Hoping for some hook insight

T

trouthunting

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Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
110
I don't know any experienced fly tiers, so I get all my info from books and info sessions hosted locally. All the books simply tell me "buy hooks with a down-turned or up-turned eye."

What is the difference? What does a straight, down-turned or up-turned hook eye do in the water?
 
Depends on the fly...I use straight eye hooks for Clouser minnows. Down turned eyes for Dry flies and Up turned eyes for Caddis pupae and some nymphs...It all depends on the situation.
 
Here's what I've found. Either turned down or straight eye work equally well, and I use either for flies down to size 18. Anything size 20 or smaller, I try to use straight eyed hooks if possible because TD eyes in smaller sizes may interfere with hooking by lessening the bite of the hook.

I give a thumbs down to turned up eyes since it seems to me that with the eye bent up it would tend to pull the line in the wrong direction, pulling the point up instead of down into the fishes mouth when you set the hook. TU eyed hooks are pretty hard to find, probably because of blockheads like me that believe such things. HTH. Good luck.
 
trouthunting, afishinado and i agree and i think its time we modernenize fly fishing and bring it into the light of day by starting a revolution of sorts, here's what i mean. 1. Tippet and leaders are based on the old draw it through a mandrel 3,4,5,6,7, times ergo the x number following the tippet/leader. We need to list them in pounds and drop the dam x. 2. We need to pretend the old river runs through it movie wasnt made and drop its poser attitude and call things what they are as in ; q. "what are you throwing" a; " a little brown thing about a number 10" that would clear things up quite a bit. Duns,spiners,almost duns but still alive confuse the issue. We need a whole lot of drowned number 10 brown things with green bodys in our fly patterns and I realy dont think the fish care if the eye is up or down. If they do see hooks as we see them, catching a fish would be a once in a lifetime event and we wouldnt have this wonderful forum to while away the hours, now would we ?This is just my humble opinion of course, and my feeble attempt at humor. Fish on!!
 
brookieaddict wrote:
Tippet and leaders are based on the old draw it through a mandrel 3,4,5,6,7, times ergo the x number following the tippet/leader. We need to list them in pounds and drop the dam x

This is true but every spool of tippet I have ever bought has the poundage on it and the diameter. I noticed this when I was given son frog hair tippet which in the same diameter and ?x claimed greater strength on the spools. I usually never paid much attention before.
 
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