Hook! What's the difference? (flyfishing)

[biggamehunter]

Ok i have recently started flytying and I have a whole bunch of different hooks and don't know if the are dry or wet or nymph hooks and I was wondering does it really matter if u use a nymph hook for a dryfly? What is the difference?

Thanks!

[Dust1n]

jake the hooks do matter because you dont want to tie a small adams dry on a long shank streamer fly keeping the fly out of balance.
nymph hooks are slighly bend over to keep the fly that much more snag proof IMO because there more for bottom bouncing. streaer hooks are longer and are made to imatate minnow,ect so they should strike at the tail (trout) were the hook is placed.

[dekker59]

I've found that dry fly hooks also tend to be thinner and therefore lighter, while nymph and streamer hooks seem to be thicker making them stronger/heavier.

[chubbdarter]

todays modern chemically sharpened hooks can be used for various types of flies......type and size mostly determines the hook choice. I tie hoppers and stonefly nymphs and streamers off the the same Tiemco hooks(straight shank)
scud hooks....for scuds and drys but mostly merger patterns.

[biggamehunter]

Thanks guys! I think I just tied an Adams on a nymph hook lol. Went to fishin hole today and asked if they had any good kits on fly tying cause i wanted to expand. Turns out about a week ago a lady dropped off her husbands fly tying homemade box with about 30 different hackles, 40 feathers, 20 threads, 300 hooks, 50 different hair colours from animals, and much much more. Only for 100 bucks, although this thing was used it was a steel of a deal and I'm just loving it! Some of it will last me my whole life!!!

[goldscud]

Have a look here for hook types:

http://killroys.com/chart/hook-charts/

[32-40win]

I have seen hook size/type comparison charts around the flyshops in town at one time or another, handy to have around at times, I have one buried somewhere in my stuff. If you are tying foam or deer hair you can use some nymph hooks, they do float better with proper dry hooks.

[Rick.]

That sounds like a great score for a hundred dollars. That gives you an economical start which is always nice. You will get to know what hook is right for which fly in short order. A search on the web will give you many sites that have comparison charts for the most popular hook brands and some obscure ones as well. It is important to tie dries on light wire hooks for flotation reasons. Best of luck to you. Rick.