Q I have a lot of different branded hooks in my collection.

I’ve recently been building up my supply of Cox & Rawle hooks and have noticed a definite difference when it comes to the points on these hooks. Please can you explain the difference in hook points and any possible advantages? PETE DANIELS, COUNTY DURHAM

JM says: First of all, well spotted! I like your attention to detail. When we are talking about the business end of our fishing tackle it doesn’t get much more important than the point of a hook. Some may think it’s a bit overly obsessive, but I know of anglers who are so meticulous they will go through every hook in a packet, checking hook points and barbs. When it comes to the different points on a hook, you will generally find either an elongated point or more of a needle shaped point on the hook. Both hook points can be extremely sharp when first removed from the packaging but it’s how they wear once fishing which should be your main point of investigation. Longer hook points can be very brittle and needle points tend to stay sharper for much longer. First, you need to think about where you will be using your hooks. For example, hook points won’t blunt so quickly when you are fishing over cleaner ground, especially not over mud. However, if you are fishing from, over, or around rocks you can lose your hook points very quickly. I recently went fishing with two varieties of wide gape Aberdeen style hooks. At first glance these hooks looked identical, but there was a major difference when it came to the point of the hook, one with a needle point and a more elongated point. As the tide began to fall away, I was having to bounce my rig over boulders and up to the ledge from where I was fishing. I found that the elongated hook points only had to touch hard rock to become blunt, often because the hook points themselves ended up bent. I found the needle pointed hooks were far more durable when coming into contact with rock.