If you plan on releasing most of your fish, I crimp the barb and the fish come off very easily. Somewhat more of a chalenge to bring it to the net. (rubber net).

Squam has been very slow!!!

the hooks on the size 2 needlefish lures are okay but the size 3 lures have a gaff hook. you won't hurt too many with the size 2 needlefish. and trebles will hurt the action of this lure a bit. stick with it the way it is or switch to a small treble if you are using the size 3's they will still run well.

Its so hard not too put too much pressure on trout / salmon or to avoid rubbing off their protective slime, glove or not. I was so upset with my seeming inability to release a trout / salmon unharmed that I've learned to stop handling them altogether. They are so fragile compared to bass...Instead, I bought a pistol-grip type hook removal tool and I hold the fish up by the line and grab the base of the treble hook on my Mooselook or Top Gun. A flick of the wrist is usually enough to drop the fish right back in water, no handling. I do this exclusively with trout / salmon now and the fish zip away, as opposed to swimming slowly (or floating or doing the i'm-going-to-die-in-five-minutes roll). I think this is a better way to release trout/salmon unharmed than any means of handling the fish. I learned this from a guide up on Moosehead in ME. As soon as I started doing this my release of fish (unharmed) improved dramatically.

Eric