Have you ever noticed someone with a fishing hook symbol on their hat and wondered what it meant? There are several reasons people might place a fishing hook on their hat.
If you’ve ever noticed anyone doing this and thought it was strange or wondered if there was a reason, you’re in the right place. This article will explain the answer to the common question, why do guys put fishing hooks on their hats?
Often, people will wear a fishing hook on hats for practical reasons such as storing their hooks while fishing, to bring themselves good luck, to accessorize, or to support the “Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs” anti-drug campaign.
This trend started as a practical way for anglers to store their fishing gear and has transformed into a movement or even a statement about drug use.
Standard Fishing Hook On Hat Meaning
What does a fishing hook on a hat mean? We’ll cover a few primary reasons. These reasons range from the practical to the fashionable, and some even have a charitable purpose.
Practical Usage By Anglers
Anglers started this trend out of a need to access their fish hooks while fishing efficiently.
Having your hook secured to your hat means that you don’t have to dig through your tackle box if you lose a hook and need to add a new one to your pole. Grabbing the fish hook off your hat is much quicker and easier than digging for a new one.
This is especially useful for fly fishers, who need to wade into the water and are away from their gear. Rather than getting out of the water every time they need to change their lure or replace their hook, they already have one on their hat.
Essentially, this trend is a huge time saver for anglers who want easy access to their hooks and lures and don’t want to spend time digging around for new ones while fishing, especially if they are fly fishing and are out fishing in the water away from their gear.
Good Luck
In certain cultures, such as Hawaiian and Polynesian, a fish hook is called a Makau. Wearing a Makau on hats is meant to bring you and your family abundance and good luck while fishing.
Many anglers follow certain superstitions while fishing for good luck and a fishing hook for your hat is common in some cultures. These people think if they wear a fishing hook on their hat, they will catch more fish.
It’s hard to say if that is true, but it can’t hurt, right?
Trendy Accessory
Like many things, this practical thing has become a trend that others have followed. Likely, people started seeing others around town wearing fishing hooks on their hats and decided it looked cool, so they started doing it themselves.
You can spot the people who might be doing this as a trend rather than for practical use if they pin a fishing hook on baseball caps or other non-fishing attire.
Rather than an actual, functional fishing hook, you may see some people wearing a fishing hook hat pin on their hat. This is undoubtedly a trend rather than a practical use of a fishing hook.
Anti-Drug Campaign
The “Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs” (HOFNOD) campaign encouraged people to wear a fishing hook hat pin to show solidarity with their movement to stop drug abuse.
The Hooked on Fishing Not on Drugs program is a youth education program that teaches angling skills to at-risk youth. This program is meant to impress upon young people the benefits of learning to be anglers and catch their own food as both a hobby and a food resource. There are trained professionals in over 30 states who help kids learn to be anglers.
If you’ve seen their logo around and wondered about the fishing hook hat clip meaning, it is a sign of support for this excellent program aimed to help young people learn a new activity.
The idea is that if they learn to love this hobby, they will have a network to support them and something to keep them busy and away from poor influences.
How to Put Fish Hook on Hat
If you’ve seen people wearing a fishing hook on hat brims or their fishing caps and you want to try it, it’s a pretty simple thing to do. Simply string the hook through the fabric or mesh on your hat and ensure that the sharp part is not poking into your head.
You should also be careful that the hook is not facing outwards in a way that might poke someone else or injure you if you reach up to touch your hat.
You can also consider using a fishing hook hat pin rather than a functional fishing hook if you’re simply doing this as a fashion trend or to support the “Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs” campaign.
Pros and Cons
Like anything else, there are pros and cons to participating in this trend.
Pros:
- Useful for anglers who need quick access to their fishing hooks
- Can give people good luck in some cultures
- It is an excellent way to support the anti-drug campaign “Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs”
Cons:
- It has become a popular trend for people who are not using it practically
- People may hook themselves with the hook while wearing it on their hat
FAQ
Why do people wear fishing hooks on hats?
Anglers use fishing hooks on their hats for practical reasons or to bring themselves good luck while fishing; others use this to accessorize or support the “Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs” campaign.
How to add a fishing hook to your hat
Thread the hook through the fabric or mesh of your cap to keep it secure. Take care to ensure the sharp part of the hook is well located away from your skin while attached to the hat.
Happy Fishing & Tight Lines