Hooklengths

[Ben Jennings]

What sort of hooklengths do you guys use? I'm thinking about trying out ESP two tone as I can't getting head round braid on its own in flowing water would it not be too soft and catch up in bottom debris that flows in the current? What length hooklength would you use. I can rember years ago saying anything under 12 inches would result in the barbel dropping the bait, ever since then it's been lodged in my head so I've always fished long hooklengths. Do shorter ones work?

 

[Darryl Davis]

Use the search facility on "Hooklengths" e.g. https://barbel.co.uk/site/vbulletin/forum/barbel-talk/4183-hooklength-length.html

 

[Ian Grant]

I now prefer a coated braid hooklength ben, i can't say i've noticed a difference in catches between ordinary braid, or mono for that matter, but i like the protection of the coating.

I used suffix Kameleon all season last year, i am a fan of suffix, but mostly because i've got to choose one ! Kryston i used for years, with no problems except for the Mantis, think i had a bad spool, i could break 15lb with my hands, but really i changed just for the hell of it, and got on with the suffix.

Anyway the Kameleon in 15lb is about as thin as the 10lb of the other suffix coated Braids, - which by the way was always hard to get hold of, but is now pretty near impossible to find now.
It's all geared towards the Carp market !


Apart from being thinner it's quite slippery, and knots realy well even with the coating on, which previously using others, i found you had to be a bit careful when pulling the knot tight.

I had some good fish on it last year, with no problems whatsoever, and providing there's no damage to the hooklength i leave mine on for ages.
( Scottish blood )

I wouldn't get too wrapped up trying to choose between brands Ben i think they're all pretty good, have a wait and see what replies you get here, and go with the one that gets good comments

Ian.

 

[Michael Hall]

I generally use Drennan Sink Braid, either 10lb or 12lb, for most of my fishing. I believe that the softer the better as it will lie well on the river bed and secondly just after the feeder hits the bottom the bait will act naturally whilst the hooklink straightens out in the flow. I have had many fish very quickly when using a long hook length. I usually use about 3ft length but will go a foot or so either way depending on conditions.

If I am getting damage to the hook length from rocks etc, which shows as a fray on the braid I switch to a coated braid, usually ESP two tone, 12 lb, as Ian said before I am not sure I have noted a difference in sucess but I tend to stick to my philosophy.

The only quirk for me comes when I use maggots and then I tend to go with a mono hooklength, again fairly long, 3-4ft, although I have caught using a braid and maggots on the hook.

 

[Nathan Walter]

I'm with Ian on this one. I am a big fan of Sufix hooklengths. Having tried all sorts of hooklink material over the last 7 or 8 years, I ended up on coated braid. It's extremely abrasion resistant (I've only had 1 hooklink cut through in the last 5 years). I also like the fact it's tangle resistant. Also it's visible to the fish and it isn't taut (but does lay well on the bottom, especially the Canfusion that I use) and therefore if a fish brushes up against it I feel there is less likelihood of the fish spooking.

Having used it in clear conditions and watched barbel react to it, my observations have been the fish spook off of the mainline not my hooklink, so I use 3 foot hooklinks with a backlead.

Does it make a difference? I ain't got a clue but I feel supremely confident in the setup and that's half the battle.

 

[Joe Fletcher]

Its funny some one asks a simple question and you get loads of different answers .
I fish the W/Avon and have used mono in the past which was ok .
Tried braid which I found not to be very abrasion resistant and last season I switched to using Korda IQ fluoro and had my best season ever and will be useing it again this season .