I searched ad can’t find any meaningful discussions on Togen hooks. I’d like to know your opinions on their scud and nymph hooks.
Thanks
http://singlebarbed.com/2008/09/24/decrease-your-dependence-on-offshore-hooks-its-all-the-rage/
http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=24775&mode=linearplus
Lastchance,
I use them. I like them. Caught lots of fish for me (and lots of my friends) over the last couple of years.
Can you buy cheaper hooks? Yes.
What I like about the Togen hooks (I don’t know who makes them…don’t really care) is that they are sharp, don’t break while fishing or at the vice (I have been known to ‘bend’ hooks when I want a certain shape…I believe hooks SHOULD be ‘bendable’), and they come in almost all of the hook shapes I prefer.
AND, I really like the service part of this business…you can pick your hooks by hundreds and add them together to get the ‘quantity price’. The shipping fees are comparable to what it actually costs to ship the hooks, not some ridiculous ‘shipping and handling’ charge that can sometimes double the price. I get my hooks quickly, and so far there has never been a shortage, a mistake with the order, or an ‘out of stock so we just gave you xxx’.
Plus, with EVERY order I’ve made, the guy has thrown in something extra…some beads…some little bit of material…something he thinks you might be able to use (I know it’s probably an attempt to sell me some of it, but it comes free with no ‘strings’ and I appreciate that).
In any event, he has my business for the hook styles that he sells that I use.
Buddy
Lastchance,
I pretty much echo all Buddy has shared. I’ve been fishing with them for 3 years and never had one break on the water or at the vise. Regarding the scud hooks … to me, the size 20 and 22 have a pretty narrow gape. I bought some small emerger hooks 2 year ago, sized 22 and 24 and the gape was perfect (to me) so I ordered more this year and the gape was more closed. I’ve got both scud and emerger hooks and the larger ones ( 16’s and 18’s) work great. The finish on them is somewhere between bronze and gold; I’d prefer more of a bronze finish but that could just be my preferences. For the money you can’t hardly go wrong.
I’ve used their Scud, Nymph, and Streamer hooks for a couple of years. Their error rate (partially closed eyes, malformed hooks) is equivalent to the other major brands, and the wire used has not failed me on any of those styles.
The Scud hooks are 5% kirbed (offset point) and have a forged bend, and I’ve managed to break a couple on rocks, but I wouldn’t have expected any hook to survive. All in all I’ve been quite pleased with the hooks - and use them for the bulk of my flies.
Buy them in the 1000 pack. Togen allows you to mix and match sizes and styles to make the 1000, and it lowers the price to about $6.80 per hundred.
Buddy Sanders informed me of the Togen hooks deal on buying 1000 and breaking them up into ten different packages of ten different hooks. So far I like the hooks but don’t have the experience to speak to their quality…like others have.
But…not every hook is a part of the 1000. You have to search for and click on the “Combo Pack”. At that spot on his website you can scroll down and see a chart. That chart is what you can pick ten different hook sizes from…and order. That way you get 100 hooks in ten different packages.
Now I happened to call him and discuss the hooks with him. He told me to put in a code in my online order and I got a whopping discount. I don’t know if he does this for everyone or just for a new customer. But mine actually came out a lot less than $6.80 per hundred. I think mine came out to $5.40 a hundred. But remember…I cannot say that he will always do that.
Just a tip. I have had other vendors give big discounts when I called them. So it might just be a good tactic. I ordered some guides one time that were listed at 69 cents each with an online order. I called just to discuss the guides and he said he would sell them to me for 49 cents each! Soooooo…guess it’s worth a try.
Just fyi
I have been using Togen hooks for two years now. I use them in 90% of my flies.
I think that Kamasan are stronger, but they are more expensive.
I frankly don’t know how to judge hooks in general, what to look at.
But I can say that they have never broken nor have I lost fish because of them, on the other hand my fishes are maybe not that big 
Reg,
Thorarinn.