Darn them hooks are sharp...

[vicrider 0]

Now for newcomers to the game this might seem like a stupid statement but wait... If you've been around the game for many years of fishing you will remember when sticking yourself lightly with a hook never did any damage. Now I'm constantly stabbing myself and bringing blood, especially from tying articulated flies. You just can't wipe down the fur or feathers safely on flies anymore. Now this is great for fishing but for clumsy people like myself maybe not so much so.

Those who've been in the game for years can remember when a planned trip, especially for out of town fish you only get to a few times a year, meant several hours of sharpening every hook you were taking with. By the time we left on the trip the back of our thumbnails would just be a series of grooves since that was the way we judged a hook ready to go. Slide on the nail and it was back to the hone. Drag a groove in nail and it was ready. Kind of like so many things the young'uns will never know about is dull hooks from the box and hook hones and files in the vest.

Really bad were the heavy plated hooks on musky lures and chrome plated for hardness. You have to file the plating off and create a wedge on the hooks since the way they came from the box you couldn't even draw blood on yourself with them.

 

[SilverCreek 0]

Modern hooks are acid (chemically) sharpened.

https://creektocoast.com.au/what-are-chemically-sharpened-hooks/

https://www.asksaltwaterfishing.com/mechanical-vs-chemically-sharpened-hooks.html

[WWKimba 0]

I was told a long time ago - when you stick your finger - test your blood sugar!

Of course, I'm sweet so i guess that's why I was told.

Kim

[vicrider 0]

Silver Creek, along that same line is many companies recommend not sharpening their hooks. The majority of hooks today will let you know sharp they are if you do the thumbnail drag with them but after banging off rocks fishing the bottom in the streams I still sharpen some that get banged up and they sharpen fine.

Kim, if I ever take the step from borderline to full diabetic I'll have to keep the litmus strips by the tying desk.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

For anyone using larger hooks... the best sharpener I’ve ever had for hooks is a 4” mill bastard file.  Not something that’s ever on my skiff, this is strictly a shop tool since we’re in salt or brackish waters.  On the water I use a ceramic sharpener for touching  up hookpoints a bit.

I like the files enough that I buy them by the box, Nicholson, six to the box.  In use, the file is mounted in one of their sturdy solid plastic handles.

[Bimini15 0]

I bleed just by looking at the Trokkar hook points in catalogs. They look mean.

[Philly 0]

Of course, there might come a time when your hand slips and you end up with the hook embedded in your finger.  Been there and done that.  One of the reasons I stopped using Mustad hooks is that they were never sharp right out of the box when I first starting tying about 30 years ago.  I'm sure they've improved over the years since then.  I only use one Mustad hook to tie flies on and that's the 3777BR.  I use that mainly for my floating woolly buggers, though it should also work well for a keel fly.  I use mainly Tiemco, Eagle Claw, Gamakatsu. some Trokar, Owner and VMC.