Fishing Hooks Explained

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

Choosing fishing hooks comes down to five decisions: the pattern (shape), how the hook attaches to the line (eyed or spade end), the point and barb, the wire thickness and the size. Match those to your bait and your target fish, check the venue rules, and the choice narrows fast.

It needs doing in that order, because the hook wall in a tackle shop is rows of near-identical packets, and pattern names change from one brand to the next.

This page covers the types of fishing hooks and how to pick between them. Sizing has its own page: see fishing hook sizes explained. For the rest of the end tackle, browse our tackle explainers.

The Parts of a Fishing Hook

Learn six words and every hook description on a packet starts to make sense.

Part	What it does in practice
Eye (or spade)	Where the line attaches. A ring on eyed hooks, a flattened tab on spade ends.
Shank	The straight length between the eye and the bend. Its length changes how the bait sits.
Bend	The curve. Its shape gives most patterns their name.
Gape	The gap between the point and the shank. It sets the room for the bait and for the point to find a hold.
Point	The sharp end that makes first contact with the fish.
Barb	The small backward spike behind the point that resists the hook slipping out. Barbless hooks leave it off.

Gape is more than a tackle-shop term. The Environment Agency’s Midlands byelaws measure it across the opening between the point and the shank, and some regional rules cap it in millimetres (see the barbless section below).

Some packets also mention offset. A kerbed hook has its point bent to one side, a reversed hook bends to the other, and a straight hook sits flat.

A wider gape or a longer shank changes how the hook sits with the bait and how it turns in the fish’s mouth. That is the main thing separating the patterns further down.

Eyed vs Spade End Hooks (and Hooks to Nylon)

Why do match anglers reach for spade ends while carp anglers rarely touch them? The knot.

Spade end hooks have no eye. The end of the shank is flattened into a small tab, and the line is whipped round the shank so the tab stops it pulling off. The result is neat and low profile, which suits single maggots and casters on light hooklengths. The catch is the spade end knot, which is fiddly until you have tied plenty.

Eyed hooks have a loop for the line. Eyes come ringed, tapered or looped, and the eye angle can be straight, up-turned or down-turned. They are quick to tie and the natural choice for the knotless knot and the hair rig. The trade-off is a bulkier knot, which looks clumsy next to a tiny bait.

Hooks to nylon are pre-tied hooks on a short hooklength with a loop at the end. They save time on the bank, but you get less say over the hooklength strength and the pattern. Check the breaking strain on the packet against your main line.

Type	Best for	Knot	Watch out for
Spade end	Maggot, caster, fine presentation	Spade end knot	Fiddly to tie at first
Eyed	Hair rigs, bigger baits, quick changes	Knotless knot, palomar, grinner	Bulkier knot on tiny baits
Hooks to nylon	Beginners, fast hook changes	Loop to loop	Fixed hooklength strength and pattern

On Windermere I tie my own hooklengths for feeder and float fishing for bream, because it lets me match the strength to the conditions rather than to whatever came in the packet.

Starting out on a canal or a commercial? Begin with hooks to nylon, then tie your own once you know which patterns you like. Our knots and rigs guides cover each knot step by step.

Types of Fishing Hooks: The Main Patterns and What They Suit

Pattern names vary between makers, so learn the shape and the job it does. These are the main types of fishing hooks on a UK tackle shop wall.

Wide gape. The extra room between point and shank fits bulky or hair-rigged baits, which is why the pattern is common in carp fishing. On a single maggot and a fine hooklength it looks oversized.

Round bend. A general coarse pattern for maggot, caster and worm. If you buy one pattern for mixed coarse fishing, start here.

Curve shank. The shank has a pronounced curve. It is a popular carp pattern on hair rigs.

Long shank. The extra length makes unhooking easier and suits some baits. It is less common now.

Circle. The point turns in towards the shank, so the hook tends to catch in the corner of the mouth rather than deeper down. It is used in sea fishing and some predator fishing.

Doubles and trebles. Two or three points on one shank, found on lures and pike deadbait rigs. Our pike rigs guide covers the full set-up.

Carp hooks in brief

Most carp hooks are wide gape or curve shank eyed patterns fished on the hair rig, usually in the larger sizes. A strong wire and a sharp point matter more than the name on the packet. For sizes, use the hook sizes page rather than a one-size chart.

When I am lure fishing or deadbaiting for pike and perch on Windermere, I prefer hooks that come out cleanly and quickly. Fast unhooking matters more to me than squeezing out a little extra hook-hold.

Multi-hook rigs carry a rule worth knowing: in the Thames byelaw area you must not use more than 3 separate hooks on the same rod and line.

Pattern	Best for	Skip if
Wide gape	Hair-rigged and bulky baits	Single maggot on a fine line
Round bend	Maggot, caster, worm	Big hair-rigged baits
Curve shank	Carp on the hair rig	Small-fish match fishing
Long shank	Easy unhooking, some baits	You want a compact presentation
Circle	Sea and some predator fishing	Fast-striking float fishing
Doubles and trebles	Lures, pike deadbaits	Anywhere a single hook will do

Hook Points and Sharpness: Why a Blunt Hook Costs You Fish

One snag or a few casts over gravel can dull a hook straight from the packet, and you will not see the damage by eye.

