Favorite affordable hook brand/series?

cedarslug · Jul 29, 2022

Hi all!

Anyone have recommendations for affordable hooks? Affordable is a relative term heh.

I've used Umpqua U series, but on the smaller sizes around 18, I've had them bend incorrectly in the vise. They're definitely affordable at less than $8 for 50 hooks, and I've caught tons of fish using these hooks. I definitely don't like the idea of losing the "biggest fish of my life" on a size 20 though.

So what's everyone using?
Thanks!

Stonedfish · Jul 29, 2022

I’ve had good luck in the past with The Fly Shop house brand. Never bought size 18 though….in any brands.

Not as many hook style options as other brands but might be worth looking at.
SF

Norm Frechette · Jul 29, 2022

i use a lot of mustad

ill wait until they are on sale at jstockard

Brian Miller · Jul 29, 2022

For freshwater I use a few of the $5.29 Moonlit "MLxxx" series hooks with the ML062 being particularly nice for my sakasa (reverse hackle) wet flies

Barbless Fly Tying Hooks

Moonlit Fly Fishing is a company dedicated to providing not only the highest quality gear to the everyday angler but overall experience.

moonlitflyfishing.com

GLC · Jul 29, 2022

I've also had good luck with The Fly Shop brand down to size 20.

ABITNF · Jul 29, 2022

Not another cheap hook thread! Sorry, but I can't understand why anyone would want to take the most important link between an angler and a fish and not ensure that the link between the two is as good as possible.

Now, I own a fly shop so I'll admit I want to sell good stuff. I won't be bothered if anyone goes elsewhere but we try to put the best quality in people's hands at a fair price.

Personally, even before I ruined my retirement to enter into this venture, I have never went cheap on hooks and when I tied commercially, I never went cheap on hooks. Why take the risk of loosing a fish and why take the time to tie a fly that may fail.

Smalma · Jul 29, 2022

I realized some 30 years ago that the most critical connection between the fish and me landing it was the hook. At that point my hook selection was based on how the hook preformed in hooking and landing the fish. Currently the bulk of my tying is on various Daiichi and Mustad hooks. For very small hooks (20 to 24s) I typically tied on Orvis big eye hooks.

Curt

GLC · Jul 29, 2022

ABITNF said:
Not another cheap hook thread! Sorry, but I can't understand why anyone would want to take the most important link between an angler and a fish and not ensure that the link between the two is as good as possible.

Now, I own a fly shop so I'll admit I want to sell good stuff. I won't be bothered if anyone goes elsewhere but we try to put the best quality in people's hands at a fair price.

Personally, even before I ruined my retirement to enter into this venture, I have never went cheap on hooks and when I tied commercially, I never went cheap on hooks. Why take the risk of loosing a fish and why take the time to tie a fly that may fail.

The gentleman asked about affordable hooks. In my mind and experience, affordable hooks do not necessarily mean cheap hooks. The Fly Shop has been selling their affordable hooks for many years. I'm sure that would not be the case if they were cheap hooks.

Now, affordable tippet material is a whole other story.....affordable tippet does mean cheap material.

Travis Bille · Jul 31, 2022

I really wish dia-riki was still around. What happened there?

Buzzy · Jul 31, 2022

ABITNF said:
Not another cheap hook thread! Sorry, but I can't understand why anyone would want to take the most important link between an angler and a fish and not ensure that the link between the two is as good as possible.

Now, I own a fly shop so I'll admit I want to sell good stuff. I won't be bothered if anyone goes elsewhere but we try to put the best quality in people's hands at a fair price.

Personally, even before I ruined my retirement to enter into this venture, I have never went cheap on hooks and when I tied commercially, I never went cheap on hooks. Why take the risk of loosing a fish and why take the time to tie a fly that may fail.

I'm with you on this. I made the mistake of buying hooks in lots of 100 hooks per bag from a fly shop that marketed them with their store's name. I found some of the hooks to have eyes that weren't completely closed and a few where the point/barb were not fully formed. Like a dumb ass, I went ahead and tied flies using these hooks.

