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I know a woman who was absolutely incredulous when I wouldn't go over to her house on a day off. She said "Do you mean to tell me you'd rather go carp fishing than spend time with me? Carp fishing in the rain?!"

He stocks most brands and sharpens them to order. Alternatively you can send him yours and he'll do them for you: https://sshooks.co.uk/hooks.html He also does his own Ultra-Sharp brand. You can get the range from JR: https://johnsonrosstackle.co.uk/1640-hand-sharpened-hooks

That's tricky mate. What she needs to understand is that it's more than a hobby. It's a passion. Not something that can be given up just like that. But at the same time we all need to see things from their perspective. Carping is ultimately a selfish pastime. We disappear, and plough whatever we can into catching carp, at every opportunity we think we can get away with it. It's about balance and compromise. You need to work together because "fishing or me" is never going to end well.

I used to sharpen them but I hadn't noticed that I had any more or less fish on the bank than before. There was no difference in hook pulls, you always get one for one reason or the other so now I just them straight out the packet. Before it was fashionable to sharpen hooks I'd use the same one/rig for a whole weekend and often had multiple catches with the same hook so who knows

Spot on, I'm reigning it in for now, partly in the hope lockdown eases and we can all start getting back to normal,the misses is finding it tough and I'm trying to help as much as i can, it will get better one day won't it? but selfishly the weather isn't great and if I have been fishing in the winter that may impact on the better parts of the year when it's easier to catch em 😂

Sorry EX wife...

It's only if I dont remember to put wax or anything on the tip they seem to corrode a a lot quicker, It just struck me I've listened to loads of carp angler chronicles podcasts and they always Wang on about bait in detail, I guess some must be sinking in 😲

Yes mate I think everyone is struggling at the minute but now that we have a vaccine there is light at the end of the tunnel so to speak 👍👍 just hopefully the restrictions ease soon, I think we are all starting to get a bit of cabin fever and all the staying in is starting to take its toll 👎 but I really do think we are through the worst of it now mate so hopefully not long until we are bit back to normal 👍

I've not used them mate. I get him to do my Atomic Choddas. I do use his Ultra-Sharp Wide Gapers and Wide Grippas for zigs though and they're great. Nah, he gets them in coated and then sharpens them. Coatings such as teflon would ruin the sharpness anyway mate. It's only a few microns but that is enough to take away that needle sharp point. If you're struggling with low pH silt corroding your hooks (a common occurrence) the best solution is to use a wax based coating. The expensive way to do this is to get Jason's anti rust compound (link below) which is absolutely brilliant. . It's only a fiver and will last you literally years so still cheap as chips tbh. The 'cheap' way to do it use a crayon. Give the hook point 3 or 4 strokes with the compound/crayon, then give it a quick lick with a lighter (DON'T hold the flame on the hook point). Hold the hook so any run-off during licking of the lighter will run away from the hook point, towards the barb. https://www.walkersoftrowell.com/carp-specialist-fishing-tackle-equipment/specialist-sharpened-hooks/specialist-sharpened-hooks-anti-rust-sticks.html

Very many thanks pal.

My mrs moans at me for not going

Yonny, how does that work mate? Does he have the main patterns “pre-sharpened” which you can place an order for? Or do you specify the make and pattern etc and he source and sharpen the hooks before sending them out? He is the Jedi master of hook sharpening.

Thanks guys... Get it bought, I'm still stashing n hiding gear, 😁... Got another £50 to splash out on bits. Say its needed for the summer months.

Sorry to hear that mate, these are tough times all round at the minute, a lot of families are struggling,I know we're finding it tough at times,I hope it gets sorted soon and it all goes back to normal, just remember though, you can't unsay things once you have said them, but maybe use it as a sign to get talking if you can, just try and stay calm, you may find she needed an outburst to clear her head, maybe it had been bottling up for a while, is there a lot of stuff she can't do at the moment cos of restrictions? Maybe she was envious cos you can go fishing and she can't do what she likes, it's a juggling act to keep it all together at the moment, just do your best to keep the balls in the air, stay strong mate, it will get easier I hope

Sorry to hear about your situation Highy, hope it sorts itself outI.I made the mistake with a ex of explaining in great detail my passion for fishing, how it’s on my mind every day, how I can’t wait to get out on the bank etc .. it did not go down well, I swear she got a bit jealous and maybe even envious. Good luck mate

Actually... she did! I’ve been an emergency medic since 2005, it’s mostly instinct now! It’s better now then it used to be, but the whole covid situation is putting strain on the whole healthcare industry, I’m lucky really, I pick up/drop off, it’s the nurses, doctors, healthcare assistants, physios, porters and the rest of the hospital workers who are working 12hr shifts day in day out on covid wards as well as looking after the 1000s of non covid patients that come in and out of hospitals daily that deserve praise. I wheel my patients onto wards or A/E or an ITU and every time, I see the nurses and doctors working like Trojan’s non stop and I thank my lucky stars I left nursing to go into the ambulance trade.

