Hook choice

[David 82nd 0]

With all the experienced tyers here im sure there are a wide range of personal preferences when it comes to hooks ,

i have learned a lot when it comes to Hooks, but the most important thing is to not be cheap ,learned the hard way after tying multiple flys for a few days on river only to be disappointed by weak hooks,  from bending to breaking in vice ,to just pissing me off . The price may be great,or the forum your on features companies that offer great deal,  The online videos showing beautiful flies being tied on this hook or that, but i know what i like and what works for me , about 6months ago i thought they went out of Business i wasnt able to find them panic set in and i figured oh well  but later i found out they are sold exclusively from a particular shop .... i guess he bought the rights or whatever but they are the only shop that i see Partridge hooks anymore   And i think compared to the current new hooks that keep coming out they are still a good hook .  Anybody else have a favorite hook they love ? 

 

[WWKimba 0]

I'm old, fashioned that is!  When I read tying books when I started cooking you saw one name almost all the time - Mustad!  And these are still what I tie most of my flies on.

Kim

[mikechell 0]

Walmart ... Eagle Claw ... $4.00 or less per 50 for Aberdeen hooks in sizes 8 and 6.  Other than that, I buy hooks when I see them in a clearance rack.  

Unlike you, David, I've never lost a fish to a straightened hook.  I have had one or two break, but that's rare, and it's not only the cheap hooks.

I'm cheap ... I admit it.

[Poopdeck 0]

Nope, sure don’t. I have no brand loyalties towards anything and I don’t have favorite hooks for specific patterns either. when I go to the fly shop for hooks I buy what I like for the best (cheapest) price. I think most of my hooks are mustad. I’ve never had a problem with hooks breaking to the point where I could blame it on bad hooks. 

[upnorthtier 0]

Yes I do have my preferences. I bought a fly shops house brand once that I wont name. I paid 80$ per 1000, I thought that was a great deal so I ordered 5000 hooks. Tied a bunch of dries and went fishing, I did 3 to 4 cast and had hits but no hook ups, decided to check the fly and realised the hook was broke, tied on a new fly and casted out and hooked a decent rainbow ,  30 seconds later the fish came off, I checked the fly again broke. When I got home I looked at the hooks carefully and noticed 2 to 3 hooks per 100 where deformed, put a few hooks in the vice and try to bend them and they would break instead of bending. I sold the hooks for half of what I paid for, it was not a deal. I've been reluctant buying house brands since. My favorite hooks  in order are  tiemco, partridge, maruto (made in the same house as tiemco), mustad and daiichi. I was sent some sample hooks called kona an they look decent, ill order some up eventually.

[niveker 0]

I do have brand preferences: the cheap brands.  But I only tie for myself and friends/family, so I go for price.  I've had good luck with the Green Caddis Outfitters hooks, also Saber hooks.  Both are reasonably priced, and I have never had a bad hook from those brands that I remember.  I have Mustads and Tiemcos that I've picked up in lots at yard sales and/or auctions.  I don't see a difference in quality.  I see a different in characteristic (wire gauge, shorter shanks, longer shanks, wider or narrower gape, etc.) within a size and style, but since the only standard in hooks is that there is no standard, that's pretty much expected.  I do prefer a black hook, but I don't think the fish care.  Now, with that said, I can appreciate the style of some more expensive hooks like Partridge or some older, vintage hooks, but until my tying level and time available for tying reaches the point of tying flies for show and/or sale, I'll stick with the cheapos, they serve my purpose.   

[David 82nd 0]

2 hours ago, upnorthtier said:

Yes I do have my preferences. I bought a fly shops house brand once that I wont name. I paid 80$ per 1000, I thought that was a great deal so I ordered 5000 hooks. Tied a bunch of dries and went fishing, I did 3 to 4 cast and had hits but no hook ups, decided to check the fly and realised the hook was broke, tied on a new fly and casted out and hooked a decent rainbow ,  30 seconds later the fish came off, I checked the fly again broke. When I got home I looked at the hooks carefully and noticed 2 to 3 hooks per 100 where deformed, put a few hooks in the vice and try to bend them and they would break instead of bending. I sold the hooks for half of what I paid for, it was not a deal. I've been reluctant buying house brands since. My favorite hooks  in order are  tiemco, partridge, maruto (made in the same house as tiemco), mustad and daiichi. I was sent some sample hooks called kona an they look decent, ill order some up eventually.

Exactly,this is pretty close to my experience, i enjoy tying “ klinkhammers” partridge has  in my opinion the hook for this fly , im sure i can get same type hooks elsewhere but i use partridge 

[SilverCreek 0]

14 hours ago, niveker said:

I do have brand preferences: the cheap brands.  But I only tie for myself and friends/family, so I go for price.  I've had good luck with the Green Caddis Outfitters hooks, also Saber hooks.  Both are reasonably priced, and I have never had a bad hook from those brands that I remember.  I have Mustads and Tiemcos that I've picked up in lots at yard sales and/or auctions.  I don't see a difference in quality.  I see a different in characteristic (wire gauge, shorter shanks, longer shanks, wider or narrower gape, etc.) within a size and style, but since the only standard in hooks is that there is no standard, that's pretty much expected.  I do prefer a black hook, but I don't think the fish care.  Now, with that said, I can appreciate the style of some more expensive hooks like Partridge or some older, vintage hooks, but until my tying level and time available for tying reaches the point of tying flies for show and/or sale, I'll stick with the cheapos, they serve my purpose.   

I have also had good luck with Saber Hooks from The Fly Shop.

[mikemac1 0]

So Now You Are Hooked!

[flytire 0]

mustad for dry, nymphs, emergers, streamers etc

Gamakatsu for atlantic salmon and steelhead flies

[David 82nd 0]

Like “ norm says , dont go cheap on tools or materials ......... 👍🏻

[flytire 0]

[RickZieger 0]

I use the hooks from  Wholesale fly company.

Seem to be like Dai-Riki.

Rick 

[upnorthtier 0]

you guys should check out troutbum.ca for hooks. He has really good price and shipping is cheap. The maruto (made in the same house as tiemco) hooks are probably the best he's got, pretty much all I use now. He also has the best beads in my opinion, no burrs on them, nothing worst finishing a fly and have the thread break on a burr.

[Philly 0]

I used Mustad initially, 30 years ago when I started.  The problem I had with them was that they weren't stick in the fingernail sharp. I'm sure they've gotten better since then.  I'm not loyal to any articular brand.  I've used Gamakatsu, Daiichi, Varivas, Eagle Claw, Partridge, Tiemco, VMC and more recently Ahrex.  The only Mustad hook I use is the 3777BR, and the only Daiichi, I use is the 2461.   For trout flies, mainly Partridge and Tiemco.  The Eagle Claw Aberdeen hook I use for poppers, wooly buggers, some crayfish patterns and streamers.  I don't buy large batches of hooks I pick them in fly shops, Walmart for a couple, online though I use Barlow's or Jann's Netcraft for a lot of bass bug hooks.