cicle hooks in fly tying???

[icepop66 0]

hi everyone, first post on the site, just wondering if anyone ties flys on cicle hooks, bought some small one s from my local tackle shop and they looked perfect for tying buzzers which i use on my local trout water. just wondered if anyone else has used them at all and can give me some tips in fishing with them. cheers andy.

[Voodoo 0]

those look great, i use circle hooks om my intruders but i have not used them for nymphs. I think they should work great for caddis, scuds, chromies, blood worms, and obviously EGGS.

[icepop66 0]

those look great, i use circle hooks om my intruders but i have not used them for nymphs. I think they should work great for caddis, scuds, chromies, blood worms, and obviously EGGS.

sorry should have really added some scale!!! i fish these in the surface film on a light flurocarbon leader(3lb) on a dead slow retrieve, just keeping in touch really. love to see the line tighten.... no need to strike!

[bluegill576 0]

i use them for some bass flies and saltwater flies.

[flytire 0]

i dont use them but i guess theyre ok

[Peterjay 0]

About the only caveat with circles is to make sure the hook size matches your quarry. Too small, and the fly may not catch the corner of the fishes' mouth. I've been using circles in saltwater for 14 years, and I love them. I've never had a solidly hooked fish come loose, no matter how much slack there is in the line. Just be sure to pinch the barbs down. If you hook yourself, they can be a bear to get out. Plus, there's absolutely no need for barbs on a circle.

[tidewaterfly 0]

This just came up on another site. I like circles for some bait fishing, and have also used them for bass & saltwater flies, but not enough to really say I've had a lot of success with them. Mixed success actually. They're fine if the fish takes the fly & turns, but those that don't are difficult to get hooked. I fish in relatively shallow water most of the time, many times seeing the take, so often tend to strike too soon. This causes the hook to be pulled out of their mouth, unlike J hooks that usually bite into something, even if barely. One thing I really like about circles, is that when everything goes right, it's always been a solid hookup, right in the corner of the mouth. You won't lose many fish with circles because they're barely hooked.

 

I've read a lot of opinions about circles used for bait fishing, and they vary widely. From what I've read & used, most folks prefer inline circles, rather than those that may be offset. I prefer the inline, and those with straight eyes. I'm not sure it makes a difference with bait, but I feel it certainly does when tying flies on them. With bait, the consensus is that offset hooks may unintentionally gut hook a fish if swallowed, and it would likely be the case with flies. Of course, I also prefer straight eyed hooks for most of my tying, particularly on larger size flies, and mainly because I'll often use a loop knot, but I do use some hooks with up or down turned eyes as well.

 

I've never found a real need for barbs on any hook, except the ones that may be on the shank to hold bait. No barbs on J hooks either for tying flies!

[deeky 0]

Just for clarification, are we straying into a different style of hook than in the original post? The original post photo seems to basically be a scud hook with a good bend to it. But based on conversation, I think a lot of us are thinking the true circle hooks in which the point is turned a full 90 degrees to the line of the shank.

 

 

Does that extra turn right at the point make all the difference? Or is it the general round shape of the shank that will do the trick?

 

Deeky

[tidewaterfly 0]

I think a lot of us are thinking the true circle hooks in which the point is turned a full 90 degrees to the line of the shank.

 

That was my thought, and since he said the hooks he purchased came from a tackle shop, I was assuming (yep, you know what that means! ) they were true circle hooks, except in small sizes, and he had removed the barb's, something many of us do anyway. However, I took a better look at his flies, and they don't appear to be true circle hooks. However, they could have been labelled & sold as "circle hooks"!

 

I believe that how a true circle hook works is due to both it's round shape & that the point is aimed at the shank @ 90 degrees. The intent of true circles is to help prevent gut hooked fish, and needless damage to the fish when removing the hook, primarily when using bait. The round shape will come out of a fishes mouth or gut easily, and the point cannot grab much where it's aimed, except when it's positioned in the corner of the mouth. Slide a circle along your hand, it won't stick you, but place your finger inside that gap & it certainly will. If the point is in any other position, except at an angle beyond the 90 degrees it could likely stick you when you slide it along your hand, and within a fishes mouth or gut. The idea behind circle hooks is simple & it works, but is not always the best choice for flies.

 

Deeky, great point, it does appear that what is being called circle hooks in this thread by the OP & most of the rest of us are two different things.

 

Still, an excellent thread for thought don't you think!

 

Using both true circle hooks, or other non-fly hooks is nothing new, I do it all the time, but certainly is something to consider, particularly with the price of some fly hooks, and not all fly hooks currently available fill all tiers needs! Circle hooks also should allow a higher survival rate for catch & release when tying flies, as they've been proven to do with bait.

[deeky 0]

I do agree it is good conversation and an option that we should all be aware of. I just didn't want people getting confused about the two different styles of hooks.

 

Circle hooks can also be a good option for fishing with young kids. If they don't set the hook right away, you can avoid the gut hooked fish. And most young kids (like my 5-year old) don't have a great hook-set. Just let them start reeling and it is well suited to set the circle hook.

 

Deeky