hooks straightening out

[Sonoman]

I am very frustrated with commercial flies straightening. Doesn't matter whether it is steelhead, big trout, or shad on small bugs but it happens too often. Jig flies are particularly prone to straightening. And I am talking about quality flies from Kiene's or The Fly Shop...I assume supplied by Umqua on Tiemco hooks

I typically run 6lb or 4lb Seaguar tippet on a 6 wt or 7wt rod with small bugs, like #16 jigged PMDs or PTs or #14 copper johns. I want to get the fish to the net quickly to increase survival and we rarely break tippets, but a lot of our LDRs are due to hooks straightening out.

Are others having the same problem? Am I doing something wrong here when I play fish? I use extra heavy wire hooks when I tie bugs but I can't always use my own flies and have to buy commercial ties. What are other guys seeing? What are the guides doing?

[Bob Loblaw]

I am very frustrated with commercial flies straightening. Doesn't matter whether it is steelhead, big trout, or shad on small bugs but it happens too often. Jig flies are particularly prone to straightening. And I am talking about quality flies from Kiene's or The Fly Shop...I assume supplied by Umqua on Tiemco hooks

I typically run 6lb or 4lb Seaguar tippet on a 6 wt or 7wt rod with small bugs, like #16 jigged PMDs or PTs or #14 copper johns. I want to get the fish to the net quickly to increase survival and we rarely break tippets, but a lot of our LDRs are due to hooks straightening out.

Are others having the same problem? Am I doing something wrong here when I play fish? I use extra heavy wire hooks when I tie bugs but I can't always use my own flies and have to buy commercial ties. What are other guys seeing? What are the guides doing?

I was out on the Lower Sac recently with a guide and I bugged him until he put on one of my flies. Of course we hook into a monster. 10 minutes later its gone...guide says "I bet that size 18 Firehole hook you used straightened out." Nope. Clean break of his 6lb Seaguar! Biggest trout I've ever tangled with.

[Sonoman]

Odd the guide would blame the Firehole hooks by name because I generally find Firehole hooks I tie with are much better than the thin-wire hooks on the Umqua flies I bought at TFS. I don't think we had any of the Firehole hooks straighten out. I think I also have some Masu and/or Daichi jig hooks on heavier wire. It's getting so I hate to buy flies but I don't always have enough of the right pattern in my box

[Smitty Fish]

I feel your pain! Since I tie my own flys . I look for the word “strong” on the package. I’ve herd good things about fire hole hooks. So I bought a pack. Barbless.

[Lance Gray]

Being a fulltime guide and a commercial fly tier - I hate hooks.

Most fly fishers are not tuning their rods correctly. I have folks that come fish with me that have a fast action rod casting a non stretch fly line and they want to fish 6lb with size 16 hooks. You can't do it. The fluorocarbon might say 6lb, but the tensile strength is 6.8 or even 7lb. The rods needs to protect the tippet and the bend of the hook. I like medium fast rods that have a softer tip. I still fish a non stretch line like the In-Touch cores with 6lb with size 16 hooks even 18 hooks.

My rods on my driftboat are the Sage Pulse 697-4, with a Galvan Torque 6 reel, lined with a In-Touch Indicator Line. I use Seguar fluorocarbon 8-4 pound. No problems.

You need to take your time landing fish and reviving fish. The faster the better. Don't abuse your hook. I learned that from all my saltwater years. It's like NASCAR - Tires win the race!!

But, when I find a good hook - I fall in love with them.

The Firehole model 516 Jig Hook is a great strong hook that my clients have landed steelhead. The Firehole Model 718 is awesome! The Firehole Model 609 - highly durable.

That being said - I left TMC 3769 to the old Mustad 3609B size 10 for my Swimming Black AP's on lake Almanor. Fish would straighten the TMC right out. Not that old Mustad.

I have found in the last 40 years that Partridge, Firehole, Mustad and Owner are what I look for to put my flies on. Saltwater to Freshwater - trout to Permit.

