The Hook

Beginning Fly Tying - Part 2

You need to make sure that you have the right hook in order to make a proper fly. Al Campbell really has all the right information.

It seems strange that I’d start looking at equipment by looking at hooks. After all, there are many other important things to consider like vises, bobbins, scissors, etc. to look at.

So why hooks? Well, hooks are the things that hold the feathers, fur, hair and other fluff you use to create a fly. Hooks are designed for specific purposes. If you choose the right hook, your fly will be better proportioned and thus perform better in use. If you choose the wrong hook, you’ll have a flawed fly and your success with that fly will likely be less than the success you would enjoy with a properly tied fly.

I won’t spend a lot of time on barbed vs. barbless hooks. You’ll have to decide the direction to travel there. After all, a simple squeeze from a small pair of pliers will turn a barbed hook into a barbless one. Rather than concentrate on hook design, I’d like to spend as much of this time as possible working toward tying quality flies. However, you’ll need to know what the basic parts and shapes of a hook are if you’re going to succeed in tying your own flies.

Ron & Beth