Mustad Hook Ref. Numbers???????

[fly_flinger]

Does anyone have a chart or schedule which describes the various Mustad hooks by their reference #? Or is there some other way of knowing what all the reference #'s mean?


And if nothing else, can someone tell me the ref #'s for #14,16,18 1X heavy 1X short nymph hooks?

Thanks.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

This should get you what you need....

http://www.mustad.no/catalog/index.php

I think what you are looking for is a Mustad 3908, or a Daiichi 1530. Don't think they make the 3908 anymore.......

 

[Maurice]

FF,

to expand on Heritage's answer, the page you want is this
Mustad fly hook page

To take a stab your question....

Hook numbers: 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 and so on.... represent the distance between the hook point and the shank or GAP. As the number gets higher, the gap gets smaller.

With each hook size (gap size) comes a standard shank length. Generally it is about twice the gap distance. (not sure about htat one)

X numbers: a 1XL #16 will have the shank length of a #14 hook. One size longer. 4XL 4 sizes longer or the length of a standard #8 hook. XS works the opposite way.

Then you have all the up eye, down eye, straight eye, sprout, heavy wire, thin wire, limerick, egg/caddis curved, Streamer, etc.

I generally use the 3906B for my nymphs and the 94840 for drys. For steelhead flies (egg patterns) I like the Diiachi egg hooks. I forget the number. They have a heavy wire that won't straighten out on big fish.

Look for 100 packs of Mustads in flyshops on sale for under ten bucks, when I see them I buy a bunch of packs. The thing I like about the Mustads are the color. I hate shiny silver, gold or those funny colored hooks.

HTH,

Maurice

 

[fly_flinger]

Thanks guys. I too found the pages listed but was looking for more. It probably doesn't exist but I was looking for a side by side comparision chart showing the difference between hooks. Guess I might have to make my own.

Thanks again!

 

[afishinado]

Like this?


http://www.killroys.com/hooks/hookchrt.htm


http://www.killroys.com/hooks/hookmust.htm

 

[fly_flinger]

Yes. Thanks afish!

 

[shakey]

ok then ,help me out here if you can.i can't tell any difference between a 3906 and a 3399 on those charts.there is a difference ,isn't there?

the reason i ask is i just ebayed 300 3399's and if they are the same as 3906's,i've got a lot of redundant hooks.could take weeks to use 'em up

 

[afishinado]

Same hook according to the chart.

3399 Dry Fly / Nymph: straight shank – standard weight – turned down eye – sproat bend

3906 Wet Fly / Nymph: straight shank – standard weight – turned down eye – sproat bend


Shakey wrote: "i've got a lot of redundant hooks.could take weeks to use 'em up"

You use up your hook supply in weeks?! Do you tie commericially, or do you just get snagged a lot?

 

[afishinado]

“The thing I like about the Mustads are the color. I hate shiny silver, gold or those funny colored hooks.

HTH,

Maurice”


Now YOU’RE over-thinking things (like I usually do). The dark (black) colored mustads are probably more visible to the fish (dark vs. a light background). TMCs, for example, are a light brown / bronze color. Most fisherman look down at their light colored hook, leader, and fly line and see that it’s more visible against the bottom as a background – but the fish look up from the bottom into the light. On your next fishing trip, wade out and lie down in the water on the bottom, looking up like a fish, and you’ll see what I mean. (Take plenty of towels and a change of clothes when you do that though.)

I also I’ve read, but don’t believe that shiny objects are less visible because they reflect and take on the colors of the background. I have to check that one out. But I don’t believe that true from a practical standpoint. A shiny round or faceted moving object will flash in the water and not act as a mirror, IMO. I try to stay away from real shiny hook finishes, but I would amagine that at times, fish might be attracted to the flash as they are with beadhead and shiny materials on a fly.

Even if that were true about the color of Mustads being less visible, I don’t use them anymore for reasons I have posted before:

Brittle – break when snagged on the bottom, when pinching down the barb, or trying to bend them for certain patterns

Rust – rust in my fly box all the time

Sharpness – not near as sharp as other hooks

Barb – larger barb than TMC (better hook penetration and easier to pinch down with a smaller barb)

Rejects – many more unusable hooks than other brands in a pack

Dark color – more visible to fish


Mustads are cheaper, but when I factored in the rejects, and the broken and rusted hooks - I really wasn’t saving much money. My hook of choice is TMC, although there are other good hooks out there too.

Mustads are my Weinbrenners!





BTW Mo, what does “HTH” mean?

 

[shakey]

afishanado,the amount of hooks i use in a week was meant to be a fun exageration,hence the smiley face.

we do use a lot however as there are two tyers in the house.i give a lot of flies away.

as far as commercial tying there is a west philly gift shop that is going to start carrying my flies.i doubt many will sell but it is just for fun.

BTW,i have gotten more deffective tmc hooks than mustad.

 

[Maurice]

afishinado wrote:
“The thing I like about the Mustads are the color. I hate shiny silver, gold or those funny colored hooks.

