Fall 2008 • Hatches Magazine The Essentials of a Good Fly

The Essentials of a Good FlyHook: The temper of an angel and
penetration of a prophet; fine enough
to be invisible and strong enough to
kill a bull in a ten-acre field. -- G.S.
Marryat
It is said that the history of man
may be seen in the history of the
hook. If so, then the history of man is
complex and growing ever specialized. – Darrel Martin
The art of tying a fly begins with a
hook and a spool of tying thread (or
copper wire, in the case of the classic Pheasant Tail Nymph designed
by Frank Sawyer). The hook is the
backbone upon which materials are
mounted and fastened with thread.
Just as threads are spun with various materials and have distinct properties – denier (unit of weight), diameter, elasticity, and breaking strength,
hooks have common components
– shank, bend, wire, eye, gap, throat,
spear, point, barb, and finish – with
variable characteristics. One way to
understand, to compare, and to evaluate hooks, barbless or otherwise, is
to look at the various hook components from different manufacturers.
Not unlike understanding the properties of thread materials, understanding the characteristics of hooks helps
one select the best hook for the purpose at hand.
Fishing hooks were originally
made of bone, shell, and thorn and
were fashioned without barbs. The
first metal hooks, made of Egyptian
copper, were barbless. By Roman
times, however, barbs appeared on
bronze and iron hooks. Bending iron
or bronze, or steel wire, into a particular hook shape requires a barb,
what Jeff Pierce of Mustad USA
calls an “anchoring point”. That is,
a wedge-like, raised ‘barb’ cut into
the metal wire which ‘anchors’ the
wire between the pin and the hook
template while it is being forged.
Contrary to expectation, the production of a barbless hook requires an
initial barb to ‘anchor’ the hook wire
and to shape the hook bend. The
barb is then removed. The added
production time needed to remove a
barb accounts, in part, for the higher
cost of a barbless hook.
Until recently, a majority of the
barbless hooks readily available to
tiers in the US have been replications
of barbed models, less the barbs. A
standard dry-fly barbless hook such
as the TMC100BL, for instance, is
identical to the model TMC 100, less
the barb. Likewise, Mustad 94845
and Daiichi 1190 are the barbless
equivalents of their standard dry-fly
hooks, Mustad 94840 and Daiichi
1180, respectively. Orvis also manufactures a standard barbless dry-fly
hook, the Orvis 1877. The same
holds true for most of the currently available barbless nymph hooks
(TMC 200RBL; TMC 3761BL; TMC
5263BL; Partridge BIN) and scud
hooks (TMC 2487BL; Daiichi 1250).
Of course there have been exceptions, and recent innovations. These
‘uniquely’ barbless designs share
many of the same characteristics.
Designed specifically as barbless
hooks for barbless fishing, they differ
from those barbless models that are
otherwise identical to their barbed
counterparts. If you flatten the barb
on a Daiichi 1180, you essentially
have a Daiichi 1190. But was the
Daiichi 1180 designed ideally to be
fished barbless? Certainly, many
anglers have landed many fish on
de-barbed hooks.
To understand many characteristics of barbless hook design, it
is helpful to understand some of
the disadvantages of barbed hooks.
Aside from its pivotal role as an
‘anchor’ in the forging process, barbs
are designed to retain fish. On
the other hand, and aside from the
inevitable and senseless harm done
to fish, a barbed hook has many
disadvantages. Darrel Martin, in his
excellent work, Fly-Tying Methods,
explains:
“A wide or long barb may actually
impede penetration. The increased
surface of a large barb, sometimes
described as the ‘resistant wedge,’
requires greater penetrative force.
The entry furrow caused by a large
barb may actually allow the spear
to escape. The primary penetration
resistance occurs on the top of the
Fall 2008 • Hatches Magazine
41
spear where the barb is located. This, of course, allows
the barb to hold under pressure; however, the resistance
may also preclude deep entry by a large barb. When in
doubt, cut the barb out. A sharp point and a flattened barb
may actually increase retention because the spear sinks
deeper into trout tissue. If a barb is present, it should be
small and far enough from the hook heel to allow deep
penetration. The only advantage of a small, delicate barb
may be for airborne trout on slack line.”
