A message from the soap box:
After selecting the 'Perfect Fly', I carefully tie my clinch knot and give it a little tug for peace of mind. I take a quick look at the barb and two thoughts cross my mind... Crush it, or leave it? A little voice whispers..."what if you hook into a BIG ONE!? Do you really want to crush that barb and risk losing the fish of a LIFETIME!?" If you take a look at this picture you'll notice that a fair portion of the upper lip is missing from this trout. This could be the result of many things that occur naturally, but more often it is the result of a barbed hook being removed carelessly. The added time and effort involved in removing barbed hooks causes more stress and frustration for you and the fish. Each second the fish is out of water decreases the fish's survival rate. Barbed hooks tear flesh and leave large open wounds which are extremely susceptible to disease and infection. After photographing this fish, I made a promise to always crush my barbs and to encourage others to follow suit.