Most fly shops are at the mercy of the big manufactures that are balancing price and availability. Trust me I ran a tying facility in Thailand for years. It is very hard - to hold your quality. The fly fisher that buys flies need to demand it and need to be willing to open up their wallets for it.

If anybody needs help with tuning or harmonizing their equipment send me a email. I will help you out.

I hope that helps! It's just my 3 cents!

[Rossflyguy]

In my experience if I buy commercial from fly shops the hooks break. They don’t even bend. If I buy flies from a local guide or tie myself I’ve never broken a hook and I’ve only straightened hooks at pyramid.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

If you hook a big fish and you pull too hard something has to give? (break or bend or pull out).

The rod can break.

The tippet can break.

The hook can break.

The hook can bend.

The hook can pull out.


Hooks will either break or bend under too much stress or power.

_______________________________

A friend who fishes all the trophy lakes that have huge trout in North America and lands most everything he hooks on 3x tippet.

The hottest fish he ran across where in Monster Lake near Cody, WY. He said they were wild and broke off his 3x tippet?

___________________________________



In my 50 years around the sport I was lucky to fish with some of the best fly fishers.


Bob Giannoni uses 8 1/2' or 9' #2 or #3 line soft action rods for his trout fishing in streams.

Hal Janssen uses 8'+ #2 line fiberglass fly rods to catch giant trout. He used a 6 weight glass rod for King salmon in the tidewater.

Chris Pasley uses 9' #4 line rods with soft actions for giant trout in lakes in British Columbia.

David Armocido uses 8' #3 line soft action Winston rods for most of his dry fly trout fishing in Montana.

Mike McCune uses 12'6" #6 line Spey rods for his winter Steelheading on the Oregon and Washington coast.


Most of these guys used rachet reels or click-n-pawl reels with almost not drag too.

________________________________

"Use the lightest fly line that will deliver your flies."

"Use the heaviest tippet that the fish will still accept."


Fly fishing is many things to many people.


I most use floating lines, no indicators and no weight or weighted flies, but I am weird.

When I go out now I fish topwater for almost everything.

In Florida, right now my flies for Tarpon, Snook and large mouth bass are on the top or in the surface.

I enjoy casting a weight forward floating fly line, tapered leader and very light flies.


To catch fish on top you have to choose your time, wind and place.

[Ralph]

If you hook a big fish and you pull too hard something has to give? (break or bend or pull out).

The rod can break.

The tippet can break.

The hook can break.

The hook can bend.

The hook can pull out.


Hooks will either break or bend under too much stress or power.

_______________________________

A friend who fishes all the trophy lakes that have huge trout in North America and lands most everything he hooks on 3x tippet.

The hottest fish he ran across where in Monster Lake near Cody, WY. He said they were wild and broke off his 3x tippet?

.

The flip side of going "under gunned" is that fish get played far too long and many die. I watched a very well known still water angler/author play a fish on Lake Almanor for over 15 minutes. His rod was bent like a willow stick the entire time. It was painful to watch. There is no doubt that trout swam away to die. I prefer to use the strongest hooks and leader possible and try to land fish quickly and release them while they are still hot. Just my .02

[Rossflyguy]

The flip side of going "under gunned" is that fish get played far too long and many die. I watched a very well known still water angler/author play a fish on Lake Almanor for over 15 minutes. His rod was bent like a willow stick the entire time. It was painful to watch. There is no doubt that trout swam away to die. I prefer to use the strongest hooks and leader possible and try to land fish quickly and release them while they are still hot. Just my .02

I second that

[Lance Gray]

The flip side of going "under gunned" is that fish get played far too long and many die. I watched a very well known still water angler/author play a fish on Lake Almanor for over 15 minutes. His rod was bent like a willow stick the entire time. It was painful to watch. There is no doubt that trout swam away to die. I prefer to use the strongest hooks and leader possible and try to land fish quickly and release them while they are still hot. Just my .02

I third it - you need to fine that perfect harmonious between, rod, fly line, tippet and hook.