HTH,

Maurice”


Now YOU’RE over-thinking things (like I usually do). The dark (black) colored mustads are probably more visible to the fish (dark vs. a light background). TMCs, for example, are a light brown / bronze color. Most fisherman look down at their light colored hook, leader, and fly line and see that it’s more visible against the bottom as a background – but the fish look up from the bottom into the light. On your next fishing trip, wade out and lie down in the water on the bottom, looking up like a fish, and you’ll see what I mean. (Take plenty of towels and a change of clothes when you do that though.)

I also I’ve read, but don’t believe that shiny objects are less visible because they reflect and take on the colors of the background. I have to check that one out. But I don’t believe that true from a practical standpoint. A shiny round or faceted moving object will flash in the water and not act as a mirror, IMO. I try to stay away from real shiny hook finishes, but I would amagine that at times, fish might be attracted to the flash as they are with beadhead and shiny materials on a fly.

Even if that were true about the color of Mustads being less visible, I don’t use them anymore for reasons I have posted before:

Brittle – break when snagged on the bottom, when pinching down the barb, or trying to bend them for certain patterns

Rust – rust in my fly box all the time

Sharpness – not near as sharp as other hooks

Barb – larger barb than TMC (better hook penetration and easier to pinch down with a smaller barb)

Rejects – many more unusable hooks than other brands in a pack

Dark color – more visible to fish


Mustads are cheaper, but when I factored in the rejects, and the broken and rusted hooks - I really wasn’t saving much money. My hook of choice is TMC, although there are other good hooks out there too.

Mustads are my Weinbrenners!





BTW Mo, what does “HTH” mean?

HTH means Hope this helps.

Boy, talk about overthinking things...regarding color, I was not referring to dry flies as color is the third factor of refusal to finicky trout. Size and silhouette are more important. And from beolw the bend and point (the exposed hook protion) are part of the silhouette. So IMO color is neglegible on dries if the first two factors of refusal are passed.

I was referring to subsurface, and it is only a preference on my part. I'd rather all my flies not be beadheads. or bead butts per se.

I can see your point on the dark vs light thinky but Again, I think its negligible.

I don't see the rejects you do...maybe 1 in a 100 pack. And they don't break like you describe for me anyway.

I will give you the sharpness thing. I find I do lose some fish on LDR's (long distance release) but who cares, its the take and hook up that count most IMHO. Ain't like I'm gonna grill them.

For them to be your weinebrenners....they would have to be the most expensive hook out there...which they are not. They are in the catagory of, "you get what you pay for"

Yeah, they rust, which is a good thing. For the fish anyway, with deep hooked flies that are cut off, lost on the bottom, they go away faster than any other. Consider them the "green" hook company. If you keep your hook boxes dry and move your hooks from the drying patch or box they last pretty long. I have mustads in my box that are 18-20 years old and not rusty. I also have some in my streamer waller that are less than a year old and rusted because of the lambs wool that holds them. Its a management issue.

Thats how I see it....with one crooked eye.

 

[afishinado]

Shakey wrote:

“BTW,i have gotten more deffective tmc hooks than mustad.”

Mo wrote:

“I don't see the rejects you do...maybe 1 in a 100 pack. And they don't break like you describe for me anyway.”

I have no reason to doubt what you guys say about Mustads. I can’t remember the last time I bought a pack. They may have improved their QC, tempering processes, and materials. I do have some old ones lurking in some of my hook box compartments, but I only use them when all the other similar size and style hooks are used up. Mustad now sells “Signature” hooks, which are better quality but more expensive. I’m happy with TMC.



Mo wrote:

“Yeah, they rust, which is a good thing. For the fish anyway, with deep hooked flies that are cut off, lost on the bottom, they go away faster than any other. Consider them the "green" hook company.”

That never occurred to me……….good point – go green! Maybe you should contact Mustad’s marketing department about that idea: Go green…..buy Mustad…..guaranteed to rust away before all other hooks!

HTH

 

[fly_flinger]

Not to rain on the green parade but doesn't metal need to be exposed to oxygen to rust? If they are underwater, I don't think they will rust.

Anyway, I'm a new tyer as of this year and haven't had the experiences you guys have had. I definitely have had hooks rust or break but since I didn't tie them, not sure the manufacturer. I actually tie with whatever hook since I don't yet have a favorite. I think I have about 6 different manufacturers hooks that I tie on. Hey look at that guy on the Umpqua that files his points off. Like Mo said, since most of us are C&R, who really cares if you actaully land the fish. I will say that while in Montana this summer, I had a hook break off in a big cutty due to rust and I didn't realize it until I missed about 4 other fish. I went to sharpen the hook only to find it wasn't there.

 

[tomgamber]

Not to be a smart @$$ but that's what the O in H2O stands for.

I've had hooks rust but only if I put them away wet. If I let them dry on the patch first then put them away I don't have that problem.

 

[MKern]

Tom is right, kinda. It's not the oxygen that binds with hydrogen to create water that oxydizes metals underwater, is is already busy being bond to hydrogen. However, it is the dissolved oxygen that does; the same oxygen that trout and everything that lives underwater breathes. The disolves oxygen has the availability to bind with metal molecules.

 

[sandfly]

I used to all mustad, but the cost is going up and its hard to buy them in 1,000's now..I get Saber for the shop and myself cause I can buy 1'000 lots again, yea I need about 10'000 just to tie for the shop..Cheaper too, than mustad, or any of the hook manufacturers............