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fshrmanms

HOOKS FLOP ARRRRG!

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If you had a plastic box with 24 partitions with 25 to 150 hooks in each compartment and you dropped it on the floor how long would it take you to pick up and sort the hooks. what is your best technique for sorting? I used a magnet to pick em up but doesn't seem to be a fast technique for sorting.

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i would start with three groups (l/m/s), and from there into smaller lots with identifiable features (thick wire/eye up/down).

 

i have used this technique in the past to sort bins of nuts, cap screws, and doweling pins. different, sizes, lengths and measurement (imp/metric)

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Good luck however way you sort them

 

That's why I put hook in individual containers

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I dropped TWO similar boxes, with at over 5,000 hooks in each of them. Picking them up with a magnet was easy. I STILL haven't really sorted ALL of them, and it was 1999 when I dropped them. I have them in general groups, and just use them as I use them. While making my preliminary sort, I counted them, and there were over 13,000 hooks.

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wind in window knocked over 3 of my boxes with drawers in them, had to redo over 5,000 hooks also. took all afternoon to do it.

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Been there. It's amazing how fast they can get mixed up, isn't it? I don't have any sorting tips, but a piece of sheet magnet in the bottom of each compartment will help keep things together next time.

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I don't keep mine loose either. They're in the packs they came in grouped together in Plano bins for dry's, then wet's, streamers, or nymphs (mostly Mustad ). All other packs and brands are grouped together in cubby holes on my tying bench. I keep vintage ones in a seperate air tight container with Drierite in the bottom that turns from blue to lavendar when it's spent.

 

Regards,

Mark

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I quite regularly drop one or two hooks as I'm tying. I have a very small earth magnet glued to the end of a 1/4" dia wood dowel for rounding up the hooks.

artimus001 has a good method for sorting the mess out. I am a natural klutz, so I don't keep my hooks in the type of container that this could happen to. I keep my hooks in small plastic zip-loc's tucked in the pockets of baseball card collector's sheets in a 3-ring binder. I find I can put 2-300 hooks in one zip-loc. No chance of spilling all at once.

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I keep each size and model of hooks in a small zip lock bag. That bag is labeled as to hook model and size. Each bag is also labeled with colored tape for hook use. Red are dry fly hooks, Black are nymphs, Green are streamer, etc.

 

I put the smaller bags into a larger zip lock bag that is labeled with colored tape and as to hook model and type of hook such as 2XL & 1XH. If I want, I can also label the larger bag as to what the hooks are used for such as Dry Fly, Nymphs, etc in addition to the tape.

 

Then those larger bags go into a quart sized slider type freezer bag that holds all my hooks.

 

I have NEVER had hooks get mixed up using this method and the hooks take up the smallest possible space in my portable tying case.

 

Loose bags are quickly identified by the colored tape and go into the larger bag with same colored tape on it.

 

Those plastic hook boxes look great and are organized, but more important for me is the least possible volume and foolproof method.

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I normally put all kind og feather and stuff on my hooks, and then go out and buy some more hooks... never had more than a couple of thousands of hooks, not enough to start sorting them in specials ways... honesty, I hardly sort anything, but I kind of remember in which drawer I put stuff, and the just empty the drawer if I need something.

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I normally put all kind og feather and stuff on my hooks, and then go out and buy some more hooks... never had more than a couple of thousands of hooks, not enough to start sorting them in specials ways... honesty, I hardly sort anything, but I kind of remember in which drawer I put stuff, and the just empty the drawer if I need something.

Even with 1000 hooks, I think you guys are over stocked. I understand if you're professional ... teacher, seller or guide and you need to tie hundreds of flies a week.

I may have over 100 hooks, but I highly doubt if I have more than 200. Tying just for my own fishing is SO much more convenient, it seems, than what most of you are doing.

I'll say it again ... I might be the only one on this site that actually DOES save money by tying my own flies.

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That what they make kids for. Pay 'em 5 bucks to sort all the hooks out.

 

And you will get a $5 sort unless the hooks are dissimilar.

 

I spilled a full hook box with 21 compartments once 25 to 100 hooks in each compartment.

Several of the hooks were similar dry fly hooks of the same size. It took three or four hours

to sort them all out again. Using a magnifying glass was necessary on those similar/same

size hooks.

 

Luckily the room floor was wood and not deep pile carpet.

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I normally put all kind og feather and stuff on my hooks, and then go out and buy some more hooks... never had more than a couple of thousands of hooks, not enough to start sorting them in specials ways... honesty, I hardly sort anything, but I kind of remember in which drawer I put stuff, and the just empty the drawer if I need something.

Even with 1000 hooks, I think you guys are over stocked. I understand if you're professional ... teacher, seller or guide and you need to tie hundreds of flies a week.

I may have over 100 hooks, but I highly doubt if I have more than 200. Tying just for my own fishing is SO much more convenient, it seems, than what most of you are doing.

I'll say it again ... I might be the only one on this site that actually DOES save money by tying my own flies.

 

When you buy 100 count boxes, to save money, it only takes 10 boxes. Yeah, I've accumulated a couple thousand hooks, but I keep them in their original packages until I need them.

 

I've had to sort a few, from time to time, but never that many. I just spread them out on a light colored flat surface and start grouping them by size and shape. It's a bit time consuming and tedious, but do-able.

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