I Just Scanned A Size 22 Hook

[David.W]

I used to use size 20's with eyes and they were easy to tie. don't even know if you still get them.

 

I'm more into sea fishing these days so don't really use small hooks anymore.

[me]

size 18 is as low as i use. i normally use them for perch, roach,rudd.

[RUDD]

I tie size 24's to 1lb hooklength's.

Never seen anything smaller for sale.

 

I keep various 18, 20,22,24 that I have tied at home to various hooklengths on pole winders.

 

I also have loads of packs of ready tied in the smaller sizes.

 

This gives me loads of options in the winter when me fingers get a bit numb.

 

Top match anglers have hook winder boxes with hundreds of variations of hook length/hook size combinations.

 

Has anyone seen these for sale anywhere or do they make them theirselves?

[A Worm OOE]

Rudd

Quite a few of these boxes have turned up in the shops lately (Milo do soeme) but they do seem overpriced for anyone with some simple DIY skills.

 

I used size 28 hooks yesterday. In a match of 25 the winner had two chub for 3lbs and I had 55 chub and a bullhead for 7oz all on the size 28's. No other fish were caught!!

 

I have hooks down to 34 although I cant remembre the last time I used them. However I have regularly used 28/30's at this time of year and they definately make a difference.

[John Ellison]

I find it amazing that a good percentage of anglers can't tie hooks freehand. The reason of course being that you were never shown.

I currently tie an old mates hooks for him because he has vibration white finger after years down the pit. I tied him a load up before I was laid up in hospital. You can learn from books and magazines but theres nothing quite like someone showing you.

[The Flying Tench]

A Worm On One End........:

.  However I have regularly used 28/30's at this time of year and they definately make a difference.

The smallest I've ever used is a 20, and it's never been successful - I've missed bites, lost fish, and not had any obvious increase in bites - so I've gone back to my usual 18 or even a 16.

 

But maybe I'm missing out? The angling writers seem to agree that small hooks are sometimes necessary. W.O.O.E. what sort of water were you fishing? I normally fish a river. I can see it could be different on a canal.

[Guest sslatter]

The only way I could tempt out the bigger roach and bream on the middle Arun was with a single white on a size 20- handtied I might add. Anything bigger was ignored by the better fish. Much the same with the chub too.

[Dick Dastardly]

I have got them and used them down to 28 (Blood worm fishing) My standard winter hook size is a 22 with a 16 (for Grayling) my biggest.Most of my general summer float fishing is with a 16.

 

John percevere with a 20 and you will get a lot more bites on most waters.

[A Worm OOE]

John

 

I believe that you mainly fish the Kennet, I cirtainly would not go down to the silly hooks on a fast flowing water whilst troting unless looking for a few small fish in a match or in extreme conditions ie very cold and clear.

To me a hook is only small once it goes below a 22 and I would be happy using a 22 for almost any fish that I come accross when the situation is right. I have had bags of fish from rivers this season of up to 35lbs using sise 22 and 20.

 

 

I use the reallly small (26-30) hooks mainly on canals, slow rivers and lakes when the water is clear. I have found that they have most impact on Roach Skimmers and Chub when using small baits like pinkie red worm squatt punch blood worm etc. I would not say that they allow me to catch impressive bags of quality fish but when the going is hard as it is at the moment they can get you a few fish rather than a blank or turn 2 lbs of small fish into 3 or 4lbs although there are exceptions

Obviously when scaling down the hook the line has to follow and I would never bother puting a hook below a 24 on a line of more than 0.07 I will hapily go down to 0.05 when using a pole. This obviously precludes fishing deliberately for large fish though I have had a near 5lbs Tench taken by a pike and eventually landed (the tench but not the pike)using a 26 on 0.06 line.

The exception would be chub and small carp. In the case of carp, if they are small(less than 3 or 4lbs) and in snag free water I will use a 24 combined with a 0.08 line and soft pole elastic when the fish are hard to tempt. It is not adviseable to go this light on a running line for fish that big. The one time when I might combine a heavy line say 0.1 with a 24 is when legering for Chubb in clear cold water with maggot. I used regularly to fish the Wey in this manner and catch my fair share of Chub. For some reason they didnt mind the relatively stong line but would not take a 20 or 22 even in a medium wire.

They would however take a 24 even with a heavy wire, never understood this but it worked.

 

John with regard losing fish and missing bites persevere to me a size 20 is not a small hook and if I were fishing with maggot it would usually be my starting point. I think that with practice missed bites and lost fish will reduce.

 

Sory if the above is a bit of a ramble but my brain is a bit adled this evening arfter a taxing day at work.