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Hooks for Fly Fishing. Which hooks to use for which flies including hooks for dry and wet flies, nyphms etc..
Hooks for Fly Fishing Primitive man had his crude hooks made of copper, bone, and even gold. It is supposed that these hooks were the outgrowth of the gorge, a straight piece of wood or bone with a line attached to the middle. The baited gorge was dropped into a stream or lake, then old Cro-Magnon man awaited results. When a fish swallowed it, he jerked the line, causing the gorge to turn crosswise in its throat. It is a far cry from such fishing to a modern angler using a num ber 16 dry fly, with a fine 9-foot leader. And the rewards for the present-day fisherman are much richer. Uncle Cro-Magnon, con stantly hungry, fished of necessity; the modern angler fishes for recreation. Primitive man couldn't have been completely unaware of the downright pleasure of fishing, even with his crude hooks and gorges. And slabs of salmon over his campfires must have had their mo ments, too. His fishing and hunting inspired him to great picture painting on his cave walls evidence of his activities which has endured to this day. It is entirely possible that he also planned his equipment very carefully, and we know he was never satisfied, for he was constantly improving his hooks, lines, and nets. Sometimes, when we are using a delicate creation, such as a number 16 dry fly, it would be nice to pause and consider these beginnings. How limited were the selec tions from which primitive man had to choose his equipment! You, too, can limit the effectiveness of your fishing unless you make a careful study of available hooks and their use. Often a change of method entails a change of hook type for best results. A surprising number of modern-day anglers consider hooks but prosaic pieces of angling equipment, utterly lacking in individuality. But the fisherman coming home with a heavy creel is very hook conscious. You may be able to suggest his bait or lure and tell him what fly pattern is best suited to the water. But when it comes to hooks he will have some very definite preferences because he knows the important part hooks play in taking fish. I am reminded of a very experienced bullhead fisherman of my acquaintance who selects hooks with a methodical carefulness usually associated with more refined angling, such as dry fly fishing. He had an innovation in bullhead hooks which is worth remarking on because it was so simple and effective. A bullhead will swallow a hook and worm completely. When he is landed, he will lie there on the bank, staring at you with fishy eyes, defying your best efforts to remove the hook without feeling those sharp barbs with which nature endowed him. Disgorgers may be used, of course. You may even cut the line at the hook eye and recover it when you clean your fish. But these are frustrating alternatives to the problem of recovering your hook and worm immediately, mundane matters which distract from the serious occupation of brooding over good bullhead water on a quiet, warm summer evening. This wise old cat fisherman solders small finishing nails crosswise on the heavy, long-shanked hooks he uses. The nail is placed about two-thirds die distance from the bend of the hook. When a bull head methodically swallows this offering down to the cross-soldered nail, he is stymied. He twitches the bait, unquestionably provoked by his inability to get the hook and worm down any farther. Then, being of a philosophical turn of mind, he pauses to reflect on the perversity of worms growing tails with crosstrees. When he is gently led to his fate, enough hook protrudes from his mouth to allow him to be easily disengaged. This might be called a special purpose hook. There are others, not home-contrived, which are also designed for special angling situations. Have you ever used one of those long-shanked hooks with a built-in safety pin on which to impale a grasshopper or other bait? I think if I were confined to just one type of hook I would select this one for my fishing. They come in sizes from 1 to 8, and can be used either with a fly rod or bait-casting outfit. In bass waters these hooks are very productive with a small minnow or frog impaled on that pin. Where there are bluegill or crappie, they are excellent fish takers with a grasshopper, used on a size 6 hook. I like trout fishing with flies, both wet and dry. But on occasion, when a big brown has grown wise to the way of anglers and is suspicious of all those beautiful creations of fur and feathers, a grasshopper near his hideout is in order. This hook, with its attached pin, is made to order for the occasion. All one has to do is to select a number 8 hook of this type, impale a grasshopper, use a plenty fine leader, then drop this offering near his hideout. It is irresistible. This type of hook is also good for channel catfish when they are in fairly shallow water. Load it, just as you would for that big brown trout, using a larger hook and a heavier leader, but still retaining your fly rod. Cast quartering upstream, allow the current to drift your grasshopper along the bottom, and be set for some wonderful action. It is an experience which will completely contradict those anglers who say that a channel cat is no fighter. Hook designations are interesting in indicating those best suited for various methods of fishing. A 4X stout hook is not made for dry fly fishing. For a fly designed to float, 2X fine is a much better choice. Those esoteric terms are simple and easily understood, once they are mastered. They show the length and size of wire used in making hooks for various angling purposes. For example, a 4X stout hook is one using wire normally used in hooks f our sizes larger than the one designated. Thus, a size 8, 4X stout is a hook made from wire ordi narily used in a size 2, but of a size 8. If this same size 8 were not made of heavier wire than standard for its size, it would be indicated as size 8 regular. For wet flies and nymphs, where it is important to fish deep, experienced anglers select flies tied on heavier wire, ranging from 2X to 4X stout. Dry flies, selected with their floating qualities in mind, have just the reverse requirement. These dainty creations must be buoyant, floating high on the surface, with just the tips of the stiff hackles touching the water. Light wire is required for this, and either 2X or 3X fine is usually employed in tying dry flies. A typical dry-fly hook is a size 12, 2X fine. That means die wire used is of the size employed in making a size 14 regular hook. Sometimes, in tying a Bi-Visible or Spider Variant dry fly, one wants a shorter hook, as well as one tied with lighter wire. Lengths are also indicated in X's. Just remember that the number of X's indicate some deviation from normal hook construction, with the word following indicating the deviation. A shorter than normal dry fly hook would be indicated thus: size 12, 2X fine, 2X short. The only "regular'' factor of such a hook would be in the "bite." Otherwise, it is 2 sizes shorter than normal, and made of wire 2 sizes smaller than normal. Streamer flies are usually tied on hooks two or three times longer than regular for a given size. A very popular size for both trout and bass is a number 8, regular, 3X long. Points and bends are of many variations and types. A hollow point is more often found on fly hooks. This point has a slight incurve from barb to tip, inside the bite. The outside of the point is straight or only slightly incurved. Its chief merit is that it is very easily set on the strike. When a fish is just dumping" a fly a hollow-point hook will be taken solidly enough to hold during the flurry of playing and netting the quarry. A Dublin point also has a slight incurve, but is more heavily constructed in cross-section than a hollow point. It is a very good holding hook, however, and many fishermen prefer it for some of the heavier fish such as Atlantic salmon. A beak point is very popular with fishermen using salmon eggs and similar bait. This hook is usually selected with a turned-up eye, 2 or 3X short. The beak point is very close to the line of pull, in curved as it is, and when tike hook is set it affords very deep penetration. This is always a necessity for a hook used with bait, which must penetrate the lip of the fish and strip through the bait, as well. Hold a hook with the point down, the bend toward you, and if the point is offset to the left it is "Kirbed." If it is offset to the right it is "Snecked." If it is neither offset to the left or right, it is called "Straight." Most fly hooks are straight because they ride better in moving water, with no tendency to roll, as they would if offset either to right or left. A hook is not just a hook. It is a specialized instrument, designed for some specialized angling situation or method of fishing. By remembering that and selecting your hooks accordingly, you will make any fishing trip more successful and enjoyable.
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