Salmon hooks?

[Undertow 0]

Quick question,

 

Whats with up turned eye salmon hooks? Why are they like that, any pro's to having the up turn to them? I'm curious because I just ordered a bunch to tie up some steelhead flies and figured it would drive me crazy if I didn't know why there like this as I tie on them!

 

Thanks

Undertow

[flytire 0]

from the interweb

 

I wouldn't worry too much, though, whether a fly hook has a straight eye, down eye or upturned eye. One benefit of an up turned eye, on a salmon hook in particular, is that it facilitates the tying of the popular Turle knot, which helps the fly lie straight in line with the leader.

[Undertow 0]

Thanks

 

Undertow

[JSzymczyk 0]

from the interweb

 

I wouldn't worry too much, though, whether a fly hook has a straight eye, down eye or upturned eye. One benefit of an up turned eye, on a salmon hook in particular, is that it facilitates the tying of the popular Turle knot, which helps the fly lie straight in line with the leader.

 

:hyst:

 

and if you hold a TDE upside down and tie the same knot, does it lie straight in line with the leader?

 

I don't think anyone has ever presented a convincing argument for TDE, TUE, Straight, half-down, etc eye angles on FLY hooks. 99.99% of it is just tradition, and that is OK with me.

[bad fish rising 0]

you also can use a riffle hitch on an upturned eye hook if you leave some space at the front of the hook

[whatfly 0]

and if you hold a TDE upside down and tie the same knot, does it lie straight in line with the leader?

Perhaps but what would be the point? If you've never swung steelhead flies with a riffle hitch, Turle knot, or whatever on an up eye, then I can understand the skepticism, but there is a significant difference in the behavior of the fly when swinging. We are not talking about hooking ability, just presentation. With regards to hooking ability, I would tend to agree that there is not much difference.

[bad fish rising 0]

straight eye ,short shank, round bend, wide gap hooks seem to hold big fish the best for me