One morning I was fishing a local lake and caught a very nice rainbow, one pushing 20 inches. Later that morning I had three great grabs and missed all three fish. After the third hard grab and no hook up, I looked at the hook. It was bent, not straight but certainly not in the shape you expect a 3906 to be and straightened enough where no fish would ever be "hooked". Certainly I should have noticed this when I unhooked the first fish: I was concentrating on the fish, not the hook. Those hooks got tossed into the garbage can, along with a few dozen flies I'd tied on them (I wonder if I got all of them out of my boxes?).

Lesson learned.

Divad · Jul 31, 2022

+1 @cedarslug Umqua U555 Jig Hooks for all my anadromous nymphs, size 6-10.

ABITNF · Jul 31, 2022

Travis Bille said:
I really wish dia-riki was still around. What happened there?

They were a pretty good hook. The ones I have remaining all have Dan Bailey's Fly Shop branded on the packs. Someone there might know. If you see anything you like now I highly recommend you buy lots because the way things come and go in fly gear and tying stuff, nothing lasts forever and the only guarantee seems to be that buying anything next time will cost you more than last time and be harder to find.

cedarslug · Aug 2, 2022

Thanks for the recommendations! I haven't lost a fish due to a hook yet, and will do a quick test of durability in the vise. Agree with those that have had poor experiences with cheap hooks; hence, why I asked about affordable hooks, and the word affordable being relative. Haha!

I am gonna try the Fly Shop brand for now, and keep Moonlit in mind because they come barbless (no more extra step of crimping the barb!) I'll report back after a handful of trips of trout fishing. Thanks y'all.

RCF · Aug 2, 2022

All my hooks are affordable because I am still trying to use up all the Mustad and Dai-Riki hooks I bought in the 80's and 90's. When I stopped tying 18's and 20's they just sit there now.

I still end up buying 10's -16's for dries and nymphs. Not as much worried about costs because having good quality hooks means I do not have worries when on the water...

I also recycle hooks from flies (experiments) - very affordable - and removes my thoughts "what was I doing"...

RCF · Aug 2, 2022

Travis Bille said:
I really wish dia-riki was still around. What happened there?

Some are still available:

Dai-Riki Hooks- Tight Lines Fly Fishing

We stock the full line of Dai-Riki Hooks including the 060, 065, 070, 125, 135, 285, 300, 305, 320, 710, 730, 899 & 930

www.tightlinesflyfishing.com

Dai-Riki Hooks

Dai-Riki Hooks - Dai-Riki # 899 Salmon / Steelhead Fly Hooks - {TPL_ESTORE_CURRENT_CATEGORY_TITLE}

www.montanaflygoods.com

Lots of other places have some in stock too... May be worth a search or two to see if you can find what you want...

FinLuver · Aug 2, 2022

My buddy’s fly shop was clearing out the Dai-Riki…

I wrote down what styles/sizes I like to tie on. Then, made a visit to his shop…took out every container, in the box they were stored, on top of his counter…sorted by style # and made my selections… at a discounted price, it was a prodigious effort.

clarkman · Aug 2, 2022

For little trout stuff, it's nearly always Orvis hooks (I have no idea who makes them for them, but QC is typically very good). Dai-Rikis were also pretty good. Every time I have tried to go cheap (yes, very different than affordable), I've been very disappointed. For larger streamer stuff, it's almost always Ahrex, Gami, or Owner. Not really super affordable or cheap, but top of the line hooks all around. I figure, why risk THAT being the issue?

ABITNF · Aug 2, 2022

I was told that Orvis takes a smattering of hook suppliers offerings and rebrands them. I've laid some of their styles down by Mustad, Daiichi, Tiemco and Maruto and found some matches. They don't have a hook factory of their own. Maruto are made by Dohitomi who also make hooks for several other brands. This link tells of the history of Dohitomi and Maruto: https://marutohooks.com/history-1

Buzzy · Aug 2, 2022

ABITNF said:
I was told that Orvis takes a smattering of hook suppliers offerings and rebrands them. I've laid some of their styles down by Mustad, Daiichi, Tiemco and Maruto and found some matches. They don't have a hook factory of their own. Maruto are made by Dohitomi who also make hooks for several other brands. This link tells of the history of Dohitomi and Maruto: https://marutohooks.com/history-1

Are you still able to get Maruto hooks? I do like them, wish they were available in the lower 48.