanley said:
I wasn't sure what you meant by the loop and boom method, so just googled it. Very interesting indeed Chris, going to give that a go.
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Apols off topic but - two things to be aware of before you try it Joe -

1 - Use a fine (pref sinking) braid . . .6-8lb bs will do as you are doubling it up anyway. Drennan Super Specialist was great for this but now unfortunately discontinued. If you use a thicker braid (eg Drennan Gravel Braid 12lb) you'll struggle to tie a 'doubled up' knotless or whipping knot and get back through the eye with the required loop end . . .6's and 4's usually no prob but with smaller patterns you'll struggle.

2 - Based on the above - ensure your hooks have a decent diameter eye . . as above obvs bigger hooks generally have bigger eyes however if you like using smaller sizes (eg. for me - 10,12) make sure the pattern has a decent eye (not all hooks are equal - eg. Drennan Barbel hooks have smaller eyes than their carpy cousins IME)
 
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