Cute little hooks.....

[willowhead]

i found these hooks on my table a couple days ago........undoubtedly, somethin' Misa came up with somewhere along the road. Anybody ever heard of 'em? They're made in the Czech Republic...........brand is Hanak.....(maybe they're the ones she bought from Kevin Compton).......modle # H260BL size 14
says..........
Stillwater & Wet Fly
Extra Short Shank
Extra Long Neddle (For Real).....
point, Barbless
Color: Black Nickel

way coll little hooks..........did some soft hackles on 'em at the show and gave 'em away.........people dug 'em. The gape is pretty wide, and the points go all the way up to a place directly below no more than two eye lengths behind the turned down eye.....kinna cool. Definately happnin' for flymphs.....

[letumgo]

Mark - Are these the hooks your talking about? I have never used them, but they look like nice hooks.

http://www.uniqueflies.co.uk/photo_5826955.html

[willowhead]

YUP! that be them............ .........that don't really do 'em justice though...............cause the point is even further forward than in that pic.........

[letumgo]

That must make them very "sticky" (good thing for fishing, but painful for tying). I find that some hooks are so sharp I am always nicking my fingers when I draw the hackle out of the way, while forming the head of the fly.

[willowhead]

It happens.......no pain, no gain. What was that t.v. flick (Barretta?), where the cat (cop) hadda white parrot? "And that's the name of that tune."

[skunkaroo]

Having just received a second order of several hundred of these hooks (260/200/400) I can say without a doubt that these are some of the most well designed hooks I've found. They are what most call "competition hooks" designed for penetration, strength and holding power. While any of my comparisons are far from scientific, they really do "work" better in all the categories than most other non-barbless name-brand hooks (i.e. Mustad, Tiemco, et al.). One of the primary reasons is that these hooks are designed from the bottom up as barbless--where most other manufacturers simply sell their regular hooks sans-barb, these hooks (and others in their class) take into account the absence of the barb and compensate with longer and sharper points (sometimes with offsets and upturned points). They really are that good... but man are they expensive.

Three other manufacturers fall into this group as well: Knapek, Skalka and Dohiku (CR, CR and Slovakia). All have their strong points (pardon the pun) but with respect to the wet hooks, Hanak and Knapek probably have the best designs. The only thing working against the Knapeks as opposed to the Hanaks are quality control issues--the Knapek QC, particularly with respect to the eye closures, is very poor. I should say that most Knapeks are hand made, so there is quite a bit of variation in the finishing--sometimes it's excellent and sometimes it's frighteningly poor.

Anyway. Grist for the mill.

Aaron

[willowhead]

Hi Aaron, yes i think it's actually the Knapek hooks that Kevin is handling in the states.....i don't pay a whloe hell of a lotta attention to these things, as competitive fly fishing is not my bag. i spose it can all be checked by going to his site which i'm pretty sure is http://www.performanceflies.com He's a really nice guy and a very good tyer who i see at a few shows each year.....i just picked up some great dubbings and two CDL saddles from him in Vail, CO. but again.....i have no investment or reason to push business his way.....he's just a nice cat with a good rep. Misa likes his hooks, and they do have that little tiny upturn at the very tip of the points.....apparently that helps hold fish.....ya got me.....i've never fished with a fly tyed on one. i don't fish to catch.....per say. It's nice when it happens.....but fly fishing is SO MUCH MORE than catching.....i never let "catching" get in the way. Actually catchng is basically inconsequential.....ie: rather prefering anglefood cake sans the icing.....little powdered sugar and a dab of whip cream is occassionally fun.....you dig?

[skunkaroo]

S'allright WH. I get that jive what you're laying down.

Competition or not, these are great hooks. I'm all about design, particularly functional design, and these hooks and their ilk have it in spades. As Hans would say, they make a great canvas to tie on.

Aaron

PS I have no financial relationship with any of the above mentioned hook manufacturers.

[willowhead]

i dig ya Skunk.....you seem to be a very happy camper in your pursuits. Good on ya. And as far as i can tell, it's a happnin' hook. i'm gonna tye up as many soft hackles as i can for Misa, using those hooks until i run out.....doing a variety of different body types. She can decide what she wants to fish and when and why and how.....thass her gig. i'll have turned my trick.....

[willowhead]

i tell ya, this is a BLAST. i'm doin' some now with the bleeched and dyed Peacock herl, in different colors, and a very fine gold wire ribbbing, and some using the Hareline Midege Braid in different colors.....all with the Jackdaw wing.....BIG FUN! Think i'll start putting together some boxes of wingless wets, soft hackles, and flymphs, Steelhead and otherwise, for my table at Somerset in Jan.