The last couple of years have seen the emergence of “house brand” Chinese fish hooks, those that bear the name of a local shop, versus a national or international brand. I’ve been using them a lot of late, and with Tiemco and their ilk insisting on thirty-five dollars a box, Tiemco has joined the thousand dollar fly rod on the pile of items I no longer buy.

For me, the selection process for a new hook vendor starts with visual screening, then purchase and physical testing. As the fish hook manufacturers are all offshore, occasionally additional hurdles exist in the payment, customs, and political winds, but I’ll hold on those topics given the casual tier is likely to stay within the confines of his/her local fly shop.

For the last several years I’ve been using the Togen “house” brand of fish hook and they have proven a worthy replacement for the more expensive international brands, and I suspect they source from China, but have no way of proving that claim. I would like to buy a few additional styles that Togen doesn’t stock – and I’m intrigued by a lot of the vicious points I’m seeing on many of the barbless “competition” brands, which are also very expensive.

Chinese vendors excel at copying existing popular styles, as Chinese companies can blissfully ignore copyright laws and simple take existing hooks and reproduce them using their steel, which may or may not be as good as the original alloy. Hooks made in Redditch, England, differ in alloy properties than those made in China and Japan, or Norway, but there are many types of steel suitable for hooks. Physical testing will show differences in the steel quality, its resistance to bending, ability to make and hold a point, the closure of the hook eye, etc … but visual screening is just as important, as it is the first step prior to purchase, and there are squillions of hooks to eyeball …

The most important element of the screening process is determining what you’re going to do with the majority of the hooks, as certain qualities may need to be emphasized at the expense of others to lend themselves to your fishing style.

Are most of your nymphs going to wear beads?

Beads make a difference. The point, barb, and bend of the hook has to be able to skewer the bead and at rest, have the bead roughly inline with the shank, to make the fly ride properly. Slotted beads fit a bit wider range of bend, barb, and point styles, than countersunk beads. Keep in mind that every manufacturer countersinks (or slots) beads at different depths, so the fly and its “attitude” in the water may change based on your choice of hook and bead vendor.

I buy beads in the thousands, which allows me to use the same vendor, the same depth of slot or countersink, over and over again. Casual fly tiers should select a known vendor and purchase their 25 packs, as use lends understanding of any unique vendor attributes.

If the bulk of your nymphs will be bead headed, avoid hooks with overly pronounced barbs and shanks that end in Limerick, Sneck, or even some Sproat, bends. These bend types are troublesome with numerous countersunk beads, and you will not be able to use beads from Michael’s or other craft stores, that simply have a hole through them, like Glass or Plastic beads, as the bead cannot pass over the transition between the point and barb, or point and bend (if the barb is flattened).

To make life simple, where possible use the Model Perfect bend on hooks destined to wear beads. The Model Perfect is the most common bend for dry flies, and is also among the most common bends for nymphs, vying with the Sproat bend for dominance.

Will you fish most of your flies barbless?

Many types of hooks, especially many of the older Partridge trout hooks were never envisioned as a barbless hook, and lack enough point to hold a fish if the barb is pinched down. This is especially true if the hook boasts a Model Perfect bend, as the lack of point coupled with a wriggling fish allows the fish to simply slide cleanly off. Most commercial tiers are requested to tie flies using barbed hooks, unless the requesting shop has special regulations on nearly all of its nearby water. Using barbed hooks and pinching the barb is the only option for those that don’t tie flies, and can be a cheaper option for those that do tie, as “competition barbless” hooks can sometimes be more expensive than the run-of-the-mill barbed styles.

If you want hooks that fish equally well barbed or barbless, you need to ensure they have enough “real estate” left on the point to hold the fish if the barb is pinched down.

The Mustad hook at left shows a style that would be a poor barbless hook, as there is not enough steel on the point to hold a struggling fish once the barb is flattened. This “visual screening” can save time and money by weeding out hooks ill suited to your style, before you make purchases to try them.

Other things to look for are the “fit and finish” items that display the craftmanship, or lack thereof, of the manufacturer. Using visual screening, pay close attention to the eye and whether it’s closed properly. Is it a tapered or ball eye? Ball eye hooks are the least costly to make as the wire doesn’t have to change shape. A tapered eye is harder to make as the wire gets thinner as the eye is formed, and is thinnest as it closes the eye and touches the opposing shank. Poor imitators will favor the Ball eye due to its cheapness to manufacture, a bit more datum you can file away for your decision making.

Competition hooks, especially those for dry flies, often feature a “turned up” point similar to a circle hook. this is a nice fish holding touch and likely increases the cost a bit as well. If you’re buying barbless hooks, which can be more expensive, I typically opt for these small features on the styles I use for my own flies.

Imitators often use the least expensive options when producing their hooks, as their underlying knowledge and physics is not well understood in the hook’s use. Simply copying its shape will not produce a competitive replacement, given the variables in alloys, finishes, and barb and point choice.

” Fit and Finish ” touches, eye closures, point and barb styles, are all features you can visually screen candidates without having to purchase any hooks. Use these physical elements to ensure your search for a replacement vendor among the many “house brands” is suitable for the kind and type of fishing you are anticipating.

Testing the hooks “in the Wild” will determine whether the steel alloy is any good, the wire is too weak, or the finish resists rust. These practical application tests will cement the winner among the many contenders you may be reviewing. Visual cues and “screening” costs nothing and is an important tool for the buyer, especially when faced with literally infinite clones and knock offs.