Hook sizes for Mackeral Feathers

[fullcreel]

Just planning on tying a fwe home meade feather sets, and am wondering if I would do better with small hooks than the ones normally found on the readymade shop bought rigs? There were a few times at Chesil last summer when I thought I had a ffish on, then it went, wondering of it was a small fish, not able to get the hook in properly.

[pingu]

think most made 1 or 1/0

dave

[fullcreel]

I was wondering if using smaller hooks, say an 8 or even 10? What kind of thing catches small bait fish, or sand eels?

[KKK]

We used to getloads of launce off lundy on size 4's and 6's

[scottish_and_mental]

Originally Posted by fullcreel

I was wondering if using smaller hooks, say an 8 or even 10? What kind of thing catches small bait fish, or sand eels?

shrimp rigs use dinky hooks but mackerel feathers need to be a size 1 or 1/0 as stated..Because mackerel shoal and hit the feathers so hard you will end up with more fish lost with smaller hooks - this is what i would say is happening with those phantom bites.....the fish are simply getting hooked then ripping free !
Dont think feathering for launce from the shore is much of an option unless you can find some decent sand bars close in mate.

[scottish_and_mental]

Meant to add....i tie most of mine for chesil purely beacuse i use 70lb trace body and can put better reflective tape on them ..if you get a length of yellow or green nylon washing line and pull the stringy crud out the middle then cut at about 3/4" long its good for sitting over where the hook is whipped !

[fullcreel]

Well it was wortha thought, I'll make up some to try from the 'Lady Rita', when she goes out this summer.

[paul p]

Originally Posted by fullcreel

Well it was wortha thought, I'll make up some to try from the 'Lady Rita', when she goes out this summer.

Fullcreel there is a trace you can buy from shops and i use it myself off the boat for bait on the boat and to freeze for the shore, its called hyabusa and there are 6 hooks i think, i had 60 mackerel in 20 min. There are others like as said hokkies, home made ones and they are great and most ones in shop will catch but the one i mentioned has a bit off majic attached, thats if they are there offcourse. Tight lines mate. Wont be long guys Ps they have tiny hooks but once on they drive you mad getting them off. A few will always come off mate whatever you use thats the norm.

[Drew]

" i had 60 mackerel in 20 min."

Well done Paul, that must have been quite a thrill? Sometimes it takes me a week on Chesil to get half a dozen. I tend to use a spinning rod with a Toby.

Regards

Drew

[scottish_and_mental]

Originally Posted by fullcreel

Well it was wortha thought, I'll make up some to try from the 'Lady Rita', when she goes out this summer.

I use these in Alderney for the launce but reckon they would work off somewhere like Swanage pier where ive seen shedloads of sandeels bud.