Fishing is often viewed as a barbaric sport with the selfish angler causing untold damage to the fish using unnecessarily brutal methods of landing and dehooking.

Some of these fishing methods are so harmful to the fish that once they have been released back into the water, their injuries are so bad that they either die of shock caused by oxygen deficit and lactic acid build-up from the stress of being caught or their protective mucous coating is breached allowing pathogens and bacteria to enter the fishes body, again with fatal consequences.

Fish conservation methods and a general change in attitude to the well-being of fish stocks has led to the growth of ‘catch and release’ fishing where the fish is caught, weighed and usually photographed in the angler’s hands, then released back into the water.

There are specific ways to handle fish to ensure their welfare from specialist mats to land the fish on and remove the hook before safely releasing them back into the water, the use of barbless hooks, landing nets and specialist dehooking tools that remove the hook quickly and easily with the minimum of stress and damage to the fish. Most commercial coarse fisheries have banned the use of barbed hooks

Mouth-hooking of fish is the ideal aim, as the hook can be removed swiftly and painlessly, but sometimes the fish can swallow the hook and care must be taken to remove the hook without causing internal damage to the fish.

A properly designed fish dehooker is an essential tool in the angler’s armoury and as new laws are passed worldwide relating to fish dehooking, so the use of these tools will become more common.

There has been a glut recently of ‘in water’ dehooking devices that seem to work very efficiently, but on closer inspection can reveal just how much damage they can cause to a fish. Most operate by ripping the hook out of the fish, which means ripping the internal organs, the gills or the lips of the fish during the removal process. If you have ever ‘hooked’ yourself well (as I have a few times) you will know that the only safe way to remove a barbed fish hook from yourself is to push the barb through until it protrudes from the skin, cut off the barb with a pair of pliers or wire snips and then pulling it out the way it entered your skin. If you don’t think ripping a barbed hook is cruel, try it on your own hand – you may have a change of mind. The only safe, harmless way to remove any hook, barbed or barbless is to take off the line tension, and gently push back the hook until it releases from the hooking point. If a fish is ‘deep hooked’ ie the hook has been swallowed and taken internally the only humane method is to cut the line. The fish’s digestive juices will eventually dissolve the hook!

At Hook and Fly we have developed a fast, fish-safe solution to dehooking problems, that is a foolproof method of removing the hook from your catch quickly and easily.
Many of the devices on the market are either too difficult to handle, often being very small, pencil like devices that require a good deal of practice to use efficiently or at the other extreme plier-like devices that clamp on the hook to facilitate its removal.

Other devices include some horrendous steel rods with bent ends to facilitate the ripping out of hooks from fishes mouths.

The DeeHooker ™ is simplicity itself to use, just locate the line in the guides, slide down to the hook and push gently; the device removes and safely stores the hook in the shaft of the DeeHooker for quick and safe removal.

Because it is made from a polyeurathene-based material. it is rust free, and will not corrode in salt water use. The ergonomic design means that it is easy to handle and manoeuvre and it sits well in the angler’s hand, its unique non-slip construction making dehooking a quick and easy task. And because it floats, if you do drop it in the water, odds are that you can retrieve it very quickly.

Why Catch and Release?

Rivers and lakes worldwide are governed by agencies who have been charged with the management of the fish stocks. These agencies spend huge resources studying fish population trends, and from these studies they determine the limits that can be imposed on the number and type and size of fish that can be retained. Fishing seasons are also regulated and determined from these studies, with changes implemented when fish stocks fluctuate.

Many fish populations have shown such a rapid decline that many species are in danger of extinction, with the main causes being water pollution and overfishing.
Oceans are particularly bad with some scientists predicting that by the middle of this century there will be a collapse of saltwater fish and seafood species.

However the rules don’t cover every type of fish in every habitat, with the decision to catch and release (or cook for dinner!) being left up to the angler.

Catch and release can be an environmentally sound decision, but this is only feasible if the catch and release method leaves the fish unharmed. Many of the devices on the market are positively damaging to the fish with horrendous damage to the fish and often the death of the released fish.

The Deehooker ™ has been rigorously tested by scores of anglers and when correctly deployed causes little or no damage or distress to the fish and is the perfect accessory for the angler who cares about the environment. It is so easy to use, is super effective and without doubt the best general purpose fish dehooker on the market. The current model is suitable for non-predatory fish from a pound in weight up to about 40 pounds.

The Deehooker ™ Predator model, made from high grade aircraft aluminium is in prototype stage and should be on the market next year and designed to cope with the toothiest of catches – game fish excluded of course!

Do yourself – and your catch – a favour. Get your DeeHooker ™ today!