Anglers who fish small flies, size 16 and under, must pay particular attention. Smaller hooks tend to be fished on lighter tippets and not being as strong as their larger counterparts have a tendency to break off or straighten during the hook set. It is therefore imperative that the hook be sharp so that penetration can occur with the least possible resistance. Dry fly hooks, which use lighter wire than a nymph hook in order that they be easier to float are particularly prone to this problem. Removing the barb can be a big help here.
Barbs provide unwanted resistance to hook penetration.
Flattening the barb to the hook will assure that your tippet strength is not wasted on the act of burying the barb, but rather hooking and playing the fish. I look for chemically or lazer sharpened hooks for all my tying and fishing needs. Hook manufacturers have made great strides in this area over the past ten years, but I still see many dull hooks with huge barbs in fly bins to this day. If you are a tyer, Tiemco hooks are a good choice as are Dai-Riki, Gamagatsu and Partridge. Mustad hooks, on the other hand, should have their barbs crimped and be sharpened before use.