Hook Design = Effect

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chrome/22

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Looking at the old school streamer hooks with the down turning eye & 3X long shank, I always wondered do guys tie them like that because that's how it's always been done?

Or

Does that particular hook geometry actually empart a more realistic swimming effect for the fly?

Then you have the Atlantic salmon fly patterns that have the twin side by side hook points, I'm pretty sure I get that one.


c/22
 
I tie lots of Bull trout flies and some steelhead flies on classic long shank new england streamer hooks. Allows me to fish a larger fly with a reasonable sized hook gape to minimize mortality and damage to the mouth...

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And no, I've had no trouble with fish coming off due to the leverage of the long shank.
 
Interesting Dave

Mid 80's l fished a streamer on the style hook @ Davis lake in Oregon during its hayday. All trout no bass days.

This metallic red streamer we called the Bhagwan (if you know you know) would be swung over the weed tops in that shallow water fishery. I have to say that hook stayed put during some acrobatics by those 18-22" rainbows
 
Dave Westburg said:
I tie lots of Bull trout flies and some steelhead flies on classic long shank new england streamer hooks. Allows me to fish a larger fly with a reasonable sized hook gape to minimize mortality and damage to the mouth...

View attachment 176612


View attachment 176611

And no, I've had no trouble with fish coming off due to the leverage of the long shank.
Click to expand...
Dave,

Do you have a good source for those style of hooks? I've been struggling to find them locally.
 
I too have a hard time finding the long shank hooks in local stores. Maybe someone else can weigh in on a good local source. Dette flies has a great selection of streamer hooks. I like their Mustad 5X long and 7X long hooks.

Streamer Hooks

Established in 1928, Dette Flies is the oldest family run fly fishing shop in the world. View our range of flies, rods, reels, tying materials, tackle and gear.
detteflies.com detteflies.com
 
Stone River Outfitters also has some great long shank streamer hooks like the Partridge CS5 9x long hook.

www.stoneriveroutfitters.com

Partridge CS5-9X Heritage Streamer Hooks

Partridge CS5-9X Heritage Streamer Hooksby Partridge of RedditchRound Bend, 9X Long, Forged Strong, Down Eye (Ring), Bronze Finish.Ideal for traditional feathered and bucktail wing streamers alike, Partridge's classically inspired CS5-9X Heritage Streamer
www.stoneriveroutfitters.com www.stoneriveroutfitters.com
 
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I've been getting into winter dry line fishing for steelhead and love tying on the old classics like the code Ms. Heavy hooks that get down a bit on their own if tied sparsely. I fish a lot of winters hope style flies in various colors and they get down like some T7. Plus, they just look cool and are fun to tie on.

This one is a hair wing style but has been good to me recently.

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I assume the main reason streamer hooks of old had turned down eyes is because that was just standard. Maybe someone thought the down turned eye would dive more than straight or up turned? No clue.
Of course, most of the real old ones had the straight silk gut eyes.
 
skyriver said:
I assume the main reason streamer hooks of old had turned down eyes is because that was just standard. Maybe someone thought the down turned eye would dive more than straight or up turned? No clue.
Of course, most of the real old ones had the straight silk gut eyes
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No idea why most streamer flies have turned down eyes. A 5x long straight eye hook is recommended for thunder Creek minnows because it makes it easier to manipulate the materials at the head when tying. Surprised noone wants to tie muddlers with straight eye hooks for the same reason.

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Dave Westburg said:
I tie lots of Bull trout flies and some steelhead flies on classic long shank new england streamer hooks. Allows me to fish a larger fly with a reasonable sized hook gape to minimize mortality and damage to the mouth...

View attachment 176612


View attachment 176611

And no, I've had no trouble with fish coming off due to the leverage of the long shank.
Click to expand...
Love those Supervisors.
 
www.jsflyfishing.com

Heritage L87 Streamer Fly Hook

Mustad Heritage 50 packs have been discontinued. Get them while supplies last!This is a 3X strong, 7X long, down eye, Limerick bend streamer hook. Perfect for New England style long flies, buggers, buck tails and trolling lures. Fitted with the new TitanX matte gun metal finish for reduced...
www.jsflyfishing.com www.jsflyfishing.com
Not local, but ...
 
Dave Westburg said:
Surprised noone wants to tie muddlers with straight eye hooks for the same reason.

View attachment 176629
Click to expand...
I like ol Han's version of this SRC standard. But tie mine with a straight eyed Gamakatsu



His narrative is kinda creepy, like a step by step with Dr Hannibal Lechner 😕

c/22
 
skyriver said:
I assume the main reason streamer hooks of old had turned down eyes is because that was just standard. Maybe someone thought the down turned eye would dive more than straight or up turned? No clue.
Of course, most of the real old ones had the straight silk gut eyes.
Click to expand...

The reason for both up eyed and down eyed hooks is that the favorite knot for fly fishing way back when was a turle knot. (It’s a knot that is tied around the head of the fly with the leader going straight through the eye, kind of like the egg loop knot that everyone uses around here, just in case you don’t know). Dry flies used up eyed hooks to maintain the hook gap, so wet flies used down eyed hooks so that they would be different. Straight eyed hooks are harder to manufacture, and fly fishing is full of stupid old traditions that stick around way after the time they should, so even though leader technology has long since made the use of the turle knot unnecessary, the turned down eye persists. The turned up eye dry fly hook has pretty much died out, because if you tie to the eye of one of those, you hook less fish.
 
Chucker said:
...fly fishing is full of stupid old traditions that stick around way after the time they should...
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This is truth.
There are a TON of TradChads who perpetuate the BS dogma without thinking critically about form, function, and functionality.
 
I used to tie my large streamers on more traditional long streamer hooks…then I started to fish for rainbows in Alaska…and had large 24”+ bows toss the hooks while going airborne. I started to tie more swing style streamers with trailer hooks on braid, and lost way fewer fish to acrobatics…
 
I bet they used those hooks because they were just looking for a bigger canvas to work with. A 3x or longer streamer hook is not optimal for hooking and keeping a fish hooked, but I bet it wasn't a problem when double digit days for salmon or big trout was not uncommon.
 
Chucker said:
leader technology has long since made the use of the turle knot unnecessary
Click to expand...
I always use a double turle knot when swinging turned up flies for steelhead. No one will ever convince me there's a better knot for that situation. (y)
I can't remember if it was Trey Combs or Bill McMillan that argued the knot allows a straight pull on the fly, therefore pulls the hook point into the fish, so a more sticky setup. A clinch or even a loop knot (all the young guys are going to gasp) pulls the hook point away from the fish therefore less sticky.
I took it hook, line & sinker and haven't looked back. Cuz it was a turle.... Sorry, couldn't resist. 😁
 
That is an awkward looking knot.
 
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