Wide Gape Hooks

[mackiia1]

I must have a look at those FM hooks - are they heavy or medium wire hooks

[Wildfisher]

Stan endorses Fulling Mill Hooks so they must be the  best. 

[Highlander]

Stan endorses Fulling Mill Hooks so they must be the  best

I use them too, so must be the best then..
:roll:

Kidding aside Fulling Mill Medium are the ones I use for "most" of my Wet Fly. They offer a good range of styles on their other hooks & to date I have not been let down by them. Certainly worth trying some if you have not already done so.
On as an aside they are made by Hayabusa, just badged with Fulling Mill.
Tight Lines

[haresear]

I must have a look at those FM hooks - are they heavy or medium wire hooks

They do a full range. There are fine wire options and meathooks too If I remember right the heavy wire versions have the suffix "1".

On as an aside they are made by Hayabusa, just badged with Fulling Mill.

I had thought they might have been Kamasans, but that clears that up. I use FM a lot too. Very good hooks, unlike the dreaded Varivas 2200. I probably have one or two hundred of those and if anyone wants them they are welcome.

The longer the shank the more leverage and out pops the hook. I used to tie a minnow on long shank 12's for the Devon river browns but it lost 80% of the fish. On the other hand my main sea trout fly was on a size 4 longshank and this held reasonably well (as well as anything else with fresh run sea trout). So it would seem bigger LS hooks are better than smaller ones.

That mirrors my own experiences.

However I think you can go too far the other way. I gave up on wide gape hooks because I never seemed to hook many fish on them. I can't recall what pattern they were and anyway I seem to be on my own in not liking wide gapes.

I generally prefer a more standard hook too in terms of shank length/gape and it is only really when I think the hooking ability is compromised by  the shape of the body or suchlike that I bring the wide gapes into play. Sometimes with say beadheads I will just dress the fly "short" by tying a relatively small dressing on a larger size of hook. It gives pretty much the same result as the wide gape.

Alex

[Suki1312]

I must have a look at those FM hooks - are they heavy or medium wire hooks

They come in different gauges mate , right up too black nickel for wets , nymphs etc . Used kamasan for years then tried these , never looked back .

[haresear]

That's a good illustration of the difference in the angle of pull Andy.

Up eyed hooks are also less good at hooking than down eyed for the same reason but I'm probably into splitting hairs now.

I don't think you are splitting hairs at all. I have a couple of packets of up-eyed hooks (Turral I think) which I won't use for that very reason. They are quite short in the shank too, meaning they are particularly poor hookers .

Alex

[Wildfisher]

OK, with ref. to Andy's  photos and up eyed hooks being worse-  does it follow that shank length for  shank length wider gape hooks are less effective at hooking up than standard gape hooks because the angle of penetration of the hook point depends on the distance between the hook point and the point of pull - which is the eye? 

[haresear]

does it follow that shank length for  shank length wider gape hooks are less effective at hooking up than standard gape hooks because the angle of penetration of the hook point depends on the distance between the hook point and the point of pull

In a word, yes. But that angle of pull can be easily changed to be more effective if the hook point is curved inward to be more in line with the eye if that makes sense? A bit like those beaked sea hooks - baitholders.

Alex

[haresear]

Andy we are obviously on the same train of thought, which is worrying for you  :lol:

Here's some info on hooks from Mustad..  http://www.mustad.no/230912www/products/hookanatomy.html

Alex

[mackiia1]

They come in different gauges mate , right up too black nickel for wets , nymphs etc . Used kamasan for years then tried these , never looked back .

I just got some of the FM barbless hooks - the code is -   FM 35025 - if anyone interested.
They look perfect - sizes 12 and 14 for spider / wets during the early season.
Thanks for the heads up.
Ian