Hook Identificaion Help

[SlingingWets]

Can anyone help identify this hook? I am 99% certain they are Daiichi but apparently the boxes fell apart at some point and I threw them in old Mustad plastic boxes. I was thinking an 1870 Swiming Nymph Hook.

Thanks!

 

[afishinado]

Can anyone help identify this hook? I am 99% certain they are Daiichi but apparently the boxes fell apart at some point and I threw them in old Mustad plastic boxes. I was thinking an 1870 Swiming Nymph Hook.

View attachment 1641242966

Thanks!

All Products | Daiichifishing 4/4

www.daiichifishing.com

 

[Bamboozle]

It COULD be a Mustad 37160-BR also known as a 37160 hook in my youth. It was referred to as an "English Bait Hook."

Mustad Fishing

mustad-fishing.com

I'm not sure if there is or was a Daiichi or TMC equivalent.

 

[nfrechet]

definitely not a daiichi

1870 Swimming Larva Hook

This Daiichi fly fishing hook has a york bend, up eye, 2X heavy wire, 3X long curved shank; Uses: swimming nymphs, larval insect patterns. 25 per pack

www.jsflyfishing.com

thats a mustad as mentioned above

 

[mt_flyfisher]

It COULD be a Mustad 37160-BR also known as a 37160 hook in my youth. It was referred to as an "English Bait Hook."

Mustad Fishing

mustad-fishing.com

I'm not sure if there is or was a Daiichi or TMC equivalent.

I think you nailed it…or rather hooked it. 😃

I’ve been using this hook to tie my infamous Worm flies.

 

[Bamboozle]

...I’ve been using this hook to tie my infamous Worm flies.

Speaking of worm flies...

Totally OT and probably funny to some folks, but just last week on a Tenkara rod, I caught the very first trout of my life on a San Juan Worm. In defense of my inadequacy, I don't really fish them that much (maybe because I have no confidence).

This solitary worm was given to me by someone at the Run in Boiling Springs many moons ago and no, it wasn't tied on a Mustad 37160-BR. 😉

 

[mt_flyfisher]

Speaking of worm flies...

Totally OT and probably funny to some folks, but just last week on a Tenkara rod, I caught the very first trout of my life on a San Juan Worm. In defense of my inadequacy, I don't really fish them that much (maybe because I have no confidence).

This solitary worm was given to me by someone at the Run in Boiling Springs many moons ago and no, it wasn't tied on a Mustad 37160-BR. 😉

So all those years you never knew what fun you were missing? 😃

That 37160 is a great hook style. I used to bend Mustad hooks in that way (back when they could be easily bent, and before I knew about 37160’s to tie my worm flies, and I caught many, many large trout on them.

You can use those 37160 Mustad hooks to tie San Juan worms, Squirmy Wormies, Wire Worms (see attached picture), and many other flies where a little “squirm” in the fly would look more alive, and might catch more fish.

 

[fritzer]

It COULD be a Mustad 37160-BR also known as a 37160 hook in my youth. It was referred to as an "English Bait Hook."

Mustad Fishing

mustad-fishing.com

I'm not sure if there is or was a Daiichi or TMC equivalent.

Bamboozle is correct. I have a box that I didn't know what to use it for but others responses have greatly enlightened me. Thanks all

 

[Bamboozle]

So all those years you never knew what fun you were missing? 😃

That 37160 is a great hook style. I used to bend Mustad hooks in that way (back when they could be easily bent, and before I knew about 37160’s to tie my worm flies, and I caught many, many large trout on them.

You can use those 37160 Mustad hooks to tie San Juan worms, Squirmy Wormies, Wire Worms (see attached picture), and many other flies where a little “squirm” in the fly would look more alive, and might catch more fish.

I stopped using them decades ago in favor of taking a 3906 or a 3906B and just putting a slight downward bend in the center of the shank. Once the fly is dressed it LOOKS curved as opposed to being bent on an angle in the center.

There days I use Daiichi 2488's for emergers and TMC 2457's for scuds & San Juan worms.

 

[SlingingWets]

Thanks for all the help guys... 99% of the time I bought Daiichi but occasionally Mustad. I know i'm 45 now and there's been a ton of bourbon through this body but I'm still wondering what the heck I even bought these for. LOL.

 

[SlingingWets]

I think you nailed it…or rather hooked it. 😃

View attachment 1641242967

I’ve been using this hook to tie my infamous Worm flies.

View attachment 1641242968

If you would like these hooks I will send them your way. It's very unlikely I will ever use them and there are a hundred of each size. I'm guessing 8's and 10's.

 

[Kms]

Gamakatsu sells a modern, finer wire hook with a very similar bend under two different names.