Points are either ground or chemically sharpened, and they come in several forms, including needle, beaked, spear, rolled-in and knife edge. Three are worth knowing:

Needle point: tapers evenly to a fine tip. Penetrates easily, but the fine tip can turn over on hard mouths or stones.
Beaked point: the tip curves in towards the shank, which helps it hold once it has gone in.
Rolled-in point: the point is angled in line with the eye, so it follows the direction of pull on the strike.

To check sharpness, draw the point lightly across your thumbnail at a shallow angle. A sharp point catches and digs in. A blunt one skids across the surface. It is a common bank-side check, not a measured standard.

Change or touch up the hook after a snag, after fishing over stones, or after a long fight. A new hook costs pennies. A fish lost to a turned point costs a lot more.

If in doubt, change the hook.

Wire Gauge: Fine Wire vs Strong Wire Hooks

The same size and pattern often comes in two versions, and the difference is the wire.

Fine wire is lighter and damages delicate baits less, so it suits single maggots and casters for small fish on light hooklengths. Under heavy pressure, though, it can open out.

Thicker or forged wire is stronger, which suits carp, tench and barbel or a snaggy swim. It is heavier, can sink a buoyant bait, and is harder to push through a small bait without bursting it.

Balance the hook and hooklength. A heavy hook on a very light line gains you nothing, because the line will part long before the hook gives. See terminal tackle explained for how the whole end rig fits together.

Barbed, Barbless and Micro-Barbed Hooks: What the Rules Actually Say

Plenty of anglers assume barbless hooks are the law. England’s national rod fishing byelaws say nothing of the kind.

A barbed hook has a full barb behind the point. A micro-barbed hook has a much smaller one that is easier to remove. A barbless hook has none. Barbless hooks are widely held to make unhooking quicker and kinder, but they can come free on a slack line, so keep steady pressure.

Now the law. These are Environment Agency byelaws for England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.

The national freshwater rod fishing byelaws contain no general barbless rule.
On the River Severn, Severn Estuary and tributaries, salmon and sea trout fishing is artificial fly or lure only, with barbless or de-barbed single hooks of no more than 13mm gape, and double or treble fly hooks of no more than 7mm gape each (Midlands byelaws).
On the Cumbrian River Derwent, salmon and sea trout anglers must use barbless or de-barbed hooks, with 13mm gape limits (North West byelaws).
Foul hooking: on rivers, streams, drains and canals, a fish hooked anywhere other than the mouth or throat must be released immediately.

Byelaws change, so check the current wording on GOV.UK before you fish. You also need a valid rod licence.

Many fisheries and clubs add their own barbless or micro-barbed only rules, so check the club rules or the day-ticket board before you tie up. Our barbless hook rules page has more detail.

	Barbed	Micro-barbed	Barbless
Unhooking	Slowest	Easier	Easiest
Hold during the fight	Strongest	Good	Needs steady pressure
Rule status	Check the venue	Check the venue	Check the venue

How to Choose the Right Hook: A Quick Decision Path

Work from the fish and the bait to the hook, not the other way round:

Pick the quarry and the bait.
Choose the pattern that suits that bait and rig (see the patterns section above).
Choose eyed or spade end by the knot or rig you will use.
Match the size to the bait and the fish’s mouth. Our fishing hook sizes guide has the detail.
Check the venue rules for barbless or micro-barbed requirements before you buy.
Check sharpness and change any blunt hook.

Fishing for	Bait	Starting point
Small canal fish	Pinkies or squatts	Small hooks; the Canal & River Trust suggests a size 20
Carp	Hair-rigged baits	Wide gape or curve shank eyed hook
Bream on the feeder	Maggot, caster, worm	Round bend hook
Pike	Lures or deadbaits	Trebles or singles
Severn or Cumbrian Derwent salmon and sea trout	Fly or lure	Barbless single hooks, as the byelaws require

That bream row is broadly how I approach Windermere bream on the feeder. Where the hook sits relative to swivels and leads matters too, so see where swivels fit in a rig.

If you are unsure, buy one packet of a general eyed pattern for the bait you use most and learn it well before you branch out.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to use barbless hooks in England?

Not under the Environment Agency's national byelaws. Some regional byelaws do require them, such as for salmon and sea trout on the River Severn and the Cumbrian River Derwent, and many fisheries and clubs set barbless or micro-barbed only rules. Check the venue's rules before you fish.

What is the difference between a size 4 and a 4/0 hook?

A 4/0 is far larger. Whole-number sizes get smaller as the number rises, while /0 sizes get bigger as the number rises. Sizes are not standardised, so a size 4 from one maker can differ from another's. Our fishing hook sizes guide covers the full scale.

What are the best carp hooks?

The usual choice is a wide gape or curve shank eyed pattern fished on a hair rig. A strong wire and a sharp point matter more than the brand. Check whether the fishery requires barbless or micro-barbed hooks.

Can I use the same hook for everything?

No. The bait, the species and the rig all change the best pattern and size. A hook that suits a hair-rigged boilie for carp will look clumsy on a single maggot for roach.

What should I do if I foul hook a fish?

Release it immediately. On rivers, streams, drains and canals, England's national byelaws require you to release any fish hooked anywhere other than the mouth or throat. Unhook it carefully and return it as quickly as you can.