partridge hooks

[James]

bugger me ,,,, my partridge clinkhammer hooks just arrived and hell there big lol i bought the size 14.

[Wildfisher]

I use mainly 18s  James. Even they are like meat-hooks.  :lol:

[James]

lol i foolishly went by the step x step i found on an American site ,,,,  :roll: yep i know everything is bigger over there including most Americans lol...
so i guess thats why they use size 14 hooks. ah well i will use them , might catch something with them pmsl.

[Highlander]

I got caught out with these when they first came out. A word of warning too the rest methinks.
Tight Lines

[deergravy]

I'm guessing they size them by the width of the gape?
Very misleading, a size 18 is about a 12 fly on a normal hook

[Oh and I'd avoid 'The Dry' in #18 - nice hooks but not strong enough for biggish fish, same goes for Varivas 2210 and Tiemco 212Y. (IMHO :roll:)
Tiemco 2488 is a great hook]

[Traditionalist]

I make my own, ensures that I get what I want.  Some of the commercial efforts would make good boat anchors.

TL
MC

[haresear]

 The Partridge sizing is bizarre. I use a 16 for march browns  :roll:

I agree with Deergravy about "The Dry" and the Varivas bendy bloody 2210. Hadn't tried the Tiemco 212Y, but I trust Davy's judgement, so won't be getting any of those.

I make my own, ensures that I get what I want.  Some of the commercial efforts would make good boat anchors.

Seriously Mike? You make your own hooks? :shock:


TL
MC
[/quote]

[Traditionalist]

The Partridge sizing is bizarre. I use a 16 for march browns  :roll:

I agree with Deergravy about "The Dry" and the Varivas bendy bloody 2210. Hadn't tried the Tiemco 212Y, but I trust Davy's judgement, so won't be getting any of those.

Seriously Mike? You make your own hooks? :shock:

Yes, have done for years. Even gave classes in it once, there was a lot of interest, although most wanted to make salmon irons. Nowadays, for stuff like klinkhammer hooks I modify hooks I already have, ( or buy what I require). It has become increasingly difficult to obtain the high quality wire required for small hooks. Also there is little point in doing a lot of work when you can obtain stuff that is basically already mostly done for you.

I anneal the hooks I want to use, reform them as desired, and then re-harden and re-temper ( This is the most critical part of the job. You need knowledge and practice to get it right).

( I am, among other things, a journeyman blacksmith, and I like to keep my hand in. I go around to a friend's smithy regularly and forge various things, knives are popular, especially Damascus steel, which is a bit of a speciality of mine).

TL
MC

[haresear]

Yes, have done for years. Even gave classes in it once, there was a lot of interest, although most wanted to make salmon irons. Nowadays, for stuff like klinkhammer hooks I modify hooks I already have. It has become increasingly difficult to obtain the high quality wire required for small hooks. Also there is little point in doing  lot of work when you cn obtain stuff that is basically already mostly done for you.

I anneal the hooks I want to use, reform them as desired, and then re-harden and re-temper ( This is the most critical part of the job. You need knowledge and practice to get it right).

( I am, among other things, a journeyman blacksmith).

I am impressed, big time. Talk about tying your own flies...

Alex

[Traditionalist]

I am impressed, big time. Talk about tying your own flies...

Alex

People are often impressed by it, but that was never my intention. Years ago we had to make our own to get what we wanted. Like many things it seems very difficult ( or even impossible) to many people who are used to buying whatever they need, it is however not really all that difficult if you do a little research and practice a bit. You don't need to be a blacksmith either!

Basic tools and instructions here;

http://www.luminarium.org/renascence-editions/berners/berners.html

QUOTE:

SO whan you haue as many of the lynkes as ye suppose wil suffyse for the length of a lyne: than must ye knyt them together with a water knot, or els a duches knot, and when your knot is knyt: cut of the voyte short endes a straw bred fro the knot. Thus shall your lynes be fayre and fyne, and also right sure for any maner of fysshe.
YE shall vnderstande, that the moste subtill and hardest craft in makyng your harneys, is for to make your hookes. For whose makyng ye must haue feete toles thyn and sharpe and small beaten, a semy clam of yron, a bender, a payre of long and small tones, and an harde knyfe somedely thyke and an anuylde, and a lytle hamner.

And for small fysshe, ye shall make your hookes of the smallest quarell nedilles that ye can fynde of stele, and in this wyse ye shall put the quarell in a read charcole fyre, tyll it be of the same coloure that the fyre is. Than take hym out and let hym kele, and ye shall fynde hym well allayed for to fyle. Than rayse the barde with your knyfe, and make the poynt sharpe. Than alay him agayne or els he will breake in the bendyng. Than bende hym lyke to the bende accordyng to the purpose. And greater hookes ye shall make in the same wyse of great nedles, as broderers nedelles, or taylers, or shoomakers nedles, spere pointes of shoomakers nailes, in especiall the best for greate fysshe, and loke that they bend at the poynt wha[n] they ben assayed, for els they be not good. whan the hoke is bended bete the hinder ende abrode, and fyle it smothe for fretting of the lyne. Than put it into the fyre agayne, & geue it an easy read heate. Than sodonly quenche it in water, and it wyll be harde and strong. And for to haue knowledge in your instruments: loe they be here in figure portrayed.

Hamer, Knyfe Pynsops, Clame, Wedge, Fyle, Wrest, & Inuelde.



UNQUOTE

That was published in 1496 and they haven't changed much! Needles were used as base material, usually blue Spanish needles, which are a dark slate blue as a result of the temper. This gave rise to quite a few other fly-fishing related names for flies etc.  You can still use needles if you want.

TL
MC