Your Choice of Hooks and why?

[GaryF]

So I've been watching all the TPO Vids for tying and I have never seen any mustad hooks being used. What are you fav hooks and why? Also, whats the theory behind the hot spots?

[Lonewolve]

Gary,
I have a lot of Mustad hooks use to tie for four shops locally and they never complained adn i was constantly always refilling orders for flies i tied using them .I always sharpened the hook point though before i brought them to the shops. But since Mustad bought Partridge and then went and changed their hook system i have as hooks runout replaced said hooks with Daiichi hooks only Tiemco ill use now is the venerated 2499 SPBL and 2488. Aaron Jasper turned me onto the Tiemco 2499 and i haven't looked back. Daiichi for my money is what i tie on beside old stock of Mustad and those two models of Tiemco hooks. when i buy Daiichi hooks they are dangerously sharp right out of the box i have yet to find bad eyes or bad hooks,Mustad quality in past was reason alot have gone to Daiichi or Tiemco.
My one buddy loved Mustad too till he bought a new box of 3906b and the box clearly said product of china on it ,that was last time i ever bought a Mustad product,ill use my old stock up and refill with Daiichi and those two models of tiemco.
I lost taste with Tiemco in 1996 bought 2 boxes of 100 count each of their Tiemco 105 egg hook and had isssue with broken hooks on Lake Run Brown Trout and Steelhead.Said i would never give Tiemco another shot,well i tried the other tow models and i love em for what the patterns i use them for but thats it.
Just my 2 cents ..but after ya spend yer money on rods reels lineswaderssunglasses gadgets and tying equipment i said it once ill say it again buy the best you can afford buy the best hook and you wont have to worry about that hook failing you,same applies to your gear also take care of it money doesny grow on trees and sure as hell doesn't go far these days . Make it count!
Tight Wraps & Tight Lines
Rick Wallace

[Esopus Guy]

The long and short is hook gap. Bigger the better. Whiler I have no problem with any hooks on the markett for the most part I can say that the smaller the gap the more fish I loose. Specially big one's with jaws.

Hot spots get you noticed.

[wwelz]

I would like to add my thoughts to the hook gap issue. I tie my small flies ( nymphs and dries) with the shortest shank and widest gap available. For example I tie my Trico dries on a size 20 2488 . I also use the 2499bl for nymphs. I have never understood the rationale for tying small dries on this hook.TMC 100


I like this hook for small dries and nymphs . The ratio of hook shank length to gap gives the best hooking and holding ability. TMC 2488

[Esopus Guy]

Tying Trcos on the "scud" hooks is tops. I've found that you can tie the pattern as short as you like on larger hooks. I use 20's but can dress them short for smaller bugs down to 24 or so.

[wwelz]

I should have included this in my earlier post. This is my favorite Trico Nymph/ Emerger tied on a TMC 2488

[Esopus Guy]

Are you wrapping the CDC or dubbing on some of the fibers? If it worked well out west for you I think it might be a good one for the Cats "Tails". Thoughts..........

[SherpaB]

I totally agree with the wide gap on a small hook. I find when I am using a fly tied on a standard gap hook in 20 or smaller I prick alot of fish but get less than solid hookups frequently. I compensate by using a straight eye hook like the tiemco 101 or similar or I go to something like the curved wide gap hooks mentioned previously. I used to buy a very wide gap short shanked hook by Varivas but haven't seen them or really looked for them recently...they were outstanding. When I go really little is usually a wide gap curved short shank hook but 18 down to 22 I can get away pretty adequately with the TMC 101 (or similar by other companies).
For the czech nymph stuff I do love the knapeks or skalka but wow...$$$..I guess they are worth it. I fiddled around with some of the mustad signature hooks for that too and they are pretty decent(sharp and strong) but not easy to find. Hope that mustad gets their act together because those super sharps are good.
Was in Blue quill Angler today and a gent was purchasing a box of 100 #32's , god bless him...I cut it off at 24 for the most part...

[wwelz]

I use the Magic Tool by Petitjean to form CDC hackle. There are other ways to accomplish the same effect ( split thread technique). The hard part is not putting on to much CDC and sizing the hackle. I only put on one and a half wraps of CDC. The Magic Tool is a little pricey between 35 and 40 bucks but I use it a lot.The funny thing is the technique as I understand it was developed for dry flies but many guides I know out west say privately that their best small nymphs are all made with CDC. The theory is that CDC traps small air bubbles ( maybe so maybe not) . I use CDC on all my small nymphs ,emergers and drowned spinners.

[Esopus Guy]

Cool. I'll play with it..