In many of the Posts the subject of “down, up or straight” hook eyed comes up. To me, many guys like straight eye hooks for many patterns yet the hook mfgrs. persist in making the down eye versions. For my money, there is no reason for a any streamer,wet fly or nymph to have anything but a straight eye. For me they are a lot easier to finish. Wasn’t the turned down eye developed to accomodate the use of the old Turle knot to provide a straight line pull? No one uses it anymore.
While I can’t answer your question as to why the down-eye is so prevalent, there are a couple of us who still use the double Turle on up-eye salmon hooks. It may not be the strongest knot, but that’s not always a drawback. When I hang a steelhead fly on a rock, the Turle will usually break before the tippet’s blood knot, so I only have to tie on a new fly, not a fresh tippet as well.
The advantage to a down eye is it functions well with a knot to the eye or a Turle knot.
The Turle is a good knot because it insures a straight pull when used on up or down turned eyes. A fly that is tied by the eye can hinge when cast and be at an angle to the hookset resulting in a lot of misses.
Because of that, I prefer a down turned eye so I have the option of using a Turle.
Joe
DR.FISH—Jeff if your not to busy fishing somewere in the world,or at the Conclave will you tell us the reason for up – staight and down eyes.
Too much debating the subject–let’s hear it from one that knows.
Bill
My only concern of up/down/straight, Come in the smaller end of the size spectrum.
Where hook gape clearance is an issue…other than this I really see nothing to worry of as eyes go…
“I’ve often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before” A.K.Best
“Wish ya great fishing”
Bill
We sorta preferr a straight eyed hook for dang near all our baitfish bugs so’s we kin use a loop knot and give’em more freedom for movement.
…lee s.
I use a down eye on dries & nymphs
I use an up eye for spinners
I use a straight eye for anything smaller then 26
Here’s why:
On a dry fly the down eye will push the tail of the fly into the water and let the front of the fly rise slightly allowing it to appear as legs ON the film.
For spinners I want the fly to lay flat on the water and settle IN the film.
as for the flies smaller then 26, simple, it’s easier to get the fly on the tippet without the eye being blocked and it’s hard getting 9x or 10x limber tippet through down eyed hook.