I like using some of Bob Popovic’s salt water patterns for bass fishing, sorry for the spelling. As I said in the other hook thread I like the 3366 hooks. Does Mustad or any other company make this style hook in a long shank version? Right now I use the Mustad 34011(saltwater) for the longer shank for Siliclones but I’d rather a more freshwater friendly hook if I break off a fish.
The Siliclone is a great fly to use when my hardware buddies are using Rebels or Rapalas and the Pickerl or Northerns don’t tear them up as bad.
Try a mustad 7694 which is a longer shank ring eye hook used for Muddlers and Thunder Creek patterns. The ring eye is a help when finishing patterns that need a lot of attention to the head area and the TDE seems to get in the way.
I use a several different hooks for the Siliclones I tie for fresh water. Here are some of the ones I’ve used… Wapsi’s new “perfect” popper hook, Daiichi 2461, Gamakatsu-straight shank worm hook, regular light wire and weedless. Eagle Claw 214EL(Bronze Aberdeen), 449W(Weedless), Mustad 3777 and variety of spinner bait hooks and stinger/trailer hooks from Gamakatsu, Eagle Claw, Owner. For my bigger bass and pike flies, I’ve been using the Partridge Pike hook, a bit pricey but a nice hook to work with. I wish they made it in smaller sizes, but the 4/0 makes a nice bass fly and 8/0 works well for big pike flies.
What you need to do is get away from looking at “fly tying” hooks. Browse through a Cabela’s or Bass Pro catalog an look at the hook selections, or get yourself a catalog from a place like Barlow’s or Jann’s Netcraft which carry an even bigger selection of hooks than the first two. You be surprised at the number of hooks that can be adapted to fly tying.