SHARPER HOOKS

Honing your hookpoints by hand can be a big advantage, but it takes skill and precision, so many anglers are turning to the experts...

ASK top carp anglers for a rig tip and plenty of them will stress the importance of a needle-sharp hook until they are blue in the face. It’s a fact shown in underwater footage that carp pick up our rigs and eject them with alarming regularity. It is at this crucial moment that a razorsharp hook’s ability to prick the flesh really does account for more fish, and you can’t get sharper than one that’s been hand-honed. Modern hooks are great, but a file and a steady hand gives you a genuine edge over other anglers.

UNSHARPENED SHARPENED A sharpened hook can mean the difference between a hooked fish and a missed opportunity Manchester’s Rig-It Tackle (rigittackle. co.uk) sell hand-sharpened hooks from £7.50 a packet, or you can send them your own favourite brand...