Swallowed hooks

[Dadwood]

Hi, I've no doubt this subject has been discussed many times before, but I'd like the opinion of forum members please. Fifty years ago, when I first went fishing with my dad, (a strict 'catch them and return them unharmed' man), he always told me that if your catch has swallowed the hook right down, just cut the line as close to the hook as you can and put the fish back. He believed that eventually nature takes its course and the fish will spit the hook out. So, that is what I've always done. But one angler I spoke with recently said that fish put back with a hook inside will suffer a long and painful death. Anyone know whether or not it's true?

[scottish_and_mental]

Untrue . though i suspect in a few cases it is possible for the fish to die ..50 years ago as you know hooks wernt as eco friendly and especially in sea fishing , stainless steel hooks were thought to be a good idea
Smaller fish will suffer greater pain and distess by trying for ages to twist,turn and pull a hook that is normally right through the stomach wall or the guts of the fish ..
people have been know to survive for years with various implements - bullets,scissors,and other surgical implements inside their body - even skull !
Almost all hooks will eventually corode - sea hooks especially quite quickly .. coarse hooks im not sure ,though they tend to be a lot smaller so perhaps just as quick ?

for me.. as a last resort snip the hooklenght as far down as possible - surely a fish stands a better chance than trying to doctor the darn thing .i think in 20 years of fishing i could count on one hand the number of times ive had to do this

[Spinner64]

I,m with you on that one Steve! I,v caught plenty healthy looking fish with hooks still lodged in them rusting away.
With one TB Rockling it managed to dislodge the other hook while i was removing my hook and he swam away no problem.
Depends what species it is sometimes i will keep deep hooked fish for the table or bait and dispatch accordingly.

[pistonbroke]

Ive spent many years match fishing all over the country and the rule of thumb is barbless hooks mainly for speed of unhooking rather deep hooked fish,but even then much easier to unhook and realease.
now Im back to seafishing on my boat down in weymouth and I do like to see most of my fish go back so if anyone is just in it for the sport and just taking the odd fish for the table,then barbless hooks has got to be the way to go.or to even file the barbs down to almost nothing helps unhooking and is a lot more fish friendly

[fishy_steve]

i made the mistake once of fishing in cornwall with barbed hooks...garfish all day long just taking the hook right down everytime. drove me mad having to spend 15 mins getting the buggers out

[Spinner64]

Originally Posted by pistonbroke

Ive spent many years match fishing all over the country and the rule of thumb is barbless hooks mainly for speed of unhooking rather deep hooked fish,but even then much easier to unhook and realease.
now Im back to seafishing on my boat down in weymouth and I do like to see most of my fish go back so if anyone is just in it for the sport and just taking the odd fish for the table,then barbless hooks has got to be the way to go.or to even file the barbs down to almost nothing helps unhooking and is a lot more fish friendly

Now that you'v mentioned this mate i might have a go for some of the species not for the table or bait with the barbs crushed on the hooks.
I suppose it would be a case of just keeping in contact with the fish and giving no slack line to avoid the fish throwing the hook.
I will post my results after the next sesh, should be interesting to find out.

[Dadwood]

Many thanks to all who replied; you've confirmed that over all my years fishing I haven't been unknowingly sentencing fish to a painful, slow death each time I've left a hook in. I've seldom had swallowed hooks with agressive feeders, it's the shy feeders with small mouths that are worst. The shy feeders need time to 'let the bites develop' and that's precisely when they have time to swallow the lot! And when you look in the mouth, unless you can see the hook eye you've no idea which way the point and barb are pointing. So, as you say, best to just cut the line closest to the hook. Once again, many thanks to all who contributed.