Question about hooks

[fliesaway 0]

hmm....received a present from my brother who decided to contribute to my newest addiction with a bit of a grab bag...he neither ties nor flyfishes...looks like he walked into his local fly shop and randomly picked up a few items..

 

he's included a couple packages of TMC hooks (yeah!)...but they're 101s instead of 100s...ie, they have flat eyes, rather than down eyes. I don't fish, I just tie...and I've been using 100s, mostly bc they seem the most popular. Can I use the flat eye hooks? Do I need to be tying different flies with those, than I have been with the down eyes?

 

Thanks for any assistance.

 

Laurie

[DHise 0]

He did well. Those are great hooks and can be used for the same applications. Can even use them for some cool mayfly emerger patterns or midge larvae and pupae patterns (in the smaller sizes).

[DancesWithHeadCement 0]

In the smallest sizes, #20 and below, I prefer the straight eye to anything else as it doesn't obscure the small amount of purchase the hook has (the gape) ... I use the 101 for most of the little stuff, midges and the like - as mentioned by the response above.

[McManus 0]

Years ago I bought Hooks for the Fly, by William E. Schmidt. While it might be the hook manufacturers enemy, it's a terrific book.

 

It provides you with a list of characteristics for each hook by manufacturer, and a cross reference of hooks, so that even the novice can tell if he needs to go buy a hook to tie a pattern, or if her already owns a similar hook by a different manufacturer.

[Philly 0]

The 101's are my dry fly hook of choice. IMHO down eye hooks are throwbacks to the days when flies were snelled to a leader. Anything you can tie on a DE hook can be tied on a straight eye hook. As already mentioned when you get down into the size 20-28 range they're the hook of choice.

[deeky 0]

I've asked around a couple of different sites about the difference between up, down, and straight eyes. There has been little enough certainty between down and straight eyes that I'm not sure it makes much of a difference.

 

Up eyes are primarily used because of the hitch occasionally used to skate them.

 

Down eye gives a little better leverage to keep the hook from rocking out of the fish's mouth, but as was already said, also reduces the width of the hook gape.

 

Beyond any of that, it really seems to only be a matter of tradition.

 

So tie away on those straight eyes. But if you want me to dispose of them for you, let me know.

 

Deeky