More on hooks....

[Buddy Sanders]

The thread about 'crappy' hooks brought this question to my mind. Which do you guys prefer, a hook that 'bends' or 'straightens out' under extreme pressure, or one that 'breaks'?

[AlanB]

I'd rather have the steel back than leave it in a fishes mouth. If one's got to go then with the least damage to the fish would be my first consideration.
Cheers,
A.

[Micropteris]

I like my hooks to be soft enough to bend rather than be hard and brittle and break.

Most of my flies are tied on saltwater irons and I go for hooks that are plated steel rather than stainless steel for that purpose alone. Plated steel hooks are more likely to bend whereas the stainless steel hooks are more likely to break.

For me it is mostly about wasting; good wide 10-12 inch flatwing feathers which aren't cheap or easy to get.

Most of my fishing is non flyrod friendly structure around rocky areas and bridge abutments. It doesn't take much for a fly traveling at casting speed to break the point off a hook if the steel is brittle when it slaps a rock. It happens much more than I care to admit. The softer plated steel will usually bend the point back. It can be rehabbed back into shape with a bend from pliers and a few passes with a good file and the point will be back in fish-able condition. With brittle hooks the point is usually gone behind the barb and that fly is useless. I get pretty annoyed when I have to toss a perfectly good fly due to a broken hook that has a few bucks worth of hard to find feathers on it.

When I am fishing the bases of bridges I am usually slapping my flies up against the bridge piers because that is where the striped bass is usually hanging out waiting for a meal to get swept by with the current. Needless to say its good for catching fish but not for keeping hooks in good shape.

[Gandolf]

Hi All,

I would rather have neither, but if I had to choose, I would go with a little too soft. Brittle hooks are an abomination, and break way too easily. When one breaks all is lost. At least with a hook that is too soft you have some chance.

If I find I have a box of hooks that are either seriously too soft or too hard, they get pitched. I have no desire to tie a fly on a bum hook. I can live with a little harder or a little softer than is preferred, but there are limits.

Regards,

Gandolf

[hairwing]

The question is way above my HS level education.

When I was 8 years old I didn't consider it.

.....does it matter

[okflyfisher]

If I pinch the barb & break the hook after hook its too brittle. So I am on the side that wants a reasonably sharp hook with some durability. If I fished tarpon I would want the absolutely sharpest hook I could get.