These innovative designs, however, are improving barbless hooks in general; and many are originating in Europe,
within the arena of international competition angling. Grip
Hooks, manufactured by S. Africa’s ScientificFly, has introduced a new barbless range which has been well received
in competition circles. These worldwide, barbless-only
competitions are giving rise to better barbless hooks,
those designed purposely for barbless fishing. These
competition hooks typically have longer spears, sharper
and off-set points, deeper ‘throats’, and are often wrought
with stouter wire than traditional barbless hooks.
Fly-fishing with a barbless hook is, or should be, a cus-
tomary extension of catch-and-release practice. Anglers
typically flatten barbs by crimping them with the jaws of
a tying vise or with a pair of pliers; others remove barbs
with a hook file. Fishing and tying flies with hooks that are
manufactured barbless, however, is much less common,
especially in North America.
There are several reasons why barbless hooks are not
more widely used in the States. First, a majority of the
flies that hit the water are purchased, rather than tied, by
anglers. And the countless bins of flies we find in fly-shops
are, with some exceptions, stocked with patterns tied on
barbed hooks.
A few, professional contract tiers, notably Randall
Kaufmann (Umpqua Feather Merchants), the originator of both the popular Stimulator dry-fly series and the
Kaufmann Stonefly nymphs, have requested barbless
hooks in the production of their flies. And a few shops,
such as the Taylor Creek Fly Shops in Basalt and Aspen,
CO, sell only barbless flies.
In addition, most hooks produced now by the major
manufacturers offer smaller barbs than those produced in
Hothead
Originator: Kevin D Compton, USA.
Hook: Knapek Barbless Hooks (W) Wet Fly
Hook #12-16 (Czech Republic).
Thread: Blue Dun Gudebrod 10/0.
Tail: Coq de Leon Fibers (Pardo).
Rib: Small Gold Wire.
Body: Olive Hare’s Ear Fur (loop).
Hotspot: Hot Orange CDC Feather.
Hackle: Gambel’s Quail Neck Feather
Sunkist Emerger
Originator: Kevin D Compton, USA.
Hook: Knapek Barbless Hooks (G) Grub
Hook #12-16 (Czech Republic).
Bead: Orange Glass Bead.
Thread: Tan Fly D&K Thread 80 Denier
#04.
Shuck: Brown Spade Hackle Fibers.
Body: Olive-Brown Goose Biot.
Wingcase: Brown Medallion Sheeting.
Thorax: Natural Hare’s Ear Fur.
42 Hatches Magazine • Fall 2008
the recent past. “Mini”, “Micro”, and
“20% barbs” allow easier crimping
and ensure less harm to fish. A simple, quick pinch can turn a barbed
hook into a barbless fly. Unlike the
“rank barbs” of the past, these smaller, modern barbs are easier to flatten. Since less pressure is needed
to de-barb the hooks, there is less
chance of fracturing small-fly hooks.
They are also easier to remove from
fish; and easier to dislodge from
one’s ear or hand.
Cost is another consideration.
Although many of the barbless
equivalents of barbed models are
the same price as their counterparts,
there are specialty barbless hooks,
such as the Tiemco ‘Super Point-
BL’ range, which cost roughly fiftypercent more per pack. In general,
though, anglers/tiers are less familiar
with the variety and availability of
barbless hooks. Some claim that
they are unnecessary and too costly
– especially if one just carries a pair
of pliers.
Allegiances to hook brands, which
are not uncommon, and which often
fall within a tier’s budget, can also
limit the number of offerings one has
to choose from. In other words, if you
are a mainline ‘Daiichi guy’, say, or
a staunch ‘Mustad tier’ you may be
unaware of other available barbless
models. The majority of barbless
hooks, however, are competitively
priced with their barbed equivalents.
