I believe this subject has been done to death in the Angling media.I watched a video on you tube by Adam Penning,a guy who I find good at explaining his ideas,now this video was about his gear,in amongst it he explained the importance he gave to sharpening hooks,he has a Jag hook sharpening kit,he explained,showing you how how went about it,with before and after photos,because I worked in engineering the mechanics side of it was more than simple to understand,what was off was the fact that after a take,the hook point basically buckled nine times out of ten,requiring a new hook after every fish,your views please?
It is very hard to buy a hook today that is blunt ,(remember goldstrikes?!)
Everytime I open a packet of hooks today I marvel at the quality and how sharp they pretty much all are.
Whilst I will touch up a point with a quick stroke from a fine stone I believe that more hooks are ruined by this industrial sharpening than are ever improved.
Let me put it this way, if the point sticks in my nail it is sharp. End of.
Wholesale removal of the metal around the hook point can lead to the following problems:
1. Oxidation when left for any length of time in water. This actually makes the hook more blunt than before you sharpened it!
2. Greater risk of the point turning over when on the bottom either when sucked in by a fish or when sucked and blown around by fish or due to movement caused by current.
3. Greater damage to a fishes mouth when hooked. A long very thin point can cut the mouth tissue. I once used a Nash Fang hook which had a ridiculously long thin point. The first fish I caught on it had its mouth badly torn by the hook. Never again!
4. A bigger chance of losing a fish when playing it. Ritchie Macdonald refused to use a chemically sharpened hook because he believed it could cut its way out of the fish. I think he was right!
I don't doubt that you may possibly prick one or two extra fish but equally this will be offset by the points I have outlined above.