OK. barbed hooks quick question

Do I need to crimp every hook in my box before going to the trout areas in Oklahoma or can I just crimp the barbs as I fish them?

* I plan on fishing barbless all the time but don't necessarily want to go through all my flies and crimp the barbs all at once unless it will save me from getting a ticket.

Thanks.

All of mine have been crimped, regardless of where I fish. It has not seemed to affect my catch rate. I would think that as long as the hook you are using is crimped you should be OK.

I crimp everything as I tie it. I believe I hook more crimped as it slides in better. I don't notice that I lose any more fish, but I keep constant pressure on the fish. It is mucxh easier to release fish quickly (and better for the fish) with crimped barbs.

wouldn't it be easier to just buy barbless hooks if you tying you own flies

Absolutely, but unfortunately not always an option. It has gotten better over the past few years, but barbless hooks can be difficult to find and they used to be more expensive than barbed hooks. Some hook designs are still not available as barbless.

But, I suspect that I am not the only fly tyer that has been tying long enough to have a large collection of barbed hooks that need to be used up before I buy new barbless hooks. So, I crimp down the barb when I put a hook in the vise.

To answer your question, only flies currently engaged in fishing need to be crimped. I take that as saying, if it's touching the water it needs to be crimped.

As far as my opinion on whether you should, I don't think it matters. Stay on the water long enough and you'll hear all sorts of categorical ways fly fishers do to try and one-up each other.

When fishing the White River in AR, the game wardens define barbless as being able to pierce cloth and pull out without catching the threads. If you are on the water with only a hemostat and no pliers, it is pretty difficult to crimp a barb to their standards.

Just something to think about...