The TW (trout worm) hook

TW Hook (10 Pack) - Gamakatsu USA Fishing Hooks

Gamakatsu's TW stands for "Trout Worm" and is the perfect hook for those soft plastic finesse worms that require a fine wine hook for delicate presentations.

gamakatsu.com

And the c12u

C12U Caddis - Gamakatsu USA Fishing Hooks

This is the perfect hook for tying Caddis and other Pupae Patterns.

gamakatsu.com

The only material difference I can see is that the TW hooks come in 10 packs and c12u hooks come in 25 and 100 packs. I’ve used the #16 for a black fly nymph.

The mustad 37160s are cheaper, but the gamakatsus are sharper. The 37160s I’ve bought have all needed sharpening.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

If you would like these hooks I will send them your way. It's very unlikely I will ever use them and there are a hundred of each size. I'm guessing 8's and 10's.

Golly, that’s a nice offer! I really appreciate that, but honestly I have more fly fishing and fly tying items now than I could possibly ever use, and I’ve been slowly getting rid of some of what I already have recently.

If you tie flies, like I said you can easily use these hooks to make a variety of worm style flies or nymphs, and if you don’t want to use them yourself you could also consider offering them on the swap forum here.

Thanks again for the offer though.

 

[JMP]

I tied several of these worm patterns this winter. I have not used them yet.

 

[Kms]

Btw, anyone else notice that 37160s are huge?
For scale, from left to right
Daiichi 1110 wide gap standard dry hook #14
Mustad 37160-BR #14
Gamakatsu C12U #16

 

[Bamboozle]

Btw, anyone else notice that 37160s are huge?...

When comparing different hook companies sizes and different hook styles, especially with vintage hooks styles you see this a lot.

In addition, I believe the 37160 was in actuality a bait hook adopted by fly tiers when curved fly hooks were not readily available. While I never fished a 37160 with bait, I do see similar size discrepancies between other "bait hooks" and the same size fly hook.

In 2025, the Mustad 37160 is peddled as a wide gap hook, REALLY directed towards bait fishing and it is available up to size 5/0...

That would make one HUGE worm fly. 😉

 

[Kms]

When comparing different hook companies sizes and different hook styles, especially with vintage hooks styles you see this a lot.

In addition, I believe the 37160 was in actuality a bait hook adopted by fly tiers when curved fly hooks were not readily available. While I never fished a 37160 with bait, I do see similar size discrepancies between other "bait hooks" and the same size fly hook.

In 2025, the Mustad 37160 is peddled as a wide gap hook, REALLY directed towards bait fishing and it is available up to size 5/0...

That would make one HUGE worm fly. 😉

The 37160 is likely a bait / drop shot hook as you indicated, but to me it seems huge even relative to other Mustad bait hooks.

My (unclear) point was that if unfamiliar folks want to try them they should have a sense of its (dis)proportion, so if they buy online they won’t be shocked/disappointed by the size.

I also noticed that the newer ones are chemically sharpened, and so should be much better than the ones I have.

 

[Bamboozle]

Bottom line, it is a Kahle hook with an up eye which is a hook style adapted to many things not fly tying including circle hooks...

Because of how they market the hook, I really think a more accurate comparison should be made to some of Mustad's "soft plastics" hooks (like the 38105NP) and work down from size 5/0.

Even though the 38105NP or other wide gap soft plastic hooks aren't available as small as #14, when you drop down in somewhat normal size increments, my gut tells me a #14 37160 will be a lot bigger than a #14 fly hook.

There is also a Mustad 37140 that is pretty much a Kahle, meaning the same as the 37160 except for the eye, finish & the available sizes. Mustad markets it as a "swim bait" hook. I bet the 5/0 size in that hook matches the size 5/0 37160 perfectly.

It would also be interesting to compare vintage 37160 hooks in the old white cardboard box to the same size hook sold today to see if there is a difference in sizes or if there were smaller sizes available.

I've seen this with the Eagle Claw 181 "baitholder" hooks of my youth. The smallest size available in 2025 is #14 yet I have some old hooks that look to be a size 16 or even 18.

 

[tztrout]

I used to use these to tie latex caddis nymphs featured in the Orvis catalog at the time.

 

[Bamboozle]

I used to use these to tie latex caddis nymphs featured in the Orvis catalog at the time.

I bet the latex caddis nymphs I tied on the same hook after seeing the same fly featured in the same Orvis catalog at the time deteriorated and fell apart faster than yours... 😉

From the Orvis Index of Fly Patterns:
(To the young whippersnappers out there, they looked good but fell apart so don't be tempted!)