Look what I have done to your hooks Newt!

[Snatcher]

 

So these are some of the "flies" I have tied up for Ian Burrett on you hooks Newt. For those who do not know "Sir Ian Burrett" - Ian runs charter boats based at Drummore,Mull of Galloway. Targets mainly tope and pollack and it is all strictly catch and release - check out the fish pictures on his website "onyermarks" - he knows how to catch big fish!

Sorry I digress,back to the plot. Last summer he took out a party fly fishing for pollack using traditional fly gear and done rather well using my sandeel lures. Well these are a few experimental ones I have tied up on Newts circle hooks. Sizes from 2/0 to 6/0. Will be posting them to Ian next week. The challenge is to catch big pollack on them and to post up the pictures on this thread. Come on Ian you can do it,do it for Newt and Snatcher!

[Newt]

Nice snatcher. Very nice. I'll be very interested to hear how the hooks perform. No need to wonder about the flies - they look awesome.

 

An educated guess from you (or anyone) - do you think the red hooks (one shown here) will add to the lures attraction? I get a sense that they sometimes help my fishing when I use them.

 

Just in case the skipper should not be familiar with using this hook pattern, make sure whoever uses them is just winding down to a take rather than making any sort of strike. A strike with a circle hook usually results in the hook popping right out of the mouth with never a stick in the fish. If no strike, they are usually good at self hooking in the lip and not letting go once they are in.

[argyll]

Nice. Prefer the style mid left. Would have liked to have seen white in the main body with a red throat and a black or dark blue back.

 

[ 08. January 2005, 04:40 PM: Message edited by: argyll ]

[Cranfield]

Beautifully tied flies Snatcher, you have a talent.

 

I will be very interested to hear if you have any luck with circle hooks on a lure.

They are normally used with bait such as fish, or squid.

The idea being to tighten into the fish and not strike (as Newt said).

As fish "strike" retrieved lures, I think this will mean the hook will not set.

But at least worth a try.

[Snatcher]

Dunno about the red hooks Newt,think it wil be a case of suck it and see. Having a "lads week" at Drummore June 18th and we plan to have one day out with Ian,hopefully for tope.Just had this thought,tope on a fly!Yes gonna tie me up a really big critter and give it a go. Maybe soak it in pilchard oil before fishing it. What do you reckon?

Some people say I am really mad!

 

[ 08. January 2005, 05:41 PM: Message edited by: Snatcher ]

[Newt]

Cranfield - circles work well on lures as long as the hook has a little freedom to move.

 

I've re-rigged some spoons by replacing the treble with a circle attached to a small ring. Works well. I am guessing the flies will do fine too since the hook won't be seriously encumbered by the hackle.

 

Snatcher - at worst the red hooks will be neutral and perform on par with black. In the right conditions, they do seem to help though. We are seeing more and more lures made up with red treble hooks.

[Alan Taylor]

Newt:

Nice snatcher.  Very nice.  

 

An educated guess from you (or anyone) - do you think the red hooks (one shown here) will add to the lures attraction?  I get a sense that they sometimes help my fishing when I use them.

Newt, we cleaned up with red circle hooks in Wales and I did quite well with them in Lymington. If you think that pink with white spots helps your fishing then either use it or wear it, confidence in your gear, bait etc puts you 50% into fish

 

I would like to see some 6/0 or 8/0 circle hooks available for the bigger Bass and Cod using baits.

 

As has been said before, don't strike, just wind into the fish as it is already hooked its self

 

Snatcher, I am not ignoring you, just working on a surprise . Your work is excellent and I will pass further comments later suffice to say that I am feeling a lot better so will be posting and I hope fishing a lot more.

 

Alan :cool:

 

[ 08. January 2005, 06:05 PM: Message edited by: Alan Taylor ]

[Snatcher]

Oh dear - surprise! Gulp!!!!!

 

Nice to hear you are feeling better Alan

[Ian Burrett]

They certainly look the biz. Snatcher and they will be put to test in early May. I recon the lure on the top of the picture will catch the most Pollack.

I fished similar lures last year, at anchor under a float, and they murdered the Pollack often outfishing Jellies, redtails etc,

Regards the circular hooks, It's bad practise to strike Pollack, keep the tension on and the fish will lip hook themselves.

I have used that color and pattern of hooks and i can only say they didn't decrease or increase the ammount of foul hooked fish. I tend to find the good anglers lip hook Pollack and the poorer anglers often deep hook them. I believe it's all about timing.

[Alan Taylor]

Snatcher:

Oh dear - surprise! Gulp!!!!!

 

Nice to hear you are feeling better Alan

OK this has been rushed but I now know how to do a better job.

 

I bought some mounted flies from JohnS and was very impressed so thought I would have a go myself. The thickness of yours gave me a problem so I cut up a Jiffy bag and used that as a backing. Next time I will use slats of wood

 

Anyway, I was so impressed with yours that I mounted one (roughly). The first 2 pics are photographs and the last is from the scanner.

 

Millers bring on the real stuff

 

I used a tri pod and no zoom (snatcher JNR take note) when you zoom in you not only magnify the subject but also your Miller shake

 

As I said this is all a bit rushed, took me bloody hours to be honest.

 

 

 

 

Sorry but I had to cut the back eye off to make it thinner as my frames are not that deep.

 

 

Alan, oh and thanks to Sonja for helping me with the scanner and pics posting.

 

[ 08. January 2005, 07:09 PM: Message edited by: Alan Taylor ]