I have never even tried tying one and, as a matter of fact, have never even tried fishing one of those beauties, but I have a question.
Why are they tied on eyeless hooks so the tyer has to make an eye with mono, or whatever. Is there a hook with the eye already there like other hooks? Probably no body cares except me but if anyone knows the answer, I sure would like to know it.
Thanks.
Bob some tiers made their own hooks and the eye would be the hardest part to make. I still have packs of straight eye hooks that my dad and I used---- Herters size 2 6X long Gaelic Supreme Demond Hooks made in England
The eye on them is made from twisted gut. You can also use mono, but from what I’ve been told gut is the way to go. You can buy hooks that have a “return eye” like a normal hook. Why the guys who made hooks 100 years ago didn’t incorporate a return eye into their hooks is beyond me, they definately had the capability to do so. Many wet flies were tied with a section of tippet tied right into the fly with no eye at all.
Also, I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject, but I have been biten by the atlantic salmon bug recently and as a matter of fact just got my first big order of materials in the mail this morning. Anyways, I’ve been reading and reading and reading on them and hopefully that answers your question. The guy to ask is Ronn Lucas Sr. He has done a great set of tutorials here on FAOL, and just recently bought the hook making operation of Ron Reinhold. SO now Ronn Lucas is making hooks. I should have my first order of hooks from Ronn any day now. I am pretty sre he is on the FAOL sponsors list, but he has a new email address, as well as a new website. If I shouldn’t be posting the links to them here I apologize and ask that a moderator remove them.
Ronn’s site
http://www.ronnlucassr.com/
Ronn’s new email is ronn@ronnlucassr.com
He’s a great guy and is usually happy to help people out!
So I guess that besides tradition, there does not seem to be a reason.
In any event, they sure are pretty flies. Much too good to fish with.
I checked out Ron’s new site. Very impressive.
Thanks to you both.
Bob: When these flies were first tied eyed hooks were not available.I believe eyed hooks were not produced until the latter half of the nineteenth century if I remember correctly from years ago when I first ventured into tying these types of flies…Frank
What fwalsh said plus, I think I read this somewhere, gut snelled hooks create a slightly longer hook that permits slightly longer bodies. Or, if you prefer to look at it from the head back, shorter heads. Unfortunately I cannot recall the reference to cite. C’mon you salmon fly tiers, what say you?
Allan
Allen hate to say it but I lived back in those days–As I said earlier on this subject many hooks were (snelled eyes) hand made as long a length as you wanted. Later we bought Herter hooks with eyes, I still have many sizes one size 2 6 x. You mentioned gut snelled–They had “gut eyes” not snelled, on large ( streamers)because hook eyes were harder to form. Then you had snelled small hooks (gut maybe 6-8 in long)no eye, not for streamers but for small flies. Eyes again were hard to make— BILL
Bill, Sorry… I just don’t think you were born in the early 1800’s. :lol:
A number of the records for the early atlantic salmon hooks go back to that point. The eyes came much later and they are a bit more work (ask Ronn).
To see a bit of history go to Ronn’s website and select history of hooks, there is Ron Reinhold’s research on the history of the many shapes that were produced. Quite a bit of history in some of those shapes!
Ronn’s website http://www.ronnlucassr.com
Many of the flies that are tied for exhibition are tied on blind eye hooks with gut as they represent the tradition. Most of those that are fished are tied on the eyed hooks.
If you’re interested in the history of the silkworm gut to make the gut eyes go to John Mclains site and link to the National Geographic article:
That’s right but they were still being used in the very early 1900
Just recieved my renewal membership card for this year from the FFF and they had my birthdate as 1905-------:lol: BILL
Man, I hope I look as good as you when I hit 101 :lol:
So you probably met a few important ones … Blacker, Hale, and Kelson? the Major Traherne hehe…
must have been a blast.
Hey Bob:
Why not look over at “flytyingforum.com” (under the steelhead/salmon fly section) You will find some very well qualified people and examples of those fancy flies you are talking about!!
Dave