Jump to content
Fly Tying
Idaho RC

Small Dry Hooks

Recommended Posts

I have been having fun tying with small dry hooks. So far I am pretty pleased with the results tying Griffith's Gnat and parachute dries. I have pretty much always used Mustad hooks. I have their R50-9480 dry hooks down to size 24 but I think that is the smallest they make. Or at least 24 is the smallest I have been able to find.

 

What do you recommend as a smaller hook than the Mustad R50-94840 24 for me to try? Honestly I don't think I really need anything smaller than a 24 but it's just for fun to try.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Getting anything smaller than a 26 is near impossible anymore. I have some 28-30-32 that I got from a closeout source a few years ago but haven't been able to back them up with anything new. Good luck if you find a source and I'd love to see you post a link for it.

 

Here is a link to a tenkara site I have ordered several items from and been very happy with but haven't tried their little micro fishing hooks yet.

https://www.tenkarabum.com/basic-fly-tying.html

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It looks like the tenkara bum site sells Varivas 2300 Ultra Midge in 28 and 30. I read somewhere that they are fragile and hard to tie on but I haven't tried them. Apparently the TMC 518 has been discontinued but the TMC 508 is still available in 22, 24 and 26. I am not sure if they are smaller than the Mustad R50 24's i have. The only other one I have seen is Gamakatsu C12-BM in 26,28 and 30.

 

I probably will order some of the Gamakatsu and TMC 508s. After this I probably will conclude that the Mustad 24's is as small as I can tie on anyway!

 

Thanks for the help!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have Mustad #22 that are smaller than Mustad #24 in a different model #. iirc the Mustad #32 would fit inside the TMC #32

Size numbers in hooks are just numbers.

When you get so small the hairs and feathers pretty much dictate the size of the result. I've looked at "#22 & #24" that were essentially #20s because of the materials.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

...... What do you recommend as a smaller hook than the Mustad R50-94840 24 for me to try? Honestly I don't think I really need anything smaller than a 24 but it's just for fun to try.

Daiichi 1190 size 24 are the smallest that I tie and actually use. I have some 26’s and 28’s also but I still have the same number (bare) that I bought. The older I get the less likely I am to ever put them in service. I do have some Gamakatsu C12-BM barbless in size 30 that I refer to as my novelty hooks. I would never (read COULD never) actually fish them because they are just to small to think about holding a fish, for me anyway. I did tie a few Parachute Adams on them just to see if I could do it ….and also for conversation purposes and see, that seemed to work. The 30’s are the smallest I have been able to find and I actually just saw a few packages for sale at a vendors booth at the fly tying symposium.

CEYGN66.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

They will hook fish. All you have to do is feed out line until they swallow and pass the hook. Then feed out more line to allow the hook to snag on a stick. Then give a steady retrieve to pull the stick against the fish's vent and pull the fish to the net. The trick is to avoid hooking a stick that is too big to fit in the net.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

For another consideration about small hooks, I recently bought some Varivas 2200 hooks sized 20. I should have taken notice that they are 4x fine wire. Since the inside diameter of 'most' hook eyes is around the same as the diameter of the wire it is made of, it looks to me that an 8x tippet would be the largest that would go through that thing! The eyes on my size 28 Tiemco and 26 Mustad hooks are a good bit larger. (sorry but I don't remember the model #'s) I will measure the above eye sizes and get those model numbers if anyone is interested.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks to eide for the flyhook.org search info! Now there is no need for me to measure the wire size etc. AND I stand corrected about the eye size matching the wire diameter. It appears that the eyes are a good bit larger than the wire size on the smallish sizes. Thank you again eide!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

top hook is a mustad #22 dry and bottom one is a 18 gap with a large eye in gold, I have over a 1000 of these. last pic is of what I have left in mustad 28's

post-624-0-06793400-1542808629_thumb.jpg

post-624-0-83486700-1542808639_thumb.jpg

post-624-0-83290700-1542808651_thumb.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...