As I was sorting the plethora of #12 hooks I have acquired recently, I noticed that I have two types of wet fly hooks. By number they are 3399 and 3906B. Anyone know what the difference is, or where I can find out what the difference is?
I also noticed that my local ‘shop’ (Cabelas) only seems to carry the 3906B. Is this a newer design that replaced the other?
Thanks in advance!
here is the link to the 3399
http://www.mustad.no/catalog/product.php?id=1836
here is the link to the 3906B
http://www.mustad.no/cataloque/product.php?id=200
The only difference I see is the hollow point (which I don’t know what that is if it is something other than bullets) and the available sizes. It looks like the 3399 has a lot more sizes available.
The 3906B says it features a 1X length, nothing is said about that length on the 3399.
Dunno if that got you anywhere, I had some spare time at school to “research.”
BTW I am NO doc and no specialist of hooks!!!
The 3906B has a bit longer shank, otherwise they are effectively the same hook. (The tapered -v- ball eye aren’t all that different in use)
The 3399 is the ‘standard’ wet fly hook that has been around for years. It’s ‘standard’ in length, gap and wire diameter.
With all the 3x ‘Wide’, 4x ‘Long’, 2x ‘Short’ stuff appearing on hook boxes today, the 3399s are what I use to assess the ‘real’ size of a hook.
Good Luck!
Buddy
OR another way to look at it is; the 3906B is a nymph hook; hence the longer shank and the 3399 is as Buddy says; a wet fly hook.
The standard 3906 is very similar to the 3399 but don’t ask me what the differences are; Jeff will have to do that.
Thanks guys! I knew I would get good input.
All said, the 3906B is not a new hook. I bought them as far back as the '70s. As mentioned, it’s a nice nymph hook.
Hollow point most likely refers to the grind of the point of the hook. The best way I know to describe it is the grind on a straight edge razor. Hollow ground has a concave side or a curved tip profile (i.e. curving out from edge to back of blade) while others are straight ground (i.e. a triangle with straight sides as seen from the point of the razor). A hollow ground hook tip would allow it to be a MUCH finer point, but it would also dull faster as there is less material to maintain the point. If this doesnt apply, I dont know what it would be.
Geoff
The 3906b is also available in many sizes, unless something has changed recently. I’ve got them down to size 18.
Ed
Drolfson,
If I’m not mistaken,
3399 Standard Length, standard wire, turned down balled eye size 12 about $4.25/100
3906 Same as above but turned down tapered eye about $8/100
3906B same as 3906B except 1x long about $9.50/100
The ball eye is cheaper to manufacture so it’s less expensive. Not sure what the advantage of a tapered eye is for a wet fly hook, but it?s used to reduce the weight on dry fly hooks like the 94840. But maybe Dr. Hook could chime in here?
If you compare the lengths and look closely at the eyes of the size 12 3399 and the 3906B you should be able to see the difference.
Prices are approx, from places like Hook and Hackle with pretty good deals on hooks (a FAOL sponsor)
peregrines
Thanks all!
As I compared them over the weekend, I did see that the 3906B was just a tad longer. (The Gape of the 3399 looked a bit wider, but that was probably just an optical illusion from how I was holding them.)
I tied the same pattern on each to see what I (and the gills) thought. After the tying, I had basically tied a size 14 fly on the 3399 hook to keep proportions, and a size 12 fly on the 3906B hook to keep the same proportions. I didn’t mean to, it just happened that way.
The gills were totally impartial. They would take whichever one was within striking distance. 
Thanks again guys!
The 3399 is a lot cheaper!! 
It works just the same.