I have been browsing through various sites with Steelhead and Sea-run Cut-throat patterns,
all very interesting, and was doing some comparisons with our own Sea-trout patterns.
I wondered if double-hooks are used much by the USA/Canada fly dressers?
They are used quite a lot here for Salmon/Sea-trout and Loch patterns.
The ‘wee’ double is very popular.
Donald,
Not wishing to speak for all of us on this side of the pond, (Any one can jump in here) but if you mean double-hooks like in your Silver Ghost; I haven’t seen any patterns or anyone using a double-hook fly. But I fish in rivers off Lake (Loch) Erie. Maybe someone on the West or East coasts will reply.
I was trying to find an article I had read about historical patterns to post (link) here, but could not find. It was about Stealhead patterns from the '50’s that had a double-hook. But the hook was not side by side, but in a straight line on the same shaft about 37 to 50mm (1 1/2 to 2 inches) seperation. And even for that type of pattern I too am having difficulty finding an example. Or, for that matter, that type of hook in production.
By the way, fantastic web-site. I forgot I already had it saved in my favorite web-site.
That is the hook, side by side, here is a picture -
[b]This type of hook is easily available on this side of the pond.
[/b]
Donald,
Don’t know about other places, but locally we are only allowed single hooks for steelhead and salmon fishing to promote catch and release fishing. Makes some sense for steelhead which return to the sea after spawning, but our Pacific salmon die after spawning. Maybe the catch and release helps raise the spawning salmon numbers.
REE
Ree
Not sure about WA, but coho are notoriously delicate and do not do well in C&R situations. New law in the Kenai River says you may not remove a C&R coho from the water. Kill it or release but leave it underwater while you decide. I found dead cohos a number of times that had obviously been stressed and released (intentionally or not) only to die.
I think a real problem with them is the way they roll when hooked, often zipping their lips together and impeding water circulation across the gills.
Sorry about the tangential posting!
Oh, I was given a box of double hooks by a friend so I could tie some presentation steelhead flies for display, just have not gotten around to it. Not wild about using them on fish though.
art
I’ve only limited experience (also around Lake Erie). All of the flies I have used were single hook.
[b] There does not seem to be the negative attitudes towards double or even treble hooks here.
All the same, a lot of anglers do prefer to use singles. I can understand now why there were no
doubles on the North American patterns I looked at. I think I prefer the look of singles, especially
low water singles, very elegant hooks. I like the Partridge YK12ST for the #10 & 8 size flies.
They are actually meant to be a caddis hook. I dress a lot of my flies purely for the aesthetic look
of the fly. Apart from copying what might look like food to the fish, a large number of the flies that
fish take are pure attractors, and not having the eyes of a fish, I tie for my own appreciation.
[/b]
When I was growing up, the few shops that carried flies around home, often would carry a couple of Rogue River patterns. One of them was the Juicy Bug which was presented on a double hook ( Mustad 3582C ? - Could be wrong about the hook #. ) and from time to time you’d see a version of the Rogue River Special tied on the same hook down here. Not sure why, possibly one pattern called for the hook and the local tier just pumped out the other pattern on that same hook, or maybe they both called for the hook…or maybe that’s what the shop owners spec’d, or, or, I don’t know. But today, I’d be tarred & feathered if I showed up with a double hook pattern.
:lol:
Best, Dave
Hi there, I use them for some Atlantic salmon patterns that I find “balance” better for lack of better terminology than single ones. For example, I like a Butterfly on a Mustad 3582 #8 or #10 much better and it performs better for me than a single in the same size. I have a few in my box of certain patterns that sink a little better with the double hook (Green Machine and buck bugs for example). They are however, very difficult to get out of a salmon’s lip when both hooks are lodged firmly and your barbs are not pinched.
When I teach fly tying every January at our local Fish and Game club, one night we tie all the flies on doubles, there are a few different tricks to do and it shows the new tiers a few points (pun intended) 
Donald, I really like that Silver Ghost, those colors would work well for me on my normal fishing waters.
Dwight
A number of lower Rogue River patterns are traditionally tied on double hooks. According to Trey Combs, this was because they had divided wings which gave them a lot of action. If they were tied on a single hook they tended to lay over to one side and lost their action.
I do not fish for salmon or sea-trout much now, tempis fugit, but I still dress flies. I think the reasons of
balance are probably the main reason they are still used.
Funny thing, nobody bothers too much about trebles on spoons, spinners etc, especially when fishing for
pike and other non-salmonids.
When I was a little younger, we moved to the Pacific Northwest, and my father tied a lot of steelhead flies, and his pattern books showed many of them on double hooks. He tied many that way, but I don’t think he ever actually caught a steelie on one. I have some of those flies here, and my nephew has the rest, and any hooks he left behind.