Best place or method to buy a large range of hooks

Rawfish;
Your question is impossible to answer. There are just too many styles and sizes out there. It has taken me 3 years to put togather a fairly adaquate supply.
As the others have said look at what you plan to tie and buy the hooks of that style from the biggest to the smallest used for the patterns.
I recently followed Jammie Caddick's advice and bought Mustad C49S(curved Caddis)hooks in size 8 to 22 for Klinkhammers(25 packs).
Most of my hooks come from H&H as Ron's deliveries are 2 to 3 days and I can buy a 100 pack for the cost of the gas to get to my nearest shop. If you watch your inventory closely H&H can be a real "Just In Time" supplier.

[herefishy]

I don't know what to think about Targus hooks - but I am using quite a few and the few I have fished I have not had any trouble with hookups or breakage. That said, The Fly Shop in California has turned the Targus hooks into their store brand - and they're selling them really cheap - like 2 something for 25. Might be something you should look at.

[ducksterman]

I don't know what to think about Targus hooks - but I am using quite a few and the few I have fished I have not had any trouble with hookups or breakage. That said, The Fly Shop in California has turned the Targus hooks into their store brand - and they're selling them really cheap - like 2 something for 25. Might be something you should look at.

You know that's a good observation...I too have seen some good prices on them but was [am] a little afraid to go there....

Anyone out there with a lot of experience with them????

[Buddy Sanders]

I spent some time today just 'browsing' around on Ebay.

It was pretty amazing what you can get in the way of hooks and for good prices (I didn't pay much attention to the 'auctions' but the stuff that's 'buy it now' form the many 'ebay stores')

Lots of variety, lots of good values.

Still prefer to get mine for the fly shop, but if I needed a 'lot' of hooks, it would be tempting. I'd think that you could e-mail or call one of these suppliers and get a pretty decent deal on a large purchase.

Just a thought.

Buddy

[RonMT]

Don't know how many hooks you are looking to buy in one size at a time but Bailey's has two hook assortments. One Nymph hooks the other dry fly hooks. Ten hook per size three styles in a box in 4 sizes per style. Price is $14.95 per assortment. If you don't want a large supply of a size then this may be the way for you to go. Ron

[Bamboozle]

raw:

Everybody has a brand preference and you need to find yours so I won't go there BUT...

When you say "different" styles of dry fly hook; I recommend that you think about sticking with a regular length shank dry fly hook like Mustad 94840, Daiichi 1180, or TMC 100; before you branch out into different styles.

When I first started tying I thought I needed whatever hook the recipe called for in as many sizes as I thought I would encounter. Later I realized I could get by with one style for 90% of my dries. The other 10% was only needed when I wanted a curved hook shank or a smaller size that wasn't available in my regular style.

BTW, for years I just bent the straight hook shank when I wanted a curve so you could do that too.

Good luck in the search. When you choose a brand I'm sure folks here could point you in the direction of good sources.

[Joe Valencic]

I don't know what to think about Targus hooks - but I am using quite a few and the few I have fished I have not had any trouble with hookups or breakage. That said, The Fly Shop in California has turned the Targus hooks into their store brand - and they're selling them really cheap - like 2 something for 25. Might be something you should look at.

You know that's a good observation...I too have seen some good prices on them but was [am] a little afraid to go there....

Anyone out there with a lot of experience with them????

Targus hooks are made in the Tiemco factory, and they use the Tiemco numbering system to boot!. I have been using them for almost 2 years, and cannot find fault with them. Also, 1/2 the price of Tiemco! Biggest problem is availability for my local fly shop to restock when he runs out. I buy them from whomever I can get them from when they are available.

Joe

[Gigmaster]

Not too long ago, I tried to amass a large selection of hooks by buying assortments on EBay. I cannot recommend this method. Many times, the hooks were not Fly hooks, as listed, but general fishing hooks. Many times, they were rusted, or just plain wrong. Of course, there are ways to deal with these problems, but it is a hassle. Stay away from EBay for hooks. The few good listings are buried by the bad ones.

My recommendation is to make a list of the flies you want to tie and order the proper hooks in lots of 50 or 100 in the major sizes you want to tie. I use Cabelas and Hook and Hackle. As you expand your patterns, you will expand your hook inventory.

Good Luck,

Gig

Rawfish;
Gig said it the best.

[bluskyd]

A site that I have been made aware of is http://www.thefishguy.net/ it was down today, but up last week.