Hooks

[minitube]

Just doing a little research for an article. What are your preferred single and double hooks for salmon flies? What hooks have you found to have the best hooking qualities? Only for tying flies on - not for tubes.

[speycaster]

small partridge wilson doubles 14,16s,for tying on ,for tubes i use partridge needle eye tube fly doubles for singles i use salars ,black and silver in sizes, 7,9,and11s

[Fruin]

The Salar doubles take some beating for holding fish; I've yet to lose a fish on a Salar. I think that they can look a bit clumsy with some dressings, and if I want a slimmer, overall profile, the VMC hooks seem good and hang onto fish OK. I also like the Partridge low water doubles for dressing on, as well as the Wilsons. However I seem to have lost a few fish on these.
I like the wilsons and the low water hooks for singles. I've yet to hook anything on a Salar single.
I once tried the Bartleet singles, but they started to break in the vice!
I like the quality of Loop doubles, but wish they had a better eye for turle knots, and a slightly longer shank.
Overall - Double Salars, Double VMC's, and Partridge Low Water Singles.

[speycaster]

do you not find the salar doubles a bit heavy , i can vouch for their strength having a size 7 double in my thumb [both side of the hook] lol i just dont think there is any give [spring ]in them and why dont they do smaller sizes

[colliedog]

fruin said:

I like the quality of Loop doubles, but wish they had a better eye for turle knots, and a slightly longer shank.
Overall - Double Salars, Double VMC's, and Partridge Low Water Singles.

Interesting comments Fruin - its funny how different people approach an issue form different directions .

Personnally I seek out hooks with a straight or slightly down eyed hook as it allows me to do away with turle knots and stick with an untucked half blood (yet to let me down). To me the turle knot is an inconvenience developed to overcome the annoying tendency to make salmon hooks with an upturned eye. Hence my habit of assaulting upeyed hooks and waddingtons with a pair of pliers . Sorry, but I have never had much time for aesthetics - anyone who has seem me cast will confirm .

I fish mainly with doubles these days whether with tubes or dressed flies. Favoured types are loop and partridge BMD for tubes, partridge heavy nymph double (slight down eye) for dressed flies. Would be good if they made these in a size 6. Can't say I have noticed any particular advantage or disadvantage over trebles in terms of holding fish since moving towards doubles. Still land about the same ratio of fish hooked.

CD

[Fruin]

Colliedog,

I always used to fish with a half blood knot. However, quite often the knot can grip, or move to, a position of the eye that is not centred. This can lead to the fly swiming at an odd angle.

This was pointed out to me while sea trout fishing, where it is less convenient (in the dark) to keep checking that your fly is swimming correctly.

Whenever I cannot get a decent turle knot on a hook, I usually thread the leader through the eye twice before finishing with a half blood knot or a grinner knot, carefully tightened. I find that I can get the knot to stay in position, for the most part, by getting the knot as tight as possible. Kercock once made a good point about getting the bend(s) of the hook through a D ring or similar and pulling the leader tight to ensure that the knot gets enough bite to stay in position - Good Advice .

[altmor]

Couple of Copper cascades tied for the back end. Ken Sawanda doubles, size 8 and a perfect "up-eye" for the turle. Scanned images so a touch "shiny" - I'll get round to proper photo and post in fly tying section soon.

Cheers,

Altmor.

[minitube]

Many thanks for all the posts. it is good to hear about the experience / preferences of others.

Great flies Altmor, lovely proportions and style.

Peronally I think the Turle knot is important on bigger rivers. On bigger rivers where you are Spey casting distance the fly will hinge.
On smaller rivers the forces applied in casting aren't as great and you can get away with a half blood and regular checking.

Most people in Ireland don't use a Turle knot and most situations don't require it. However on the likes of the Shannon, Suir, Mourne or Nore and parts of the lower Blackwater I think it necessary to use the Turle to ensure no "downtime" with presentation.

On a big and fast river if the fly hinges it is not sitting or fishing well in the current, the fish definitely don't like a hinged fly. Its not natural looking to them.

With some hooks if I am going to use a turle knot I usually tie the fly with the head finishing a little from the start of the eye. A little bit of shank may be exposed.