We are long past the days of blunt hooks in the pack. I have the view that now they should be sharp enough to use straight out of the packet. If they are not sharp enough, find another manufacturer that does produce good hooks. I have used various makes over the years, Partridge, Owner, Drennan/ESP/Kamasan (Kamatsu), Gardner, Solar and Gamakatsu. Back in the 1990's Partridge were my standard hook, Piggybacks, I had no problems, nor with Drennan Super Specialists, and the Super Specialist's were chemically sharpened back then. I then made A switch to mega sharp Owner FLB's, they were scary sharp, as were Gamakatsu. Shame the GP204's aren't still about! I'm currently using Kamasan B175's, Solar 101's, Gardner Muggas, and Mystic VMC's. The VMC's hold their points and are very sharp as are the other hooks I use. Of all the hooks, I will not use Korda, I found they didn't hold a point, and the Kurv's were not sharp enough. If a manufacturer's product isn't good enough I won't use them.

I agree about the sharpening on the Kamakura hooks, when I finish a trip they get taken off and thrown away.. whether I have had a fish or not as they can come back easily damaged ( bent point ) I quite like the pattern of the wide gape version.. and will try and find something similar on the Johnson Ross website as you recommend earlier in the thread.

The problem with the Kamakuras is they're only sharpened on one plane, opposite the barb, by machine. This gives them a sharp spade tip which is proper lethal but super fragile. The most fragile of the lot, but still awesome in terms of sharpness.

Fingers crossed

That's something I've never considered tbh. I've not struggled with it personally and I've used glugged baits/sharpened hooks extensively. I do know through experience that water bodies can change pH for periods of the year which is a strange one. I assume it's due to dying plant matter or some other biological event.

I normally sharpen my own and check them after each cast, if in any doubt I would then throw them away, I usually put a bit of vaselin on the sharpened points. But recently I have tried Kamakura wide gape hooks, these things are very sharp and I have had carp on them that I could have possibly missed on in sharpened hooks ( I have found these hooks can be damaged very easily ) but after reading this thread I have looked on Johnson Ross tackle website and will probably try their ready sharpened hook.. as it has got to be easier than doing it myself with vice and magnifier... must be getting old 😉

Nice one thanks for that, I do use a kids crayon normally, as I have quite a supply of those😂, that works pretty well tbh I do sometimes forget to put it on though that's when I've noticed the rust, I think I might wait for the chod hammers tbh, trig hammers were pretty sharp out the pack if they are for silty bottoms i might just keep those coated then I don't have to worry as long as they are sharp, I did have a thought about the rusting though, most hookbaits are designed to locally change pH with the flavours etc to boost attraction. Most people boost the stinky winky out of hookbaits too, do you think this might make them rust quicker as surely the acids are leaking from the hookbait and adding to the corrosion?

Been there, done that, went back to it, tried to make the relationship work, and failed. Liz actually used to enjoy fishing together, us and the children. Come to that I know my son was conceived in a bivvy... She just couldn't understand fishing was important for me to unwind.

i thought about it but my existing Adobe for me and him is about 8 years old so it could do with replacing anyway.

Are his ultra Sharp brand chod hooks good? I did look at the jprecision ones last night aswell Also I read they are coated, are they coated after sharpening so they don't corrode? Coated would be an advantage as I am planning on chucking them into silt and that doesn't seem to favour sharpened hooks

I treated myself to a Vallorbe No4 it was the nice wooden. Handle I needed that sold it, much more classy 😁

One of my ex used to turn up at the water to check I was fishing we would argue after a few months of it and a major argument I went over a friends not far from where we lived he asked me to tell my cousin to stop parking behind his car every Thursday just so happens that was my fishing day needless to say I caught them she’s gone an I’m a Christmas card better off 😂😂😂

Steady on dude fishing will always be there it is the same for all young families, angling can get in the way a bit. i'm sort of lucky with my lady and fishing as it was her that got me back into it after we first met i used to do a bit of fish spotting when walking along the canal together.

