Posts: 192
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2004
Reputation:
0
Beautiful day on the river Saturday. I noticed a couple of risers on the far side of a bend in the river ahead of me. Thinking the fish are spooky this time of year after seeing light pressure all winter, I pulled a nice double haul over the bend, leaving a little of my line on the shore. Four seconds later and the fight was on, resulting in an 18" brown to hand.
I noticed a length of 8 lb test coming out of its mouth with swivel and sinker still attached. I cut the line at his mouth, removed my fly and set him free.
What will happen to the hook that he had swallowed? I have heard that they dissolve, does anyone know how long that takes?
[signature]
Posts: 9,402
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2003
Reputation:
0
[font "Poor Richard"][green][size 3]Actually they say that hooks do not dissolve but rather they rust and corrode. Over time the stomach acids will accelerate this process. Couldn't find any information as to how long this process would take. Stainless steel hook take a considerably longer time to rust and corrode. There have been a number of studies on this subject. Try looking in Google for [/size][/green][/font][font "Poor Richard"][green][size 3]additional information.[/size][/green][/font]
[signature]
Posts: 92
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2005
Reputation:
0
As Dryrod stated- most dissolve, depending on the hooks make up. Also from what I have read- some fish species will so this faster than others. I also have caught fish with the line coming out they other end. [crazy]
[signature]
Posts: 194
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2005
Reputation:
0
Hooks as thin as fly hooks usually disintergrate in 7-12 days It's actually quiet fast.
At least that's what I heard.
EA
[signature]
Posts: 23,576
Threads: 0
Joined: Dec 2001
Reputation:
0
well, lets just say, that a belly hooked fish is a dead fish no matter how you look at it unless it is a large fish.
as Dryrod stated the compisition of the hook determines the lenth of the stay in a fishes belly, Arberdeen hooks go fairly fast, "a few weeks" stainless and worst yet teflon coated hooks will stay there untill something dislodges it. "another swallowed fish"
what happens is that the hook depending on the size of the fish will block and yet do more internal damage as food passes by catching on the hook. some times a fish the right size can catch it and push it though but the hook will act like a hair ball trap.
fishing an area for long periods of time day after day I have seen the damage swallowed hooks do to fish even if you cut the line. I have actualy found fish with the line going out the back side of the fish, (the fish was dead of corse) I tend to pick up dead fish in the water to see what they died of and wonder yet why something else hadnt eaten it.
to give you an idea of how fast, the human body can desolve a copper penny in about a week. a zink penny even faster. It requires a lot of acid, this is why I said the size of the fish has a lot to do with it as well. larger fish have higher amounts of acid
there is still the third down side to a belly hooked fish and that is the infection that a hook left in the belly will also kill the fish.
on avrage a belly hooked fish will die with in a week. smaller one faster to the vary large that can pass food haveing the higher rate of survival. I have seen the smaller ones float back up with in minutes after being released
[signature]
Posts: 9,402
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2003
Reputation:
0
[font "Poor Richard"][green][size 3]I often wondered what the mortality rate of the fish that are caught in tournments. They are hauled in, thrown into a well, then into a basket, then weighed etc, etc. [/size][/green][/font]
[signature]
Posts: 788
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2003
Reputation:
0
I assume we are all talking barbed fly hooks. As I don't see this being a problme with barbless. I would say that really a barb fly hook will be out of the fish in a matter of days as the only thing that as to disinigrate it the barb
Trent
[signature]
Posts: 21
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2006
Reputation:
0
i was always told they disolve and always been told especially if u do regular fishing most people tend to try to get the hook out and do more damange to the fish by touching them and keeping them out of the water.
[signature]
]