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[RalphH]

What’s the biggest hook that groove will accommodate, Ralph?

don't know. from what I recall and what I have at home it handles everything from #18 to 4/0. I have some old Mustad #2 5x stout - which is about a 4/0 wire and it's no problem. Biggest hooks I have on hand is 4/0 eagle Claw octopus and it sharpens those easily. Eagle Claw uses thicker wire than gammies. Can't speak for the size of hook that might get used for big tuna or sharks.

[clarki]

Thanks. Was curious if the groove was large enough to accommodate the hooks I use for spinners and spoons.

Going to add it to my Christmas wish list!

[roeman]

No where did I say that I use dull hooks. (Funny how brave and ignorant people are behind their screens)
I just dont see the need to sharpen them, if you do, go ahead,
Today floating roe.  3 for 3
Spoon  6 for 8
Jigs 2 for 2
Pretty good ratio with a dull hook.
99% of getting the hook into the fish is the position of the hook when the fish grabs what you are using.

[RalphH]

the quality of most hooks, particularly those package with lure, is certainly much better than it was 10 to 20 years ago. Still I will lightly sharpen or even replace the hooks supplied with some lures to get it to the sharpness I think it needs.

With the hard metal alloys and chemically sharpening processes used these days many really good hooks, like gammies or tiemcos, don't really sharpen all that well once they have been dulled so, provided the hooks are sharp at the start, one can certainly argue that sharpening a dull hook is sort of pointless [the pun is not intentional].

[VictorBai]

No where did I say that I use dull hooks. (Funny how brave and ignorant people are behind their screens)
I just dont see the need to sharpen them, if you do, go ahead,
Today floating roe.  3 for 3
Spoon  6 for 8
Jigs 2 for 2
Pretty good ratio with a dull hook.
99% of getting the hook into the fish is the position of the hook when the fish grabs what you are using.

Hook sharpness aside, I am really stunned by the number of bites you got yesterday! I went fishing for first light yesterday starting at the canal, then fisherman's corner, then peach park until 3pm, not a single bites. Tried floating beads, spoons, jigs. All with no success. I thought the water condition yesterday was not fishable. Well, now it looks like the problem is me needing more skills.

[spoiler]

one of the best steelhead guides in BC told me once that a hook file was something he would never leave the house without!

[clarki]

Hook sharpness aside, I am really stunned by the number of bites you got yesterday! I went fishing for first light yesterday starting at the canal, then fisherman's corner, then peach park until 3pm, not a single bites. Tried floating beads, spoons, jigs. All with no success. I thought the water condition yesterday was not fishable. Well, now it looks like the problem is me needing more skills.

He didn't say he was fishing Chilliwack/Vedder...

Your skills will come. The key to water conditions like we had over the weekend is to fish different water and use different approaches than you would if the water was lower or clearer. I suggest you can't float fish the same water that you did last week. With the increased flows and lower vis, the fish simply don't have the ability/time to see your presentation. Over time you will develop your preferred high water areas to fish. Areas that are OK when water is clearer and lower, can become a fishy refuge from the current when the water is higher.

Not to kiss and tell or brag, but to illustrate my point, on Saturday when the vis was ~18" I intentionally fished a pocket of water off the main channel.  I was fishing an area that is good holding water in lower/clearer conditions, and although it was my first time there at this water height, I fully expected fish to be in there given the high water.  It took a while to figure it out, but a unweighted Colorado, cast out and left to sink, then a slooow retrieve was the ticket. Hooked 7 landed 6.

So I fished water that was a refuge for fish from the high water, I took advantage of the slow current to fish a presentation that I could keep in the zone, and in their faces, for as long as possible, and I fished something with flash and thump that would get their attention in the low vis .

Water conditions were tough, it doesn't always come together like it did, I was pleasantly surprised, and l learned a couple of things that made me go "Hmmm..." that I will file away for next time when faced with similar conditions.                               
     

[VictorBai]

He didn't say he was fishing Chilliwack/Vedder...

Your skills will come. The key to water conditions like we had over the weekend is to fish different water and use different approaches than you would if the water was lower or clearer. I suggest you can't float fish the same water that you did last week. With the increased flows and lower vis, the fish simply don't have the ability/time to see your presentation. Over time you will develop your preferred high water areas to fish. Areas that are OK when water is clearer and lower, can become a fishy refuge from the current when the water is higher.

Not to kiss and tell or brag, but to illustrate my point, on Saturday when the vis was ~18" I intentionally fished a pocket of water off the main channel.  I was fishing an area that is good holding water in lower/clearer conditions, and although it was my first time there at this water height, I fully expected fish to be in there given the high water.  It took a while to figure it out, but a unweighted Colorado, cast out and left to sink, then a slooow retrieve was the ticket. Hooked 7 landed 6.

So I fished water that was a refuge for fish from the high water, I took advantage of the slow current to fish a presentation that I could keep in the zone, and in their faces, for as long as possible, and I fished something with flash and thump that would get their attention in the low vis .

Water conditions were tough, it doesn't always come together like it did, I was pleasantly surprised, and l learned a couple of things that made me go "Hmmm..." that I will file away for next time when faced with similar conditions.                               
   

Indeed. My mind was so into Vedder river fishing and forgot there are other rivers as well. Sorry about overlooked that.

I think you made some very inspiring points regarding water level. To be honest I don't fully understand it since I've only fished in few spots and vaguely know how to read the water. But I will keep that in mind next time when I was out on the river. Hopefully my skills will come, like you said.

