3366 hook

[cruzfly89 0]

I have been tying on these hooks for years, and i can not figure out why they are so cheap compared to other mustad hooks. They always perform well and ive never had any problem with them. Does anyone know why they are so much cheaper?

[eastern fly 0]

Thats a good question. I use them also and they are a cheaper hook. I have been looking a hook that will compare to the TMC 8089 that would be as cheap as the 3366.

 

Kevin

[tidewaterfly 0]

I'm only speculating, but I expect it's because they were never intentionally marketed by Mustad as a fly hook. It's not a forged hook, so it's a bit cheaper to make too. It's one of those things like Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails, someone started using them for tying, although it seems no one really knows who and they became popular, particularly for warmwater flies. I would bet that somewhere they've been mentioned in a magazine article too, perhaps like by someone such as C. Boyd Pfeiffer, the master of cheap tying (and lure making too)! He wrote a lot about how to do things with less, so could be because of something he wrote. Perhaps it was "Tap" Tapply, who's tips were printed in Field & Stream for many, many years. He was another master at doing things with less. Again, don't know for certain, just speculating.

 

Most of the fly hook market is targeted towards trout flies, at least that portion not sold for saltwater, so I guess many who tie trout flies would opt for better hooks, or "fly" hooks so may not be likely to use the 3366. Perhaps because of traditions, or perhaps stubbornness, I don't know which. Some suppliers now sell them as fly hooks, but it may be that there use is limited to a specific group of users, warmwater tiers like us so increasing the price, would likely just result in those folks going to a better hook, but not necessarily a Mustad hook.

 

For me, I tied on them for a long time. Still have a bunch of them, but don't tie on them much now. I've gradually gone to better hooks, but still tie a lot on hooks that are not sold as fly hooks. However, I now pay more for some hooks that I use because my budget it a bit better now too.

 

You're right though, for the price you pay for 3366's, they're still a fine hook for tying.

[cruzfly89 0]

i use size 10 and 12 for some of my steelhead flies and they hold up fine. i wish our local shop would carry those smaller sizes because for the price i havent found a thing wrong with them.

[tidewaterfly 0]

I know what you mean, and I believe a 3399 & 3399A, were both sold as fly hooks, and are basically the same hook, except have turned down eyes, yet the price is often higher.

 

I have some worm hooks too, 33637's that are the same hook as a 3366, except they have a couple of barbs on the shank for holding bait or plastics. They're identical in size, but are also higher priced. On some of those worm hooks the finish is black, like on a salmon hook, but I can't see that it would significantly increase the price. I've got some in bronze too, yet still higher priced than the 3366's.

 

BTW, if anyone needs hooks, let me know what you need. Since I'm not using these much, I would be willing to part with some of them if I have what you need.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

I'm only speculating, but I expect it's because they were never intentionally marketed by Mustad as a fly hook...

 

I think you're right. I still see them in the baithook section at sporting goods stores and have bought them on occasion when I just needed a few hooks while waiting for my box of 100 to come in or wanted to try a different size.

 

Kirk

[whatfly 0]

Not sure why some folks always assume that price must be the result of a conspiracy to bilk fly tiers. A just as feasible competing hypothesis would be because the 3366 hook is widely popular, more of them are produced, and therefore Mustad can sell them cheaper. In other words, the fly tier benefits from the fact that the hook is used by the conventional tackle crowd. Price is determined by supply and demand.

[cruzfly89 0]

i just think for the price of the hundred packs it is one heck of a deal and i wish more of the fly shops would carry them around here at least . its a strong and fairly sharp hook from my experience.

[tidewaterfly 0]

Price is determined by supply and demand.

 

Exactly right, and fly hooks are a relatively small demand item compared to other types of hooks, so the price for a "fly" hook is usually higher.

 

No conspiracy, just the fact that the 3366 was never marketed by Mustad as a "fly" specific hook could still have kept the price down. Popularity usually increases the demand, and as such, the price. As I said previously, they made several similar Sproat style "fly" hooks, and they were all generally higher priced than the 3366.

[JSzymczyk 0]

Not sure why some folks always assume that price must be the result of a conspiracy to bilk fly tiers. A just as feasible competing hypothesis would be because the 3366 hook is widely popular, more of them are produced, and therefore Mustad can sell them cheaper.

 

Except for whenever I see them in a FLY SHOP they are way more expensive than in a "regular" tackle shop.

 

Here's a quick example:

 

FeatherCraft fly fishing, $4.95 per 50

http://www.feather-craft.com/wecs.php?store=feacraft&action=display&target=TA309

 

Jann's Netcraft, $4.45 per HUNDRED

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/sproat-hooks/810305.aspx

 

More than twice as expensive, so it's not an ASSumption of a conspiracy. It is quite often true that prices of stuff marketed specifically to the fly market are stupidly overpriced.

[Piker20 0]

HERE HERE. And then add the premium on for stuff sold here in UK. Examples across the range, Rods SAGE 697-4 TCX 6 9' 6" $815.00/£513

UK price £709 or $1124!!!

 

Vices. Anvil Apex $149.95/ 95 GBP in UK £140 0r $222!!

 

Its a total swiss.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Except for whenever I see them in a FLY SHOP they are way more expensive than in a "regular" tackle shop.

 

Here's a quick example:

 

FeatherCraft fly fishing, $4.95 per 50

http://www.feather-craft.com/wecs.php?store=feacraft&action=display&target=TA309

 

Jann's Netcraft, $4.45 per HUNDRED

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/sproat-hooks/810305.aspx

 

More than twice as expensive, so it's not an ASSumption of a conspiracy. It is quite often true that prices of stuff marketed specifically to the fly market are stupidly overpriced.

 

Craft Fur and Sheet Foam are two other examples. Don't have any links but I can get a full sheet or patch of either of the two for a buck or so and a piece about a third the size in a flyshop will be a few bucks. Plastic doll eyes too, probably almost any craft store item re-packaged to fly tiers is many times more costly.

That's why it pays to shop around unless money is no object.

 

Kirk

 

Kirk

[whatfly 0]

Except for whenever I see them in a FLY SHOP they are way more expensive than in a "regular" tackle shop.

You are confusing asking price for actual price. Just because one shop sells it for one price does not mean that is prevailing price. Obviously there are tons of places you can get the hook cheaper, so Feather Craft's price is the exception...and may even be a typo because most of the other shops that appear on the first page of a google search have it for around the same price.

 

If it helps to assume that it is all an evil "marketing" conspiracy, so be it. Just saying it might be simple economics. Fly fishers are just too small a market to take much advantage of economies of scale.

 

Nice hook by the way. Might have to get a few boxes to play with.

[vcsu22 0]

I love the 3366, size 6 & 4 are great "fence rider" sizes for topwater bugs, they will get you either panfish or bass. I use them for a lot of the flies I tie, clousers, deer hair poppers, big nymphs. For the price I don't think there's a better warmwater fly hook