Been doing it for years. There are occasions where I'll use an unsharpened hook for specific reasons but they are few and far between. Last couple of year I've been buying them pre-sharpened from Jason Haywood. I got so bored of doing it myself for 10 years + I decided I'd rather spend double to get them done for me by someone whose skills I trust.

I use the files and finishing files sold by Nash, they’ve lasted a few years, I need to get a vice really, holding the hook with a pair of forceps in the bivvy is a bit fiddly! Sharpening takes practice, I ruined a few hook points before getting the hang of it.

I’m sorry to hear that highy mate, I’m lucky, my wife now insists I go fishing, she knows that it’s my therapy. I hope you can get it all sorted pal. Best of luck.

I'm not sure if it's a good time to mention it Highy but fish deal have 20% off all sonik stuff today 😂 I am quite tempted by the AXS brolly at £106.90 but I think that may also get me in the doghouse 😭

My jag file has starting wearing out now, are the vallorbe ones better ?

I think it depends what you are fishing over tbh, I've had some sharpened hooks come in burred over and rusty overnight, I find using a crayon and gently heating the hook with a lighter and melting a little coating of wax helps But It is quite easy to ruin a hook by sharpening it though, and I am currently leaning towards finding sharp hooks out the packet, be that hand sharpened by someone else or just naturally pretty sharp, so all they need is a touch up 👍

What files are people using? I use Gardner muggas straight out the pack, maybe I should be sharpening them before I use them 🤷‍♂️ I’ve also got the Gardner hook stone to touch them up after they’ve been used 👍 to be fair I’m not that confident with sharpening and not really sure if I’m making the hook sharper or not 🤷‍♂️😂 I normally change hooks or make new rigs 👍

Always sharpen every hook and have done for around 10 years. I’m fussy/paranoid/obsessive about it and would find it difficult to cast out an unsharpened hook. I’d be lost without my Vallorbe jewellers file!

That’s a bit dark ain’t it. Crazy. @Highy I thought your post was a bit of a wind up at first. Sorry to hear what’s going on, hope you can get it sorted 👍

It’s hard sometimes to find a balance and highly I understand your passion I’m the same fishing is allways on my mind my partner understands this and FairPlay to her puts up with me cooking bait making liquids etc like you highly it’s all I do I don’t gamble etc I don’t even go out to pubs for a pint but we have both had bad lives with other partners so we work together we don’t even argue as we both don’t like it (weird)no one is perfect highly if it’s worth saving find a compromise life is too short highly

Can you get me a ticket?!!!

I’ve got a good one I have she tells me to go fishing as I’m frying her brain lol I’m hard work to live with lol I know this is true

The original improvement, hair made from braid

I get 3-10 or 11 then 8-4. I did ask if I can have an early before my 2 days off, so partly my own fault, but it's a wrench, although it feels like I get 3 days off as my next shift is a late. In hospitality and catering those shifts are regular!

I would normally but, I can either buy them sharpened or sharpen them myself for the same money, I still touch them up a bit and make sure they are ok before they go out but they are usually OK tbh

Depends on the type of water I wouldn’t be wasting my time on a runs water

How old is your son? When I take my boy, (he’s 11) I use my own oval brolly and he goes in his own wychwood overnighter shelter. I chuck them up side by side and fish like that. We’ve used these arrangements since he was 8/9yrs old and he loves it. shame he sleeps through his runs at night, but hey, I suppose a delkim EV on full volume is pretty quiet... not! yes, I’m “that guy” with a screaming alarm on full volume...

If it isn't going to be used that often, this might not be too bad for you, you could make an offer and probably get it quite cheap, I haven't got one of these myself though but I have a cyprinus bunker and it's been great so far, https://www.cyprinus.co.uk/collections/tactical-mongoose-bivvy/products/cyprinus-mongoose-tactical-2-man-bivvy-overwrap-bundle

My wife once twisted all the eyes off a pair of century canon carp rods, snapped a pair of Neville alarms off the bank stick and slashed at the spools of my bait runners cutting all the line to shreds, then tipped the contents of the tackle box into the bin...

For real?