Your technique with the Colorado is very interesting. I have several Colorado in my tackle box but have rarely used them. They are so light so I cannot cast them very far. Maybe I should have more faith in them.

[Darko]

Indeed. My mind was so into Vedder river fishing and forgot there are other rivers as well. Sorry about overlooked that.

I think you made some very inspiring points regarding water level. To be honest I don't fully understand it since I've only fished in few spots and vaguely know how to read the water. But I will keep that in mind next time when I was out on the river. Hopefully my skills will come, like you said.

Your technique with the Colorado is very interesting. I have several Colorado in my tackle box but have rarely used them. They are so light so I cannot cast them very far. Maybe I should have more faith in them.

just because in that scenario he could cast them alone doesn't mean you always should, you should be fishing it under a bobber, 30 cm leader and maybe a few splitshot to help it sink if you really want, never retrieve too fast. They are a good lure for multiple species including coho.

[VictorBai]

just because in that scenario he could cast them alone doesn't mean you always should, you should be fishing it under a bobber, 30 cm leader and maybe a few splitshot to help it sink if you really want, never retrieve too fast. They are a good lure for multiple species including coho.

Thanks for the advice. Colorado has been confusing me for a while. I have tried tying a Colorado spin under my float setup but I wasn't confidient with the presentation. To me, a Colorado spin is a simplified version of spinner which needs some twisting and dragging to work better. I have the same concerns with that Koho Killer from GibbsDelta. They are very thin metal piece and look like a light weighted spoon to me. Same issue as the Colorado, couldn't cast far on a spinning setup and no confidience in floating setup.

Maybe I should give more credit to Colorado/Koho Killer + float setup.

[dennisK]

I cannot count the number of times I was fishing and after a while I checked my hook. (gammy...scrape across thumb test..if it sticks you're good if it slides then not).

I then did a quick sharpen and within 2 or 3 casts after I get a hookup. And in the mouth lol.

Sharpening is everything. I primarily drift...but pretty sure it applies to all methods.

I just a small rectangular stone. And gammies do sharpen up nice you just have to be light on the touch up.

[jim]

A Koho Killer spoon is a salt water trolling spoon. I would not use that in the river! Rodney Tsu has some instructions on youtube about using colorados under a float...should look it up, good stuff.
2 foot leader, 25-35 grams lead, float. keep the line tension fairly tight to make it revolve. okay to cast upstream, and retrieve towards yourself. The hook might have to be fairly heavy so it can straighten out on the cast.

[RalphH]

And gammies do sharpen up nice you just have to be light on the touch up.

people will figure this out one way or the other based on their own experience.

[FlyFishin Magician]

He didn't say he was fishing Chilliwack/Vedder...

Your skills will come. The key to water conditions like we had over the weekend is to fish different water and use different approaches than you would if the water was lower or clearer. I suggest you can't float fish the same water that you did last week. With the increased flows and lower vis, the fish simply don't have the ability/time to see your presentation. Over time you will develop your preferred high water areas to fish. Areas that are OK when water is clearer and lower, can become a fishy refuge from the current when the water is higher.

Not to kiss and tell or brag, but to illustrate my point, on Saturday when the vis was ~18" I intentionally fished a pocket of water off the main channel.  I was fishing an area that is good holding water in lower/clearer conditions, and although it was my first time there at this water height, I fully expected fish to be in there given the high water.  It took a while to figure it out, but a unweighted Colorado, cast out and left to sink, then a slooow retrieve was the ticket. Hooked 7 landed 6.

So I fished water that was a refuge for fish from the high water, I took advantage of the slow current to fish a presentation that I could keep in the zone, and in their faces, for as long as possible, and I fished something with flash and thump that would get their attention in the low vis .

Water conditions were tough, it doesn't always come together like it did, I was pleasantly surprised, and l learned a couple of things that made me go "Hmmm..." that I will file away for next time when faced with similar conditions.                               
   

Hmm, I wonder if I know where that is clarki! LOL. Great to fish with you a couple of weeks ago! I haven't been back there as I've been scouting other systems. Very interesting observation you described and I'll keep that in mind - thanks!

As for hook sharpeners, I carry a Tiemco hook hone with me:

https://www.tiemco.co.jp/eng/groups/view/280

Works well - I primarily use it for flies (since I spent all that time tying, I'm more reluctant to toss the fly). But it also works on other hooks as well including chemically sharpened hooks. However, I usually just replace my bait/gear hooks mostly because I'm lazy.

Here's a question - what about bent hooks? Do you bend them back and re-use them, or toss them? Again, for flies I'll bend them back and re-use. For bait/gear hooks, as soon as they are bent - I'll replace them.

[clarki]

Hmm, I wonder if I know where that is clarki! LOL. Great to fish with you a couple of weeks ago!

I was fishing somewhere else, but the same principle holds true for where we were too. Great to meet and fish with you too FFM! Would gladly share a piece of shore with you any day. And thanks for the souvenir GCCK.  

you should be fishing it under a bobber, 30 cm leader and maybe a few splitshot to help it sink if you really want, never retrieve too fast.

If I understand you correctly to say that a Colorado should be only float fished, that is simply not true. But rather than get into a a "yes it is" "no it isn't" discussion about Colorados on a thread about hooks, @VictorBail feel free to PM me and we can chat offline.