We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Brent Bauer, Director of Product for Umpqua Feather Merchants, to discuss fly fishing and fly tying hooks. Whether you’re purchasing flies from your local fly shop, or tying flies on your own vise at home, more engineering and energy goes into producing a fly fishing hook than most anglers ever stop to consider. Given the fact that the hook is the terminal connection point between angler and fish, the details that go into every hook make a world of difference.
As we dive into the important elements of fly fishing hooks, here are some of the fascinating things that we learned from Brent along the way…
Why Quality Hooks Matter
Brent began by explaining that like so many things, form follows function and that is true for hooks as well. He used the example of a Stimulator, which Umpqua ties on a Tiemco 200R hook.
“Like any fly pattern, if you tie a Stimulator on another hook, you’ll often find that the fly no longer functions like it should,” Brent began. “There are some hooks out there that may look similar to the 200R, but maybe they use heavier wire. Or maybe the gap is bigger. When it comes to tying flies, those little things make a big difference. If your hook gap is beyond your hackle, or if the wire is slightly too heavy, the fly doesn’t float well, it doesn’t float for long, or it doesn’t land correctly on the water.”
Brent explained that all hooks should be designed and then chosen for very specific purposes so that a fly can perform like it’s supposed to, whether that is to ride in the film, ride on the surface, below the surface or hook up. A quality fly begins with the right hook. And the right hook begins with the right materials.
“One reason that Japanese hooks are considered the best, is because they have the best steel available domestically. On top of that, they have a long history of manufacturing hooks, so they are extremely good at it. At Tiemco for example, specialists complete each step of the process. Tiemco hooks start at a factory that’s just cutting the wire. Then it’ll go to small shops for the bending, the tempering, and each step. And there are generations of families in Japan who specialize in these different processes. They are as good as it gets.”
“The smaller you go in a hook, the more important that wire quality is,” Brent added. “Once you get down to 16 and smaller, that quality is critical. With larger nymphs you might be able to get away with lower quality wire, bad tempering and so on. But once you get into those smaller, more technical flies, high quality, Japanese hooks make a big difference in landing the fish you hook.”
The Manufacturing Process
The process of making a fly fishing hook is a fascinating journey from steel wire to finished hook. It begins with straightening the wire, cutting it to length and bringing it to a sharp point at the end. Next, the wire is bent with a mold into the hook shape and a barb is added using a chisel-like tool. Quality hooks should then go through processes like forging, tempering and chemical sharpening. Finally, hooks are coated or anodized to protect from rust, something that’s of course highly critical in saltwater hooks.
“Tempering is heating and cooling steel very scientifically, which makes it stronger,” Brent explained. “Some hooks are also forged, which is basically pressing the wire at the bend, which is typically the weakest part of any hook. That pressing creates a ridge on each side, similar to the concept of an I-beam used in construction. So by tempering and forging, you’re increasing the density and strength of the steel.
“The chemical sharpening process is also very fascinating,” Brent continued. “Usually there are six baths that Tiemco hooks go through. The first bath is a stronger acid that burns off the bigger burrs. And then they put it in a basic bath that neutralizes the acid. Then they go to a finer acid. And eventually you get down to the sharpest point possible.”
Brent pointed out that chemical sharpening is about more than just sharp points. It is equally as important on the eye of the hook. The process ensures there aren’t burrs or rough spots on the eye that would weaken your tippet and cause break-offs.
When it comes to finishes or plating, bronze has been the standard and is still the most common. But now anglers and fly tyers will find nickel, black-nickel and other plating options. Whatever the case, the finish is a safeguard against corrosion. That’s important anywhere you put a hook in the water, but especially important in saltwater environments.
How To Read a Hook Package
As you’re looking at a package of fly tying hooks, the terminology can leave new tyers scratching their heads. What’s does 1x long mean? What about 2x heavy? When should I use an up eye, straight eye or down eye?
First, it’s important to remember that different hook designs serve different purposes. See the first section above, “Why Quality Hooks Matter” and remember Brent’s advice. If a fly recipe calls for a specific hook, use that particular hook if possible. That will allow the pattern to function as it was designed.
The next important thing to know is the size. Common hook sizes for most flies can range from 1 to 30. The higher the number, the smaller the hook. And it’s helpful to know that hook size is based on the gap. In general, larger hook sizes will have a larger gap between the point and the shank of the hook.
Since hook size is based on the gap, this can make sizes deceiving when hooks are longer or shorter in the shank. As a rule of thumb, the standard length of a hook shank is approximately double the size of the gap. If a size 14 package of hooks says that it’s 1x long, that means the shank is about as long as a size 12. Or if a size 14 hook is labeled as 1x short, that means the shank is roughly the length of a size 16.
This allows manufacturers to produce flies with longer or shorter shanks, while keeping that same size gap. That’s why a size 14 hook with a 2x long shank might look the same as a size 10. They are approximately the same length. The difference is the size of the gap. (By the way, if you notice our liberal use of qualifiers like, “roughly”, “approximately” and “rule of thumb”, that’s because there are no exact standards in the world of hooks.)
The same principle applies to hooks that are labeled as 1x heavy or 1x fine for example, as the hook may employ a heavier or finer wire based on its intended use.
Other considerations when choosing hooks will include variations of straight or curved shanks, the position of the eye (up eye, down eye, straight eye or jig), barbed versus barbless, and the shape of the bend. The reason for choosing any of these options might depend on the materials and how they fit onto a certain hook, it might depend on the shape of the bug they’re trying to imitate, or it might depend on how the fly is intended to ride or move in the water.
The best way to get to know hooks and all their different designs and purposes, is to start by following the recipes for established fly patterns. As you pay attention to each pattern, you’ll begin to learn the various roles that different hooks can play.
The History of Umpqua and Tiemco Hooks
“Tiemco launched their hook line through Umpqua back in 1984,” Brent told us. “At that time, launching a high-end line of hooks specifically for fly fishing with the best possible steel and tempering, finishes and micro-barbs, was surprising because nobody else was doing it.
“Back then, there were really no hooks designed specifically for fly fishing,” Brent continued. “The few options that were available were not made with high grade steel and they did not use technical processes like chemical sharpening. So that’s why they really took off.”
Brent says that Tiemco initially produced just four styles of hooks in 1984, the 100, 101, 200 and 300. And amazingly, all four of those hook models are still very popular hooks on the market today.
Now in addition to being a distributor for Tiemco, Umpqua produces its own series of hooks as well. And according to Brent, those hook designs have all stemmed from trying to solve a particular problem or to accommodate a specific fly pattern.
“For example, we found ourselves wanting to make smaller Chubby Chernobyls,” he explained. “But the Tiemco 5263 starts losing a lot of gap when you get down into the smaller sizes. As a workaround, we were switching to the 5262 for those smaller Chubbies. That gets confusing anytime you’re using different hooks to make the same fly in different sizes. So instead of going through all those gyrations, we decided to make a hook specifically for that purpose, where the size 18 has the gap we want. That's how we ended up creating the Umpqua Stubby T.”
“That was really our first exploration into designing hooks ourselves and since then, it’s exploded,” Brent added. “Now, Umpqua has a line of saltwater hooks and a line of freshwater hooks.”
Contact Us With Questions
When it comes to any fly tying materials – hooks included – it’s easy to feel confused. So remember, there are no dumb questions. If you need help picking out hooks or if you have questions about fly tying, we are here to help. If you’re in the Denver area, visit us at the fly shop in Littleton. Otherwise, give us a call at 303-794-1104 and we’d be glad to help.
