It all begins with the hook. While we could talk about each part of the connection to a fish being vital, none are more vital than the hook. As a fly tyer, the first real choice we have in creating an imitation is what hook(s) are we using as a platform to tie our fly on. The hook helps determine the length and shape of the fly. It helps determine how well the fly will float, or sink. And it, of course, helps determine how likely we are to hook and land fish.
In my experiences, among the most difficult things to learn for fly tyers are how to judge what are good materials for a particular purpose and trying to get their minds around what the hell hook numbers mean. Before understanding hook numbers, one needs a little understanding of hook anatomy and terminology.
Hook Anatomy & Terminology
There is rather a lot to know about hooks as they vary in size, shape, wire weight, eye, bend, gape, and other characteristics. Hooks are typically categorized by their anatomy (length, shape, type of eye, etc.) and the wire used. Wire gage is pretty simple - standard wire is, well, standard and are all-purpose hooks. Fine wire is typically for dry flies and heavy wire hooks are typically for nymphs and streamers. I can't say I know a lot about the types of wire used and how hardening affects a hook but some certainly "bend out" easier than others, particularly in light wire hooks.
Often hook categories are simply what flies are tied with them - i.e. dry fly, nymph, streamer, "predator", or other designation. Sometimes these designations are even more specific - 2xl or 3xl dry fly hooks might be labeled stonefly hooks and those in heavy wire might be labeled stonefly nymph or streamer hooks.
Anatomy - From Front to back
Eye - hook eyes are typically down eye but streamers and wet flies / softhackles are sometimes tied on straight eyed hooks. A few dry flies and top-water salmon flies are tied on up-eye hooks. And there are a (very) few streamer hooks with a vertical ring eye like the MFC Vertical Eye Streamer Hook 7052. There are different ways that hook eyes are closed but I doubt that matters much to the angler or the fish.
Wire - I sort of covered this already but they tend to be listed as standard and either extra-heavy or strong (XH or XS) or light wire which is typically one gage smaller than standard.
Shank Length - for most hooks, length is measured from behind the eye to a point on the shank above the barb of the hook, however this varies for hooks with non-standard shapes. Shank lengths are standard, short (s) or long (l) with a number hook eyes short or long it is preceding the s or l designation. For example, a 2xl is two hook eyes longer than standard and a 1xs is one hook eye length shorter than standard.
Shank Shape - while most hook shanks are straight, there are some hooks that have a specialized shape to them Some examples are hooks for terrestrials and stoneflies that have a curved shank and a few very specialized hooks designed for swimming nymphs, crippled dry flies / emergers, and for specialized streamers that have other unique shank shapes.
Bend - The bend has an effect on the shape of a hook and sometimes, the hook's ability to hook fish. Not going to get into bend types in any detail but there will be a list of links to hook anatomies below.
Gap (or Gape) - This is essentially how you hook fish so it is quite important. Hook gaps are "standard" (though there is no real standardization) or wide. Wide gapes are more common on "uniquely shaped hooks" - those for terrestrials, "grub hooks", bass poppers, and other hooks for specific purposes.
Barb and Point - are generally not something I get too worked up about. Most hooks are sharp out of the box and a few passes of a hook sharpener will get them needle-sharp again. While it is not common, sometimes the point is offset meaning that it is not inline with the hook shank - this is most common on really small hooks to help increase hooking success. Quite a few hooks for fly tying are barbless, not that debarbing them yourself is much work.
If this was all quite confusing, that is because it is all quite confusing. There is a lot to know - however, most hook packages tell you what you need to know. There is little standardization and each manufacturer, to some degree, does their own thing. Let's look at a few hook packages.
Above is a Umpqua model U301 streamer hook in a size 2. Oh, I haven't even mentioned sizes yet - talk about more confusion and lack of standardization. The smallest hooks are size 32 (#32) and the largest 20/0. After size 1, hooks move into the "aught" system where 1/0 is the smallest and sizes then increase as the number before the "/0" increases. Who the hell devised this numbering system?
Back to Umpqua U301 streamer hook - as the package tells us, it has a down eye, as do most fly hooks, it is made of a heavy gage wire (1x strong), and has hook shank that is 3 eye lengths longer than standard (3XL). The other thing to talk about is the hook number which means nothing unless you know something about the hook numbering system of each manufacturer. Umpqua tends to use a system similar to Tiemco (TMC) as do / have a few other manufacturers. Tiemco has sort of become the standard - not that there is a standard. I have been at it long enough to remember when the standard was the Mustad line of hooks and we remembered numbers like 94840, 9671 and 9672, and the 3906B. I can make no sense of their numbering system.
Above is a chart from Tiemco (TMC) explaining the relationship between shank length and wire gage - probably the two most important factors for choosing a hook. Let's take a look at my favorite dry fly hook, Tiemco's 102Y. Tiemco's description of the hook is:
TMC102Y
For quick-taking strikes
Dry Fly, D/E, 1XF, Wide gape, Forged, Black.
Originally designed as a solution for the "quick take" strikes of Japanese native trout, TMC 102Y has become a standard hook for tying parachute-style patterns. The point has moved back slightly for more secure hooking. Black finish, odd sizes and down-eye only.
The description tells us it is black, fine wire, down eye hook with a shorter point and it is designed for short striking fishes. The forged wire is quite strong for a light wire (designated by the 1XF) hook. Unlike other hooks, it comes in odd sizes - 15 and 17 are my favorites for the CDC and Elk, the fly I use it for the most. The biggest downside to the TMC 102Y is the price.
