:tieone:Hello everyone,
I posted a similar (but much wordier) thread recently, but this one is short and sweet:
What brand (and models) of hooks do you use the most?
I would appreciate responses from all kinds of fly tyers: beginners to experts.
If you use a discontinued hook like ‘Mustad classics’, what would you use to replace them if you ran out, signature hooks or something else?
I want to know what kinds of hooks to offer my customers.
Thanks!
Bill
i use tiemco hooks the most BUT i also use hooks from mustad, daiichi, knapek, skalka, kamasan, gaelic supreme, partridge, drennan, varivas, ken sawada, sealy
I tie almost exclusively with Mustad hooks. I still buy the classics when I find them, or go with the Signatures. But some of my specific patterns I use a Dai-Riki hook as well. However…any hook that fits the pattern will work when I’m out of something. I mainly tie with Mustad for the price-point…and the fact that they are great hooks.
I’m just starting out on my tying career (and fly fishing in general), and I’m poor, so which hooks I buy are heavily influenced by these factors.
First, most of the fly tying books I’ve picked up so far are from used bookstores. This means they are older and I’ve found most every book published prior to the '80s refers to hooks by their Mustad number, and when they talk about hooks in general, they are almost always talking about Mustad hooks. Also, the modern books I possess all have conversion charts that include Mustad in them, and most every fly detailed therein can be tied on a Mustad hook.
Because of that, those are the hooks I’ve started with and what I’ll probably continue to use until I have enough free cash to experiment with other brands. In my next order, I’m picking up some 94840s, 9671s and 9674s, for example.
Next, I’m focusing right now on flies that are both immediately useful to me (freshwater flies the fish in my area would gobble) and will also teach me certain tying techniques. Buggers and bucktails, for example, as well as some terrestrials and famous dries like the Adams. This means I’m focusing heavily on 2x or larger wet/streamer hooks and standard or extra-fine dry fly hooks.
My sizes are also limited both by my skill (I’m not tying a size 24 for a while) and by my budget (I can’t afford to spend money on hooks in sizes the fish around here might not like). This means sizes 10 and 12 in streamer hooks and sizes 12 to 18 in dries.
Lastly, related to my budget, I won’t buy a package with less than 50 hooks in it, and would prefer to buy in 100s. The cost per hook is just too high otherwise. Just going from a twenty-five pack to a fifty pack saves five cents per hook on average.
Hope this helps.
Mustad almost exclusively with a few Dai-Riki, Daiichi and Gamatsuku for occassional use. Good luck on your endeavor; I used to live in Lincoln a long time ago (Bill Jennings was the coach of the football team there…then along came Devaney, the rest is history…go Big Red).
95% of my tying is done with Mustad hooks. Also tie a few with VMC & Eagle Claw. Mostly tie with 3399, 3366, 9671 and 94840.
Some mention that they use Mustad because of the cost. I am in that boat also. Mustad has changed hook model numbers a couple of times and if you can get ahold of the obsolete model hooks you can sometimes get some good buys. Jeff states that you can save 5 cents a hook by buying in larger quanties. While that is definitely true you can find the old Mustad hooks for less than 5 cents a hook. I have bought them for as little as a penny each. Right now there is two places I know of that has cheap hooks and I am sure there are more. My two are:
http://stores.channeladvisor.com/harleerod. At this site look for Mustad hooks on the left of side of the home page. Most are offered in lots of 500. They also sell on EBay. I just bought on Ebay 500 hooks from them for $6.99.
http://www.captainhookswarehouse.com/. This site has very good prices on Mustad 3366 and 3399. If you order a large amount there is a discount.
I have no connection with eith of these sites. Just a satisfied customer.
Hope this helps.
Tim
Mustad…for 99% of any tieing Ive ever done
Bass Pro White River.
Strong and sharp and readily available.
I’m fairly new at tying and use only Mustad. I started with the classic and now the new signature. My main reason is price…the local sportsmans warehouse sells them for around $6 a box. Cabela’s sells the same 9671 for $8.
Daiichi are probably my most used hook, although I am not set on just that one brand. I use lots of brands, depending on the kind of hook it is. 
Daiichi and TMC.
In order Dai-Riki, Mustad, Daiichi
The Dai-Riki because that is what my local fly shop carried where I used to live. If I was ordering online Mustad would be my first choice due to price then Daiichi and Dai-Riki depending on who made the hook I couldn’t get from Mustad.
I keep the standard dry fly hooks in 10-20 and wets 10-18
I like to have some 2x long dry fly hooks in 12 and 14 for hoppers and October caddis.
I have scud hooks in 12-20
I like 4x long streamer hooks for buggers clousers etc.
