1x vs 2x hooks?

[DFrink]

I have a bunch of 2x hooks (for nymphs) and was wondering if they would work for tying dries? Obviously they are a little heavier, but I wasn't sure what effect this would REALLY have on a dry fly like an Adams? If I need to go 1x I will, if it's just a sales gimmick than I will happily tie up some dries using what I have.

Dan

[Scott V]

Tie some up Dan and I will test them for you. After I catch a bunch of fish I will let you know if they are good or not.

[DFrink]

Ha! I have so many dam nymphs, I need some extra dries for spring. I think I'm going to give them a shot, if they sink oh well. Counting the days till spring season.

Dan

[Darian]

I've tied up many dry, heavily dressed, bucktail patterns on Mustad 7957BX hooks and found that they floated quite well (just not as long as 1X, light wire, would).... Patterns with palmered with saddle hackles are probably best.... Not for small waters, tho.

[Hairstacker]

Colfax, it's not clear to me what you're contemplating . . . are you talking about a 2X-long nymph hook? Like a Tiemco TMC5262? If so, that hook is 2X heavy as well, in addition to being longer, as compared to a typical dry fly hook that is 1X fine.

So, in essence, if I'm not mistaken, you're looking at the equivalent of tying a dry fly on a hook that is the equivalent of at least 3 sizes bigger from a weight standpoint than if tied on the right-sized dry fly hook.

[DFrink]

Now I'm confused. I guess I need to read up a bit on how hooks are sized. I saw some the other day, both hooks looked identical, one was label as a "nymph 2x fine" the other was a "dry 1x fine", I figured this was refering to weight? I find that some fly fishing products over complicate things, as such I wanted to know if dries could be tied on nymph hooks? I have a bunch of "nymph" hooks that I want to burn up so I thought I would use them, but didn't want to end up with a summers worth of Adams dries that didn't float. Hope this clears it up, I'm new to tying so it's all an educational experience at this point.

Dan

Colfax, it's not clear to me what you're contemplating . . . are you talking about a 2X-long nymph hook? Like a Tiemco TMC5262? If so, that hook is 2X heavy as well, in addition to being longer, as compared to a typical dry fly hook that is 1X fine.

So, in essence, if I'm not mistaken, you're looking at the equivalent of tying a dry fly on a hook that is the equivalent of at least 3 sizes bigger from a weight standpoint than if tied on the right-sized dry fly hook.

[Woodman]

Now I'm confused. I guess I need to read up a bit on how hooks are sized. I saw some the other day, both hooks looked identical, one was label as a "nymph 2x fine" the other was a "dry 1x fine", I figured this was refering to weight? I find that some fly fishing products over complicate things, as such I wanted to know if dries could be tied on nymph hooks? I have a bunch of "nymph" hooks that I want to burn up so I thought I would use them, but didn't want to end up with a summers worth of Adams dries that didn't float. Hope this clears it up, I'm new to tying so it's all an educational experience at this point.

Dan

Dan,

The X's on hooks can mean fine or heavy, long or short...Makes a big difference which one you're considering. If you're talking 2X heavy, then I'd probably forego dry flies. If you're talking 2X long, then might be best for hoppers or something other than "standard" dry flies. If you have a standard dry fly hook of the same size, you should be able to eyeball whether they are heavier wire or longer length shank.

Best bet might be to take your hooks to a fly shop, pull some hooks down off the shelf and compare.

[Hairstacker]

Dan, you would think the designation "nymph" hook would tell you something useful but the exceptions are enough to prompt you to seek more details. For example, many "nymph" hook styles are actually 1X or 2X heavy, as opposed to being "fine" as in your case.

If your "nymph" hook was truly, correctly labelled as "2X fine," I would interpret the "fine" as denoting a wire that has a smaller diameter than standard -- in other words, a finer, lighter, smaller diameter than standard wire. Accordingly, it should work just fine for dry flies. As an aside, it sounds a lot like the hook I'm using today to tie up some grasshoppers for a fly swap -- Tiemco TMC5212.

[DFrink]

All makes sense. Thanks guys. I think I'll take them by a shop and compare them to some on the shelf. Easiest way to know for sure.

Dan

[Terry Imai]

Sometimes having a heavier hook can work out better depending upon what you're trying to accomplish and the circumstances. If you're fishing a freestone water with heavily hackled flies might work better since you're using a heavier tippet and you have a strong fly. A heavier hook might set on the water that looks better than using a finer hook. I would tie just a few hooks with the heavier type and using traditional dry fly hooks and test them side by side to see if there is an actual difference. I bet on certain days that heavier hooks might be better. We're not dealing with any hard and fast rules...