These are the same Mustad hooks from above. These are from the "Alpha Point" series (who comes up with these names?) that has yet another new numbering system (Mustad website). The first letter looks to tell you about the bend - R for round and S for sproat. The second digit - an 8 or a 7, looks to explain the wire gage - the 8 is a 3XH (heavy) hook, the 7 is a 2XH hook (I assume 5 is the standard wire gage). The third digit - a 2 or a 3 - is the length designation; 2XL or 3XL. It's all so simple, right? Or maybe not.
One last example - this time from Firehole Outdoors - which calls their hooks "sticks" and their beads "stones" (clever, eh?). This is a Firehole 839 streamer hook in a size 8. It is a hook made with heavy gage wire, the shank is three hook eyes longer than typical (3XL), and the hook has a gape twice as wide as typical for a #8 hook (2XG). It comes barbless. I bought these for woolly buggers and other such flies.
For more about hook anatomies and how sizes work, here are some links:
What the Beginning Fly Tyer Needs to Know
If I were getting started at tying flies for trout today, I would pick a manufacturer and buy a well-thought out selection of hooks to cover the basics. I am pretty much "brand agnostic" when it comes to fly hooks and I have hooks from at least a dozen and a half different manufacturers. There are some hooks - particularly standard dry fly hooks - where I am more willing to buy a more expensive hook because in my experience, this is where hook matters the most. Once you get to extra heavy hooks, few of them will "bend out" and I can run a file over them to get them sharp.
Standard Dry Fly Hook - Obviously sizes depend a bit upon where you fish but standard dry flies are typically sizes 12 to 18 with 14 and 16 being the most common. I use these for most of my midge, caddis, and mayfly dry flies and some of my ant and beetle imitations.
2XL Dry Fly Hook - Longer shanked dry flies are often for stoneflies and terrestrials like beetles, crickets, and hoppers. A few larger mayflies are also tied on long-shanked hooks. Most grasshopper imitations I tie are size 12 but I'd have #10 and #14 hooks as well.
Standard Nymph Hooks - Essentially the same as the standard dry fly hooks but made of a heavier wire. I mostly use these hooks in sizes 14 through 18. And I like 1XL (1 hook eye longer) for some beadhead nymphs - and for nymphs, I might just buy 1XL hooks instead of standard length hooks. Sometimes good for foam dry flies
Streamer / Bugger Hook - Here is where you really have a lot of options. To simplify it a bit, particularly if you are just getting started, remember that a size 10 2xl hook is essentially the same length as a size 8 hook. I prefer Woolly Buggers and related flies on 3XL hooks and use these in size 8 to 12 most commonly.
Curved Hooks - Not a purchase necessarily needed for the beginning tyer but I like this for smaller nymphs and sometimes dry flies because they tend to give the hook a wider gape, which is more beneficial on smaller hooks. I use these mostly in sizes from 18 to 24.
Bass Hooks - The bass stinger hook style is pretty versatile for a number of streamers - particularly articulated flies. Gamakatsu B10s has sort of become the standard but there are many other options (see the hook conversion chart links below). These probably are not among the first hooks that I'd purchase.
You do not need to remember all the hook numbers, most of the boxes give you all the information you need to know. Then a bit of organization will help you keep your dry fly hooks separate from nymph hooks and from your streamer hooks. I have thousands of hooks and them organized into even smaller groups such as standard, long-shanked, and curved/emerger for my dry fly hooks and nymph hooks are similarly organized. FlyHooks.org is probably the best single source for all you'd need to know about fly tying hooks.
Links to Hook Conversion Charts and Information:
Wrapping it up and Future Posts
This is the golden age of fly tying hooks. There have never been more options for the fly tyer - which is generally great but it can be overwhelming. Almost nobody knows all the hook numbers and what they mean. Most of us learn and remember a few of our favorite and most used hook models and use conversion charts (links are above) to find similar hooks by other manufacturers. If you are just getting started - start with a manufacturer and figure out what models you like.
Hooks are typically the most expensive and most important part of most flies. You can pay from a few cents per hook to well over a dollar to larger "predator" hooks. The Tiemco 102Y hooks that I earlier said were quite expensive are about 37 cents a hook if you buy them in 25 packs, a little cheaper if you can find them in 100 packs. By comparison, Firehole Sticks 419 - their most comparable dry fly hook is about 23 cents a piece. Whether or not you want to pay the difference for what most think is a better hook, that is up to you. I would argue against going super-bargain basement, at least in light wire (dry fly) hooks. For heavier wire nymph and streamer hooks, I'd give less expensive hooks a few passes of a hook hone before fishing them. Part of what you pay for in more expensive hooks is better tempered wire and chemical sharpening.
I have collected a bunch of data on hooks that I plan to analyze and share, eventually. And, over this winter, I plan to have a few more Fly Tying 101 posts about things like thread, dubbing, and maybe a few other materials. For now, there are links below to local online shops and the hooks they carry and to posts I've written in the past that are most related to this post.
Links to Hooks from Local Fly Shops (alphabetical order)
Links to past The Scientific Fly Angler Posts
Fly Tying 101 - A Beginner's Guide to Essential Techniques
Tying the Life Cycle posts
Project Terrestrial Posts