Jig Hooks for Flies

[Mike G]

>>>>>>>>

 

Though I saw it here on ISA first, Here's a nice run down on where the use of 60 degree hook for flies may have come from.

 

(IMHO, if one never used anything but saltwater flies for bass, his success would not suffer.)

 

Enjoy:

 

http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/flies/cowen_jighooks.aspx

[Guest rich mc]

thanks for posting that. henry cowan is a friend of craigs and lives near him in georgia. i wish they made the 60 degree hooks in smaller sizes. the ec 410 comes in a 4 as the smallest. per dam blanton, targus hooks are coming outwith a jig hook like the EC . hopefully a size6 or 8 will be made. rich

[kend]

thanks for posting that. henry cowan is a friend of craigs and lives near him in georgia. i wish they made the 60 degree hooks in smaller sizes. the ec 410 comes in a 4 as the smallest. per dam blanton, targus hooks are coming outwith a jig hook like the EC . hopefully a size6 or 8 will be made. rich

 

 

Rich,

I've used the 90 degree hooks, with a slight mod.

 

Bend the hook (eye end) out 30 degrees.

Use "round nose" pliers---

place the "plier jaw tip" into the 90 degree bend, close jaws firmly,

and slowly bend "outward" to 60 degrees.

 

(The bend must not be to sharp, so as to fracture the wire.

Some hook material is softer than other hooks.

Aberdeen wire is okay---hard wire hooks with fracture).

 

Round nose (wire forming) pliers are a must.

 

A candle flame may be used to temper (500 degrees) the hook wire at the 90 bend.

 

I've "milled out" a small section in my mold, to accomodate the modified bend hook.

Once the lead is poured around the hook/bend, the joint is firm.

 

Works for me.

 

ps---when you stop by the store, I'll give you a demonstration.

[Mike G]

thanks for posting that. henry cowan is a friend of craigs and lives near him in georgia. i wish they made the 60 degree hooks in smaller sizes. the ec 410 comes in a 4 as the smallest. per dam blanton, targus hooks are coming outwith a jig hook like the EC . hopefully a size6 or 8 will be made. rich

 

Rich,

 

That closes the loop on how Craig picked up the idea. I was going to suggest bending your own hooks for smaller sizes, but Ken beat me to it. EC Aberdeen hooks 6 or 8 would probably be easy to bend to whatever angle. Premium tempered hooks probably would break.

 

[Guest rich mc]

currently i have been using a diriki 300 b which has a longer shank and a slight bend. also use a gamagatso that ken d showed me. they are stronger hooks and can hold a sharpening unlike most other eagle claw hooks rich

[Guest]

Actually, I got the idea to use 60 degree jig hooks from Rich McElligott. He sent me some several years ago and said, see what you can do with these. This was even before Henry Cowen got into the act. Henry just published it first. He who hesitates...

[BartBurgess]

Actually, I got the idea to use 60 degree jig hooks from Rich McElligott. He sent me some several years ago and said, see what you can do with these. This was even before Henry Cowen got into the act. Henry just published it first. He who hesitates...

 

 

I realize that I am a pulling thread from the boneyard. It's just ironic becuase just last night I was tying some striper and bass patterns using Eagle Claw EC413'S in a 1/0. Alabama striper guru Pete Elkin's turned me onto Dan Blanton's whistler pattern. Any of you fishing for lake striper and hybrids, you have try this pattern. Actually to be precise, this is the "FlashTail Whistler." Blanton has been spouting praise of this hook for the past 4 years. It works. Larger striper have are prone to flair some big powerful gills while motoring through a school of baitfish. The EC413 is successful in hooking the upper section of the lip , thus avoiding boatside surgery...This hook is da bomb for some big bass patterns..Cowen ties some neat-o baitfish patterns

 

Gamakatsu has a new 60 degree that is a bit beefier and twice as sharp..

 

[Guest]

I fish for stripers on Lake Lanier in Georgia. I use my Hairy Fodder fly and it's tied on a Eagle Claw 413 hook. You don't even have to set the hook on a striper, they hook themselves they hit so hard.

[Guest rich mc]

to craig and bart what leaders are you making to use with these flies? rich

[BartBurgess]

to craig and bart what leaders are you making to use with these flies? rich

 

Hey Rich,

I am using 40lb flouro -straight- meaning I am not stepping it down to tippet-3 to 4 feet should do... Using a 350 sinking line. SA's stiper line has become my favorite. If you get into a situtaion where the fish are feeding 5 to 10 feet to the surface. You may want to consider a lighter sink line, go to a 7ft leader made with 4 1/2 feet of 40lb to 2 1/2 of 20lb. Albright knot has replaced the nail knot for me using anything in the 20lb and plus range..I tie my whistlers with a 8mm beadchain eye.

 

Craig..What say ye?

[Guest]

I use straight 20 lb mono on my sinking lines. Usually about 4 to 6 feet in lenght depending on the water clearity. Joseph Meyer turned me on to the Rio Outbound integrated shooting head lines. I love them all floater, intermediate, types 3, 6, 8 and T-14. Very easy to cast. I use a loop knot to attach my flies which all have my interchangeable weighting system so I can add or take away weight anytime I like in a flash.