Small sized hooks with over sized eyes?

[rayner]

Your fishing should expect to improve no end fishing more sensible lines. I know you will probably be unable to land the bigger fish with scaled-down tackle, you just have to make a considered opinion of what you are trying to achieve. Fish for big or fish for small. If fish are snapping heavy lines then I just don't encounter such so I just don't know.
It is impossible to fish for fish of large proportions with tiny hooks on heavy lines, a small hook on big diameter lines is not balanced. I would imagine the small hook would have a sort of cheese wire effect.
Small fish on heavy lines is without a doubt not right.
Fishing is more for me than winching fish I prefer to get a little sport from the fish. The tackle you speak of is something I just can not fathom.

 

[108831]

If it is snaggy/weedy you have no choice other than to fish elsewhere,as I said,you can hook and hold on 5/6lb line,but you have to be up for it and pile it on straght away,that said,its not going to work for 20+ carp,but up to mid doubles yes...

 

[davebhoy]

Try the Preston PR38 or the Drennan silverfish hair-riggers (I think) both small hooks with big eyes for hair rigging

I’ve got some of the Drennans I can try and fish out for you, although I’ve got a feeling g they’re somewhere deep in the eves of the loft conversion now

 

[RMNDIL]

I don't think you've read all of the thread. The chap is using 0.35mm 15lb line. So a Silverfish Hair Rigger is of absolutely no use at all. An 18 is only in 0.36mm wire to start with. So, depending upon how you tie the knot 3x0.11 or 2x0.16 is about all he'd get through it.

 

[GT56]

As my usual go to hook length line is 0.08 or 0.09 to an 18 hook, I'm certainly not really best placed to offer much to this debate.
However, rightly or wrongly and I'm now questioning this myself, I've always thought a fish pulls around a third of it's body weight in water. So if you have an idea of the size of fish your aiming or hoping to catch you can work out tackle, line and hook strength accordingly. Clearly this is probably a very rough guide and you have to consider a reduction in line strength for knots and as already said I'd avoid swims with excessive weed and snags.

 

[mikench]

Limit yourself to the " big carp" for a while using 1 size 6,8 or 10 hook on say a Ronnie or blowback rig and see how you fare. I use 6lb line max except when I'm after large carp tench or barbel when it's 10 or 12. I start on the float with an 18 to 3Lb hook length and seek roach and Rudd. If a carp comes along to low double figures, it can still be landed with patience and finesse. I'm taking weed free waters. The term big is relative. Find out just how big the carp are you are likely to catch. A size 18 is hopelessly inadequate for a 20 lb plus carp in weedy water.

 

[davebhoy]

I don't think you've read all of the thread. The chap is using 0.35mm 15lb line. So a Silverfish Hair Rigger is of absolutely no use at all. An 18 is only in 0.36mm wire to start with. So, depending upon how you tie the knot 3x0.11 or 2x0.16 is about all he'd get through it.

Sure, the Prestons will probably be too small as well.

Maybe fly fishing hooks with oversized eyes might work?

 

[sam vimes]

You can't realistically target the smaller fish and try to use gear capable of extracting the biggest fish in the lake. Make a choice, target the big stuff with appropriate gear or fish for the smaller stuff with appropriate gear and accept the fact that you will probably lose the occasional really big fish. Trying to marry normal coarse fishing rods, 16/18 hooks and 14lb lines is a recipe for disaster if you actually manage to do it.

The only way to do this sensibly is to choose what you want to catch and fish with tackle that's appropriate. You can pretty much discount the extremes unless you aim to catch them with more extreme gear. This has always been, and always will be, the angler's dilemma. If it wasn't the case, we'd all be using heavy carp/catfish/pike gear for the worst/best* (*delete as appropriate) possible scenario.