Collection: Dry Barbless

Barbless flies in our eyes are the best style dry fly, not only for the fish, but for you as well. So many dry flies that in which we fish are very small like the emerger fly and are consumed by trout both big and small. If you are out to catch and release, we see no reason to have a barb present at all. Barbless flies allow us to release fish without harming them. It's important to remember that hook type only plays one role in the mortality rates of fish. Anglers should familiarize themselves will all aspects of safe fish handling and ethical fishing to ensure thriving fisheries for years to come.

The difference between a barbed and barbless hook is the presence, or lack thereof a barb. Merriam Webster's definition of a barb is as follows: "a sharp projection extending backward and preventing easy extraction". So, with that being said we would rather not fish with one if sole purpose is to have fun and let the fish swim free. It’s always nice to have a selection of barbless dry flies on hand on any given day, like an Adams Parachute, Blue Wing Olive or Black Gnat. There are two main reasons why an angler may choose to forgo the barbs, and fish with barbless flies and hooks. One being to adhere with local and regional regulations, and the other being to cause less of an impact on fish. There may be other contributing factors to using barbless flies. One of the hidden benefits we have found to using barbless flies is an easier extraction out of your own skin!

Many of the waters we fish for trout have special regulations enforcing barbless trout flies only. These are typically "catch and release" watersheds with a large abundance of juvenile trout along with their parents. If you are caught fishing with any kind of barb what so every the fine can be downright painful to say the least. A barbless dry fly will help you fish at ease when regulations imply and keep you more focused on the rise instead of the "take" from your fellow DFG. So if you just want to have fun check, out our selection of barbless flies for sale before you fish on!