Treble vs. Tandem (stinger)

[DShock]

I was browsing through some sites and I noticed United Kingdom Salmon flies using Treble hooks. Is this just a U.K. thing?? Why not tie a fly with Tandem hooks?
I would like to hear comments from flyfishers that have used a fly with a Treble and does it have good characteristics??....holding strength, casting performance.
Thanks,
Doug

[William Fitzgerald]

Many of the eastern trout and landlock trolling flies have double single hooks one behind with bend up. Tube flies that I tie use double or treble. Another UK fly that I tie is a "Snake Fly",a short shaft of either wire or mono with a treble. Go to Google and type in "Snake Fly". The snake and the tube are large flies with less weight. BILL

[ducksterman]

I have heard that circle hooks used with tube flies significantly increases the hookup rate.

[okflyfisher]

I am not a fan of treble hooks for any trout , steelhead or salmon. Treble hooks on flies are the anthithesis of catch and release. Here in OK some (read not me) use treble hooks for catfish because the trebles hold the stink bait on better. If we need meat dynamite would be more effective.
I am not a purist by any means. I occationally eat a trout when I am camping.


Just my opinion

[Flyrodde]

I don't see a point in treble hooks for any fishing. This is just my opinion of course.

I fly fish mostly and enjoy it the most, however I still fish with a spinning or baitcasting rig at certain points. All of my lures have had their original treble hooks changed to a single barbless hook. I mostly fish catch and relese and do occationally keep a fish or 2 to eat and a always fish barbless. My reasoning is simple. Fishing has inherent risks and being impaled is one of them. It is much more easy to unhook myself with a barbless hook than a barbed one. Same goes for the fish, which is especially important while dealing with toothy or hard to handle fish.

As a side note: Since changing all hooks to single and barbless, I have found neither a gain or loss in holding power or hookup rate. I have no scientific proof of this, it is just my feeling after fishing both ways. I alwasy had good and bad days at actually hooking and landing fish, still do. Sometimes my timing is right other times it isn't but I don't believe the amount of points or the presence or barbs helps. I do believe the sharpness of the points is a big factor however. So whatever you use, make sure it is sharp.

[DShock]

Many yrs ago I used to fish Rapala lures that had two to three treble hooks on them (with barbs) I was never comfortable using them. Flatfish lures used to have small double trebles also. I believe the treble hook is outdated.
Doug

[ducksterman]

As I recall ...and take that for what it is worth...maybe nothing....here in Oregon treble hooks were banned for something in the past don't remember what...probably native steelhead....but folks went to siwash hooks and fish were hooked through the eye and worse...so I think they dropped that ban......

[flyandtie]

and fish were hooked through the eye and worse...

and worse? do you mean like stomach??? or another part.

[ducksterman]

top of the head...guess the brain is there somewhere....and yes deeper....very hard to get out

[Flyrodde]

I don't understand why the siwash hook wouldn't hook in the mouth. I asume they where using them on lures of some sort, is that right? I know I have hooked some fish on the side of the mouth and a little farther back on the gill plate, especially in saltwater fish (blue fish and strippers) but that happened with trebles also. Am I missing something?