Among all river fly fishing methods, the highest demands on hooks occur when nymphing . We watch the resistance of their points, as the point comes into contact with the bottom of the river so often. Using the top quality products, helps the survival, from frequent contact with the river bottom. We can recommend the use of hooks made of stronger wire, though the nymphs tied on it do not always produce as ellegant a body as on thinner hooks. Where bigger fish occur using stronger wire would be essential.
Recently the barbless hooks are used frequently because they are more gentle on the fish. To make barbless hooks used more frequently it is necessary to convince fishermen that it is not sufficient, just to remove the barb from a common hook. Hooks modified this way will often fail to retain fish.
The Gammarus hook is typical for Czech nymphs, though we can use also hooks with a straight shank or for pupae, with upswept shank.. I would like to mentioned specifically just the classical gammarus hooks which are available on the Czech market. There are many from different producers. It is sufficient to fish with gammarus hooks from one producer. However the keen fly fishermen have more hooks from more than one different producer in their boxes because there are some differences between individual manufacturers styles.
Among Czech producers we have to mention the Knapek company of Novy Jicin. They have been producing special hand made hooks since 1989 and most of them to order. Hooks for Czech nymphs are marked with G and are available in sizes 4 – 16. They are made of certified high carbon steel, binding of strenghten hook is forged, point is incurved and has side reflexion (little eagle claw). Surface colour is black nickel.
Fishing hooks production used to have an old tradition in former Czechoslovakia. In Ceske Budejovice, the Igla company produced them, later Akra and at present the M-Art Kovo company continues in this tradition and produces barbless hooks for Hanak ltd, named Hanak Competition.
It is necessary to mention, specially the product marked CZN 300 BL. Strenghten wire with a special prolonged needle point is used for this product. Those hooks are designed for catching big and heavy fish. They are produced in black nickel colour and gold colour, in sizes 8, 10, 12, 14. For common fishing the designated hook is marked CZN 306 BL with middle strong wire and prolonged top, available in black nickel colour and in sizes 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16.
At present there are many hooks from many foreign producers available, often in similar shapes on strong, middle strong or gentle wire. We can mentioned the Japanese hooks Kamasan B 100, made of gentle wire in bronze and gold collor and sizes 10, 12, 14, or strenghten version Kamasan B 110. Other gammarus hooks are produced by the Japanese company Snake in cooperation with Jiri Klima company. SNK 100 hooks are made of stronger wire, in bronze colour and in sizes 6 – 18. The more gently wire is marked SNK 200 and hooks are in sizes 8 – 14.
Other Japanese marks are e.g. Maruto hooks. In streghten version 7245 are available in our country in bronze colour and in sizes 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or with middle strong wire under the number 7248 in sizes 10, 12, 14. Other Japanese hooks are Hayabusha and for gammarus hooks again are designed heavier version 387 and lighter hook with marking 384. Those hooks you can get in bronze, black nickel, gold and red colours, sizes 8 – 18.
The japanese hooks from Tiemco company (TMC) are very popular but the price is at least double in comparison with other makes. Famous is the shape TMC 2487 G in gold colour and sizes 10 – 20. Also its barbless version – TMC 2487 BL in bronze version and same sizes or heavier version – TMC 2457. To those hooks can be added also version with straight eyes, TMC 2488 in sizes 10 – 20 or strenghten type TMC/TRP-SP 2499 BL with unique sharp spear (Spearpoint) on the top of this bronze barbless hook.
Out of the other European producers of hooks, we can mention the Austrian company Rossler and classical hook Admiral 4007/2 in bronze version and in sizes 8 – 18 or golden hook 4007/3 G which is available in sizes 10, 12, 14, 16. Mustad company from Norway has a long tradition in hook production as well, though for our purpose their products are not the best possibility. C068 are heavy and extra short hooks in sizes 6 – 22 or shorter hook C495 made of standard wire, straight eyed and small barb (6 – 18). The French company VMC produces two types of suitable hooks with barbs. VMC 7075 is available in sizes 12 – 18, bronze, gold and red colour and VMC 9202 in sizes 8 – 14 and bronze or gold colour.
It is not possible to miss the fly fishing power, England, especially Partidge hooks. For Czech nymps Partridge developed two original samples of barbless hooks with black nickel surface colour. The heavier type is marked by CZ and the lighter hook has abbreviation CZF. Both versions are produced in sizes 6, 8, 10, 12. From the same producer hooks with barb can be used – YK4A (8 – 18) and extra heavy one - K5A (6 – 22).