If I were you I would stock the standard hooks wet and dry in 10-20
I would look at the top 20 flies in your area, poll your friends, ask your friends friends etc. (most people love to given a chance to express an opinion) then I would stock the hooks necessary for those flies. make sure you not only as about flies but sizes tied/used then as people requested them I would slowly add to my collection.
Eric
Hi Lepomac,
I am more of a panfish fly fisherman more than anything else. Consequently, I tie a lot of flies in the #8 to #16 sizes, but particularly #10s and #12s. I also tie for trout, but not as much, as I don’t get to fly fish for trout nearly so much as for bluegills. I greatly enjoy tying trout flies, but don’t want fly boxes overflowing with them, which is what happens if you tie lots and don’t get to use them very often.
I don’t know the new numbers of the Mustads that are the replacements for the classic Mustads, you can go to Mustad’s site, I guess, and sort that out, but I haven’t as I am trying to buy a good supply of the classic hooks before they are gone.
However, if I ever run out of the classic Mustads I would either go with the new Mustads, or go to Eagle Claw. Consequently, you can convert what I use to what I would use if forced to the new hooks.
I use certain hooks much more frequently than others. The ones I use a lot are used to tie the flies which represent the insects, minnows, etc., that I see most often, and thus fish most often.
Hooks I use frequently:
Mustad 94840: 10-16 for dry flies
Mustad 9672: 6-14 for buggers, stonefly nymphs, some bluegill bugs, some streamers, and stonefly drys such as stimulators
Mustad 3906B: for 8-16 for nymphs, scuds, etc.
Mustad 9671: for 8-16 for bead head nymphs
Mustad 94831: for 8-14 for bluegill bugs, hoppers, and some drys
Mustad 33903: 10-14 poppers
Hooks I use, but not nearly as frequently:
Mustad 94840: 6-8, 18-20 for dry flies
Mustad 94831: 6, 16 for dry flies and hoppers
Mustad 3906: 4-18 for wet flies
Mustad 3906B: 6,18 for nymphs
Mustad 9671: 4,6,18 for bead head nymphs
Mustad 9672: 2,4,16,18 for stonefly drys and nymphs, some streamers, and hex nymphs
Mustad 94859: 18-24 for small drys and small nymphs (I prefer these to the 18,20 94840)
Mustad 33903: 4-8 poppers
Mustad 37187: 0/1-8 bass flies
Mustad 79580: 2-14 streamers
Mustad 3366: 0/1-2 bass flies
On my list above, I do use other Mustad classic hooks that are similar to the ones listed as substitutes. For example, I use 3399s and 3906s in place of the 3366s, depending on price, availability, etc.
I have noticed more smaller mayflies and ants, this past year, and thus may use more smaller hooks in the future, but don’t know.
Regards,
Gandolf
Mustads. I have to say that when i get in a bind and tie on something else I am almost always disappointed. I want a tough sharp hook not a brittle hook
I tie mostly for saltwater and for years I’ve relied on the plated Mustad 3407 for the majority of my flies.
Lately I’ve switched to Eagle Claws. When I can find them on sale they go for about 5 bucks per 100
These are the hook styles and sizes that I use in quantities of 100 to 500 per year. Those appearing in bold are the ones of highest usage.
Tiemco
TMC 2487 BL* ( 14, 16 )
TMC 5262 ( 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 )
TMC 9394 ( 4, 6, 8 )
Mustad
S71SZ ( 1, 2, 4, )
C70S D ( 1/0, 2/0 )
Gamakatsu
SL11-3H ( 4, 2, 1/0 )
SP11-3L3H ( 1/0 )
Best, Dave
When the flies are for serious fish only Gamakatsu cuts it. For salmon fishing where there will be lots of fish the Gamis are the sharpest and strongest. I have used thousands of them over the years and I do not remember a single broken hook. Anything will dull, but Gamis stay sharper longer. I love the T10 series, but also use the special Russian River fly hook.
For playing I use all sorts of hooks, but Mustads probably outnumber the others by at least 8:1. For specialty hooks bent in strange ways I usually use something other than Mustad just because there are more options.
art
I tie mainly warmwater flies, mostly for bluegills and crappies, plus some for bass, carp, catfish, white bass, etc.
I mostly use Mustad for the price/quality reasons already mentioned by others.
I also use some Gamakatsu’s for EP flies and other shad-imitator flies.
TMC or Mustad the most. I have a lot of faith in both.
Mustad lost me a few yrs ago…fine for fresh water but not strong enough for salt…cost me some really nice fish by collapsing a few times and closing up and also they straighten out easy…the point is extremely bad as well and even seaweed will dull the point…I use Gamakatsu SC15 hooks for all flys in salt and the Everglades as well…killer thin wire with chemically sharpened point and perfect gap that never lets go…these hooks will get anything from 2lbs to 500lbs…I make my living using these hooks and they have my 100% confidence
sizes #2 - #1 - 1/0 - 2/0