What's considered a barbless hook? Can you mash the barb down on a conventional hook, or do you have to buy them from the factory? I was reading trout regulations (OK), and it was specified that artificial lures had to have barbless hooks. I don't see the point in this anyway, unless it's used as a revenue maker from citations.

Mashed barbs are acceptable.

I talked with a game warden that covers the Blue River in OK and he indicated you only needed to mash down the barb on hooks for the flies you are using in the catch and release area. It is ok to do it before you throw it in the water for the first time. That way you can have barbed hooks still available if you want to fish outside the catch and release area later.

For me just to be safe, any fly which is wet(ie, has been used that day or maybe the day before) that I have with me in the catch and release area should not have barbs.

The point is trout are a fairly fragile fish and barbless hooks on fly�s and all artificial lure hooks makes catch and release fishing less harmful to the fish. You can release them without even lifting the fish out of the water. I�ve seen these regulations on various stretches of catch-and-release trout streams. Not an uncommon regulation and yes mashing down the barb is acceptable. No need to replace your stock hooks on your lures.

https://azdailysun.com/biologist-qu...b36970b-7526-5a30-a6b7-f90492b61274.html

Barbless hooks may be one of those �feel good� measures governing bodies adopt that actually doesn�t save any more fish than barbed hooks. Nevertheless, it�s very simple to mash down a barb with needle nosed pliers or even hemostats. Some barbs are such that they can be bent back into shape after the fact if so desired by using a bodkin. I�ve fished mashed down barbs before and and yes, maybe some more fish get lost, but it�s not been any big deal. I tend not to get too upset about lost fish anyway so

Sounds about right; just another law to appease the "greenies." The law only applies to trout fishing here in OK, and most of the trout die anyway once hot weather sets in.