If you are as observant as you think you are, you would notice a pair of pliers right next to the brine bucket. All hooks used on all rods get their barbs pinched prior to fishing, by me. It doesn't matter who I have fishing on my boat, I still check all of the hooks of every fisherman on my boat BEFORE they go into the water.

How many flies do folks buy that have the barbs pinched, or to that matter, hooks? How many folks pinch the barb on every fly or leader rig right at tying? Do you know if the particular rig will be used in a stream or a river where barbed hooks are legal?

I took a photo of the flies prior to fishing them because I didn't know if I would get them all back. I picked the top fly up right after I took the photo (because it was the best of three pretty poorly tied baitfish imitations), attached it to my line, pinched the barb, then fished it.

When you ASSume.........