Do you tie on Mustad fly hooks ?

[Brian K. Shaffer]

Hooks are the crucial connection between fly and fish - you cannot land a fish without one.

Should be the most important POINT.

http://classicflyrodforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=138767

[Brian K. Shaffer]

First off - a search turned up not a lot recently discussed using the words Mustad AND fly AND hook.

This query is for you - do you, when available, use Mustad. Do you buy them on purpose. 

[Dutch]

I don’t know anything about tying flies but I USED to be an exclusive Mustad user until they moved to China and I started getting substandard hooks.  Eagle claw has made significant progress and they now get my business.

[tjm]

I'm still using Mustad fly hooks that I bought in bulk about 1978 with the intent of becoming a pro tyer, that was before I realized how really really  tedious it is to tie many many dozens of exactly the same fly.  I don't recall how many hundreds or thousand hooks I bought to get the bulk price, but,  I still have a few of several sizes and patterns and  lots of some streamer hooks that I haven't used since the 70s. The dry and wet fly hooks in 18-14 Have been replaced by non-Mustad.

So, yes I use them and no I don't make special effort to seek them out, with the  exception of the #3366.

[fishinwrench]

10 minutes ago, tjm said:

I'm still using Mustad fly hooks that I bought in bulk about 1978 with the intent of becoming a pro tyer, that was before I realized how really really  tedious it is to tie many many dozens of exactly the same fly.

Fly tyers don't get paid enough ! 

It's insane that a single bass jig can sell for 9.99.......but a Royal Coachman or a Muddler Minnow is only worth .75 cents.   

An articulated Zoo Cougar is only worth 1.25 ???     GTFOH !   

[snagged in outlet 3]

1 hour ago, fishinwrench said:

Fly tyers don't get paid enough ! 

It's insane that a single bass jig can sell for 9.99.......but a Royal Coachman or a Muddler Minnow is only worth .75 cents.   

An articulated Zoo Cougar is only worth 1.25 ???     GTFOH !   

Easy there chief.  I want to start fly fishing for Smallies this year and don’t want to start a whole nether pile of tying materials.   I’m gonna buy some to see if I like it.  

[fishinwrench]

18 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Easy there chief.  I want to start fly fishing for Smallies this year and don’t want to start a whole nether pile of tying materials.   I’m gonna buy some to see if I like it.  

How could you possibly not like it?  

Flyfishing for smallies is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.   

Although I'd probably not like it nearly as much if I was limited to using only commercially available flys   🙂

 

[tjm]

I think it paid better fifty years ago, but have you ever contemplated 50 dozen #18 Adams?  600 of them, fly after fly so you don't have to sort materials. I'm usually bored after six, flies, not dozens, but it was still new to me back then. Wages ~$2/hr, so piece work had appeal.

You are right though any well tied fly should sell for a lot more than the imports sell for and the imports  set the wholesale prices. Current wages ~$30/hr? so $6-7 per fly? $4 for the Catskill stuff? 

[fishinwrench]

Just now, tjm said:

I think it paid better fifty years ago, but have you ever contemplated 50 dozen #18 Adams?  600 of them, fly after fly so you don't have to sort materials. I'm usually bored after six, flies, not dozens, but it was still new to me back then. Wages ~$2/hr, so piece work had appeal.

You are right though any well tied fly should sell for a lot more than the imports sell for and the imports  set the wholesale prices. Current wages ~$30/hr? so $6-7 per fly? $4 for the Catskill stuff? 

Oh I know.   We used to fund our camping trips to Bennett by selling flys to Weaver's and Spring View.    Back then it was Fur bugs, Celery flys, Light Cahill's, and Renegades.......and we (3 of us) tied many hundreds of them by lantern light on a picnic table.    

All we really needed though was enough money to cover our campsite fees, some food, and enough gas to get back home.  

We were Trout Bums before being a trout bum was a cool thing. 🙄

[fishinwrench]

A buddy of mine bought some flys through Fly Depot, and I really expected them to be literal JUNK.    But when he got them I was blown away......Kelly Galloup himself couldn't tie better Zoo Cougars.   On good hooks to boot.   

There's no way that I'd tie a dozen Zoo Cougars for under 8.00