Excluding Tiemco’s “Super Point
Series”, the major manufacturers’
barbless hooks cost between $4.65
and $6.15 per packet of 25 hooks, an
average of $5.40 per packet.
For these same reasons, there
has been little demand in North
America for barbless-made hooks;
and there are fewer models offered
here than in, say, Europe. Most major
hook manufacturers offer barbless
trout fly hooks in the States. Some
produce a wider range of models
than others. According to Bill Chase
at Angler Sport Group, the US distributor of Daiichi hooks, barbless
hooks are “not major players” in the
fly tying market. Within their range
of 30 trout-fly hooks, Daiichi manu-
The Brush Hog
Originator: Kevin D Compton, USA.
Hook: Dohiku G44 Nymph Hook #10-16
(Slovakia).
Beadhead: Tungsten Gold Bead.
Thread: Black Giorgio Benecchi 12/0.
Tail: Coq de Leon Fibers (Pardo).
Body: Dubbing Brush Spun with Fine
Tungsten Wire:
Natural Hare’s Ear Fur and Purple Flash.
Thorax: Black Standard SLF (loop).
Buzz Kill
Originator: Kevin D Compton, USA.
Hook: Gamakatsu C12-B Red Scud
Hook #12-20.
Beadhead: Pearl White Brass Bead.
Thread: Black Giorgio Benecchi 12/0.
Body: Medium Silver Wire.
Thorax: Fire Standard SLF; Black
Squirrel SLF; Black Standard SLF.
Fall 2008 • Hatches Magazine
43
facturers two barbless designs -- a
standard dry fly hook (Daiichi 1190)
and a curved-shank scud/pupa hook
(Daiichi 1250). Collectively, the six
major manufacturers who distribute
barbless hooks in the US – Daiichi
(Angler Sport Group), Gamakatsu
USA, Mustad USA, Orvis, Partridge
(Mustad USA), and Tiemco (Umpqua
Feather Merchants) – offer only twenty-seven different barbless models.
Dry-fly hooks account for nearly half
of those available; there are fewer
nymph and scud hooks; and no barbless streamer hooks available.
tures, yet the hooks are distinctive.
If we look at the basic hook components separately, however, we can
see where their designs diverge. The
descriptions of these components
have been attached to the fly pattern
recipes next to each photo.
Hook Anatomy
The Hook Book: A Reference Guide
for Fly Tyers, Dick Stewart. (Mountain
Pond Publishing Corp., 1986)
The barbless hooks in these photos have many similar design fea-
Hook References and
Information
Hooks for the Fly: The Fly Tier’s
Complete Illustrated Guide, William
E. Schmidt. (Stackpole Books, 2000)
Fly Fishing History, Special Feature:
Hooks. (http://www.flyfishinghistory.
com/hooks.htm)
Mustad: About Hooks. (http://www.
mustad.no/abouthooks/index.php)
Darrel Martin’s Fly-Tying Methods
(The Lyons & Burford Press, 1987),
Micropatterns (The Lyons & Burford
Press, 1994), and The Fly-Fisher’s
Craft (The Lyons Press, 2006) each
have chapters devoted to a discussion of fly hooks.
*NOTE: For a downloadable and
printable barbless hook chart visit
http://hatchesmagazine.com/barbless
CDC & Deer Sedge
Originator: Kevin D Compton, USA.
Hook: Grip Hooks 11801BL Dry Fly Hook
#14-16 (S. Africa).
Thread: Rusty Brown Fly D&K Thread 80
Denier #05.
Body: Blue Ribbon Flies Brachycentrus
Olive Zelon Dubbing.
Wing: Alternate Layers of Natural Dun
CDC and
Bleached Whitetail Deer Hair.
Thorax: Natural & Rusty Brown Hare’s
Ear Fur; Purple Flash; Rusty Brown CDC
Fibers.
CDC Streamer
Originator: Kevin D Compton, USA.
