What size are they?

Anyone know today's equivilant to these hook sizes: 1, 0, and 00? The patterns I was reading about were from the turn of the 20th century in Europe and the flies were tied on hooks designated as these sizes.
Thanks

Allan

[Betty Hiner]

000=17
00=16
0=15
1=14
re: "The Soft Hackled Fly Addict " by Sylvester Nemes

Hans will correct this if I'm wrong!!

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Trouts don't live in ugly places

Betty,

Thank you.

Allan

[McManus]

Betty,

Did you meet Mr. Nemes, when he spoke to the Heart of America Fly Fishers a few years ago.

What a nice man!

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Swing hard, in case they throw the ball where you're swinging. Duke Snider

[Hans Weilenmann]

Allan,

Betty has provided you with the most likely conversion (the presently in use 'old' Redditch scale vs. the Pennell scale), but to be absolutely certain you may check your original source for the exact hook scale used which yielded the 0, 00, 000 sizes as there have been a dozen or so hook scales in effect over the years and many of them contained that sequence (0, 00, 000) for hook sizes, but did result in different absolute sizes.

Here is a sample listing which neatly illustrates the confusion

[url=http://www.flyfishinghistory.com/hook_scales.htm:9985d]http://www.flyfishinghistory.com/hook_scales.htm[/url:9985d]

Cheers,
Hans W


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=== You have a friend in Low Places ===
http://www.danica.com/flytier

Hans,

"... but to be absolutely certain you may check your original source"

The book I was reading was GEM Skues' The Way of a Trout With a Fly. In it he gives references to pattern recipes and hook sizes. I am not sure what style(s) hooks he used and thus my question.

Allan

[Hans Weilenmann]

Allan,

That was the info I was looking for.

The hooks Skues used indeed follow the conversion Betty provided. Here is the same info, with a slight expansion at either end:
3=12
2=13
1=14
0=15
00=16
000=17
0000=18

Skues mostly used sneck bend hooks, which make for a hook with a slightly longer straight shank. Sometimes he would also use round bend hooks, but sneck bend hooks were his staple.

Shanklength wise the Partridge SUD hooks are a good match if you are aiming to tie uop some Skues patterns.

Cheers,
Hans W


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=== You have a friend in Low Places ===
http://www.danica.com/flytier

Hans,

Thanks for that. Bye the way, do you know the recipe for the pattern Skues talks about as being the 'Orange Quill'? I don't quite understand his sentence structure. He talks about condor or heron(I don't have the book in front of me). Then in the next, or part od the same, sentence he mentions dyeing it. Do you know if he used natural or dyed and if dyed, what color (orange?)? He describes this pattern as a seemingly 'go-to' fly when the BWOs are coming off of the waters he fished.

Thanks.

Allan

[Hans Weilenmann]

Allan,

Like you I do not have the book here with me, but I feel pretty confident in saying the following:

The fly referenced, other than the color, is tied and looks like Skues' Medium Olive Nymph



I tied this one with dyed olive goose herl, which is a fair substitute for heron or condor (which are both protected).

The full recipe here:
[url=http://www.danica.com/flytier/hweilenmann/medium_olive_nymph.htm:8b4ec]http://www.danica.com/flytier/hweilenmann/medium_olive_nymph.htm[/url:8b4ec]

Cheers,
Hans W


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=== You have a friend in Low Places ===
http://www.danica.com/flytier

Hans,

Just went and got the book.

If you or anyone wants, reference:
pgs 34-35 and 166-171.
It's ambiguous whether the pattern he refers to had a wing or not.
Also, what the heck is a 'Whisk'? Is it the tail?

I've a few other questions and comments about Skues' theories and writings. I'll be posting them on other threads for people to comment about because I'm curious to read how others opine.

Thanks.

Allan