How do I use eyeless antique style hooks?

All about flies Fly Tying
1

I was recently given a rather large quantity of eyeless hooks. There are various styles and sizes of wet, nymph, dry and streamer hooks. I know from reading that originally hooks did not have eyes on them. Most of what I have read about modern uses for eyeless hooks is for display purposes. Heck, I only wish my flies were beautiful enough for display!

How do you actually attach one of these to a tippet so you can fish with them? I thought of using a gut snell to attach a light tippet to the hook shank and then ty the pattern over top of the tippet and shank. I would leave enough tippet extending in front of the head of the fly to tie onto my leader. I don’t know if that will work. Any help or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

2

Take a look at the photos in the first post of the following thread

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=24396

3

Couple of ways to do this.

Tie in a ‘loop’ with something, mono, wire, string, to ‘replace’ the hook eye. Then you just tie your tippet to that.

Or, you can add a ‘snell’ whitch is a short piece of mono (‘gut’ for the antique guys) with a loop on the end. If you make the ‘snell’ long enough, it can replace your tippet…

You’d probably want to tie these in place BEFORE you tie the fly…wrapping these to the shank with thead will be VERY strong, a much stronger connection than the usual knot. Of course, you still have the knot, it’s just tied to a different place/material.

Good Luck!

Buddy

4

Thanks guys. I think you just found a use for that 20# Amnesia that I bought by mistake one day! :smiley: Cool! 8)

5

Nighthawk,

I have been looking for some antique blind eye hooks for tying wet flys. I would like to trade some tying materials for some. Send me a PM if you have an interest and we can work out a deal. I have at least a little of just about anything that could be used to tye a fly (cept antique blind eye hooks for wet flys). :lol:

6

flyfshr,
PM sent.

7

Eric,

If your hooks are true antique blind eye hooks, they may be worth a pretty penny. You might want to check with Ronn Lucas about them.

There are numerous places on the net to purchase silk gut to make eyes for your hooks, most are those dealing with materials for Atlantic Salmon flies.

REE

8

Maxwell MacPherson Jr’s AS Flies on Antique blind eye hooks with gut eyes sell for $100.00 EACH… I think Ron might have a good idea on contacting Ron!..and then maybe contact Mr.Mac who is always looking for such… Just a thought…