Hook: Knapek Barbless Hooks (S)
Streamer Hook #2-10 (Czech Republic).
Thread: Rusty Brown Fly D&K Thread 80
Denier #05.
Tail: Brown Mottled Marabou; Copper
Flashabou.
Body: Dubbing Brush Spun with Fine
Tungsten Wire: Natural Hare’s Ear Fur &
SLF Fox Squirrel Thorax Dubbing.
Hackle #1: Brown Olive CDC.
Hackle #2: French Partridge Flank Feather.
Collar: Rusty Brown Hare’s Ear Fur;
Orange, Olive, and Rusty Brown
CDC Fibers.
44 Hatches Magazine • Fall 2008
Dancing Bear Cinnamon
Caddis
Originator: Gary LaFontaine, USA.
Hook: Gamakatsu C16-B Swedish
Dry fly Hook #14-16.
Thread: Tan Giorgio Benecchi 12/0.
Body: Fly D&K Cinnamon Dubbing
D #03.
Wing: Early-Harvest Mule Deer
Hair.
Hackle: Cree Whiting Farms
Rooster Saddle Feather.
BWO Extended Mayfly Dun
Originator: Kevin D Compton, USA.
Hook: Grip Hooks 14723BL Emerger
Hook #12-18 (S. Africa).
Thread: Blue Dun Giorgio Benecchi 12/0.
Tails: Olive-Dyed European Badger Fibers.
Extended Body: BWO Fly-Rite
Polypropylene Dubbing with an
Embroidery Needle.
Wing: 4 Natural Dun CDC Feathers.
Hackle: 2 Blue Dun Whiting Farms
Rooster Feathers.
Flight Deck Emerger
Originator: Kevin D Compton, USA.
Hook: Tiemco TMC 2499SP-BL #14-18.
Thread: Brown Fly D&K 80 #02.
Shuck: Rusty Brown Crinkled Zelon.
Body: Olive Sparkle Yarn (wiped with
Brown Chartpak).
Outriggers: Dark Dun Microfibbetts
(splayed).
Wingcase: Brown Medallion Sheeting.
Thorax: Brown Olive Hare’s Ear Fur.
Fall 2008 • Hatches Magazine
45
La Gitane Emerger
Originator: Jean-Paul Dessaigne,
France.
Hook: Grip Hooks 11011BL Dry Fly
Hook #12-20 (S. Africa).
Tail: Coq de Leon Fibers (Pardo).
Body: Olive-Dyed Stripped Peacock
Herl.
Wingcase: 2 Natural Dun CDC
Feathers.
Thorax: Rusty Brown Hare’s Ear Fur.
Collar: Guard Hairs from a Cottontail
Rabbit.
Peter’s Pupa
Originator: Peter Durisik, Slovakia
Hook: Dohiku G44 Grub Hook #10-14 (Slovakia).
Beadhead: Brown-Olive Tungsten Bead.
Thread: Rusty Brown Fly D&K Thread 80 Denier
#05.
Rib: Small Gold Wire.
Backstrap: Pheasant Tail Fibers Coated with FlexSeal.
Body: Dark Green Fly D&K Dubbing D13 (loop).
Wingcase: Brown Medallion Sheeting.
Thorax: Natural & Rusty Brown Hare’s Ear Fur;
Purple
Flash; Rusty Brown CDC Fibers.
Antennae: Gray Fox Whiskers.
Red Hot Fox
Originator: Kevin D Compton, USA.
Hook: Skalka Barbless Hooks
(S) Streamer Hook #8-10 (Czech
Republic).
Beadhead: Gold Tungsten Bead.
Thread: Brown Fly D&K 80 Denier #02.
Tag: Fire Orange Glo-Brite Floss #05
Rib: Medium Gold Wire.
Body: SLF Fox Squirrel Abdomen
Dubbing.
Hotspot: Fire Standard SLF.
Thorax: Natural Red Fox Squirrel Fur
(loop).
46 Hatches Magazine • Fall 2008