Hook Chart

Hook Terminology

  • Gape: Gape (or Gap) is the distance between the hook shank and the point. The standard gape is slightly less than half the standard hook shank length. Hook sizes are based upon gape.
  • Wire Gauge: There is a standardized wire guage. From this standard, hook wire can be heavier (XH) or lighter (XF) based upon an “x” system. A 1XF hook would have the same wire diameter of a hook one size smaller.
  • Shank: The shank is the part of the hook from behind the eye to the beginning of the bend, which is usually directly above the space between the point and the barb. Standard shank length is defined as the distance of twice the Gape plus the width of the eye. An “x” system designates longer or shorter than standard lengths. Each “x” represents one hook size, so a size 6, 2x long (2XL) has a shank length of a standard size 4 hook. A size 6, 2x short (2XS) would have a shank length of a standard size 8 hook. Almost all fly hooks are even-numbered only, however, the “x” designation is determined by individual digit sizes. The shank can be straight or curved.
  • Eye: The eye is the ring, hole, or loop at the end of the shank which the line is attached. Eyes can be positioned straight, up, or down.
  • Bend: The curved portion of the hook ending just before the point. Bends can be round, limerick, sproat, or reversed offset.
  • Bite/Throat: The distance from the apex of the bend to its intersection with the gape.
  • Point & Barb: The point is the sharpened end which penetrates the fishes mouth. The barb is a projection that extends backwards to secure the hook. Hooks can have a mini-barb or be barbless.

 

Illustration courtesy of Mustad
hook anatomy

Dry Fly Hooks
Partridge
Mustad
Tiemco
Daiichi
Dai-Riki
Kona
Gamakatsu
Ahrex
Wide Gape
Downeye
Wide Gape HookL5A94840TMC 1001180320UDFNoneNone
Wide Gape
Straight Eye
Wide Gape Straight EyeK14st

94859
(Discontinued)

TMC 1011110310NoneS10SNone
Standard
StandardYL3A7957TMC 37691530305UDFS10FW500
Barbless
barblessSUD94845TMC 100BL1190NoneBDFS10BFW501
2X-Long Dry
2x-Long DryYH1A94831TMC 52121280280NoneR18BFW570
1X-Long
Downeye
None94840TMC 52101170300BSSS10None
2X-Short
Downeye
1X-ShortNoneR48 (Discontinued)TMC 9211310305NoneNoneNone
1X-Short
Up Eye
1x-ShortNone94842TMC 500U1330NoneNoneNoneNone
Limerick
Mini-barb
LimerickNone36890TMC 79991480899NoneNoneFW506
Curved Hooks
Partridge
Mustad
Tiemco
Daiichi
Dai-Riki
Kona
Gamakatsu
Ahrex
Heavy Scud
Heavy ScudK5AC068TMC 24571120135USPNoneFW540
Scud
Downeye
DowneyeYK4AC49STMC 24871130125BC1C12FW525
Midge/Emerger
Midge EmergerK14STNoneTMC 206BL1140NoneNoneC12UFW520
Heavy Wide Gape
Heavy Wide GapeCZC67STMC 24571150135BC3NoneNone
Curved Shank
Curved ShankYK12STC53STMC 200R1270270TNDNoneFW530
Wet/Nymph Hooks
Partridge
Mustad
Tiemco
Daiichi
Dai-Riki
Kona
Gamakatsu
Ahrex
1X-Short Wet
2X-Heavy WetYG3A7957None1530075NoneL10-2HNone
Standard Wet
Standard WetTWH3906TMC 37691550070WFNNoneNone
1X-Long Nymph
1X-Long NymphIN3906BTMC 3761
TMC 9300
1560060WFNNoneNone
2X-Long Nymph
2X-Long NymphYH1A9671TMC 52621710730NS2NoneFW560
3X-Long Nymph
3X-Long NymphSH39672TMC 52631720710NS3NoneFW580
Stonefly Nymph
Stonefly NymphNoneNoneNone1730700BNoneNoneNone
Swimming Nymph
Swimming NymphNoneNoneTMC 400T1770NoneNoneNoneNone
Wet/Nymph Hooks
Partridge
Mustad
Tiemco
Daiichi
Dai-Riki
Kona
Gamakatsu
Ahrex
1X-Short Wet
2X-Heavy WetYG3A7957None1530075NoneL10-2HNone
Standard Wet
Standard WetTWH3906TMC 37691550070WFNNoneNone
1X-Long Nymph
1X-Long NymphIN3906BTMC 3761
TMC 9300
1560060WFNNoneNone
2X-Long Nymph
2X-Long NymphYH1A9671TMC 52621710730NS2NoneFW560
3X-Long Nymph
3X-Long NymphSH39672TMC 52631720710NS3NoneFW580
Stonefly Nymph
Stonefly NymphNoneNoneNone1730700BNoneNoneNone
Swimming Nymph
Swimming NymphNoneNoneTMC 400T1770NoneNoneNoneNone
Streamer Hooks
Partridge
Mustad
Tiemco
Daiichi
Dai-Riki
Kona
Gamakatsu
Ahrex
4X-Long
Straight Eye
Straight Eye D3ST 9674 TMC 9395 1750 None USS S11S-4L2H TP610
4X-Long
Downeye
4X-Long D4A 9672 TMC 765SP 2220 700 TS4 S11-4L2H None
6X-Long
6X-Long CS17 None TMC 300 2340 None None None None
Salmon
Traditional
Salmon M 36890 TMC 7999 2441 899 None T10-6H None