Hook Preferences

[DG]

Bill, Tiemco hooks are available in 100-packs, but not many shops carry them that way. Little white boxes. Duranglers in Durango, CO has them and that is where I get them. If your local shop carries TMC they should be able to order them for you. As for buying in bulk... Dan Bailey's used to sell hooks by the thousand, not sure if they still do, haven't seen a catalog in years, but they had some Dai-Rikis that I use last time I *did* see a catalog.

DG

[fishyfranky_redux]

I use 80% Daiichi (or equivalents like Kamasan) and 20% Mustad Classics for my fly fishing. The Classics were good for learning to tye but I found them notably lacking in fishing performance based on my other "dark-side" fishing hooks (Daiichi, Gamakatsu, Owner, etc).

I still got over 1000 (I've got this thing about buying in bulk) of the Classics left, so I still use them on occassion or for fly swaps , but if I'm in a serious fishing mood I use the Daiichi's.

Resident trout fly fishing isn't very demanding on hooks as can be attested by the fact that quite a lot of people catch quite a lot of trout on Mustad Classics. But I don't have a lot of time to tye flies so I want them to be very durable and this includes the hooks. Daiichi's last about 3-5 times longer and require much less shapenings. For me, they are the best value.

As for other hooks, I don't feel the Mustad Premium and TMC are worth the price for trout fishing.

BTW, if you're not getting fly hooks in 100's then you are being seriously ripped off.

[Robert Taipala]

I tye almost exclusively on Mustad hooks and had not had any problems with them. I would assume that the salesperson is motivated to sell the more expensive hooks because a larger profit is made from them. Also they may be getting "kick backs" from other manufacturers to promote their products. There are quality differences between the brands, but not enough to warrant my spending the significantly higher prices for them.

[Serendipity]

After fishing the Bighorn River in Montana a number of years ago, I switched from Mustad to Dai-Rikki or Tiemco hooks. In the smaller sizes (#18 - #20), the hooks would open slightly on the Bighorn browns and rainbows and a L.D.R (long distance release) would be the result. It happened enough to make the switch. Nothing wrong with using Mustad hooks especially in the larger sizes. This is just my own experience.

[Fly Tyer]

Does anyone find the finish of the Dai-riki hooks not as nice? Their colour doesnt do it for me. I do like the colour of the mustad classics. The Dai-rikis are awefuly golden looking to me.

Anyone else notice this?

[okflyfisher]

For warmwater & saltwater flyfishing I use Mustad hooks almost exclusively. I tie a lot flies for my fishing buddies and have not had any problems with Mustads hooks. Japenese steel seems brittle and I and my friends have had breakage with non Mustad brands. My local shops do not have as good of selection of Mustads in the trout size hooks so I occationally use other brands for trout because thats what is available and the hooks are not stressed as much because of the light tippets.
I have also experimented with Mustads signiture hooks with excellent results. The C51S BLN
( circle) hooks have given me an amazing hook to land ratio in all warmwater fish.
When I order hooks from a catalog it is always Mustad.

Did I say I love Mustad hooks

[Dr. Fish]

Rumor has it that Mustad had to change the composition of their hooks to be in compliance with California regulations. Perhaps lead or something that WAS in the hooks had to come out so they are now more brittle and prone to breakage

Wow, that is a new one and I can assure you 100% that what you heard is just that, A RUMOR. Heck, that does not even make any sense when you think about it. If you made hooks out of lead or a mix with lead your hook would be softer than a paper clip.
Perhaps that rumor came from the fact that several years back when CA instituted their lead laws and changed the wording every few weeks (leaving companies open to a lawsuit if incorrect lead warning was used), Mustad discontinued some of the bass hooks for soft plastics that had lead weights on them. Newer versions were reintroduced a couple years later, once the lead warning label text was finaly settled upon. Had nothing to do with the hook wire or fly hooks for that matter.

Mustad is THE ONLY hook manufacturer in the world who uses wire specifically formulated for making hooks (our own secret formula) and the only one who draws our our own wire to get the diameters we need.

It's always interesting to hear what's floating around the rumor mill . . .

in any event, carry on, it's an interesting thread . . . : )