Low quality hooks or just plain "one time use"

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    Posted: 16 Jan 2021 at 1:58pm
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Went out for a fish after long wee while yesterday. I lost the fish on my first hook up as I was bringing it in and noticed that half of the hook from the pointy end was gone. With my degraded eyesight I can still tell for what it seem to be some corrosion. 

Now I used the flies that I used from my last outing (shortly before first covid lockdown) which I hook at the fly patch on my vest. I went to look at the other flies and noticed most of them have indeed have corrosion but others have barely.





Now I don't tie my own flies or buy my own hooks, but having flies only to corrode after one use is frustrating. You expect most as most modern and well known brand hooks should have alloy properties to be corrosion resistant to fresh water with only a few hours being wet.

Should I be asking what hooks are used when I buy my next flies? 

Thoughts?


Be patient and calm – for no one can catch fish in anger. –Herbert Hoover
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote O'Neill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jan 2021 at 8:00pm
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I certainly would be concerned if my hooks were degrading after a single use. Fishing Rotorua with its slightly acidic water quality would soon find out lesser hooks and one of the reasons I personally tie with either Daiichi or Tiemco (although Ive also got Fulling Mill for some Euro patterns) and through out the winter on the hydro lakes and now in Rotorua have none of the problems yours show, so yes I would be asking and showing the retailer the issues you have had and simply if you don't get a reasonable answer, well shop elsewhere.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jan 2021 at 11:30pm
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Very odd.

I've tied my own flies for many years using initially Mustad, then modern chemically sharpened Tiemco, Kamasan and Black Magic.
I've never had a fly hook corrode - some flies I tied and used 20-30 years ago and kept in old fly boxes have no sign of corrosion.

So that points to inferior hooks; or is there a chance your flies have had an exposure to a salty/damp environment - where do you store your vest?

If you're sure it's nothing like that, I'd take the flies back to the shop. Flies cost a lot to buy, and under Consumer Guarantees I think you have a strong case those ones aren't fit for purpose.

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jan 2021 at 8:28am
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Dont fresh water fish..
I do tie my own flasher/ feather hooks for stray lining, ledgers etc. Owner, bbk, gamaasku aer now my go tos.
 Cheap hooks would bend, and corrode quick.
 As title says  "one time use"
With quality hooks, they will see quite a few traces and a touch up on the point before discarding. Once touch up, re sharpen, thy then tend to corrode at the point faster thu.

Putting aside the corrosion bending on one time use, the other issue that got was the eye. Where the tag of the shaft is bent around to met the eye.. it doesnt sit tight and flush.
This then causes a sharp edge that causes the part of the knot sitting on it to fail.
Which comes to another common issue of knot failure.. in particular Snell type knots which I favour.
When tieing make sure the leader goes around the non butted side of the eye.
And .. may not effect fly fishing... the snell type knots that have the tag end go thru at 90 deg at the end of the main leader line to stop it pulling back, will fail there.


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Rainbow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jan 2021 at 9:33pm
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Looking at your flies in your fly patch it looks like Pat Swift jigging flies.   I might be wrong.    However Pat ties them on quality hooks but like any painted hook they must be cared for in a dry environment.     Must say yours look pretty rough and uncared for.    If you have caught fish on them and they are covered in slime than this attracts moisture, which can lead to corrosion.    A fly patch is only for temporary storage while fishing not for long time storage.    Also depends where your hang the vest?    In the garage the air can be quite wet when you park a wet car.    Same if you put a wet fly in a flybox.   No ventilation and premature corrosion is almost certain.   My best advice is to learn to tie your own flies.   it is a lot cheaper and you wont have a mental breakdown every time  you lose a $4 bought one. 
 
Cheers
 
Rainbow
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Fishb8 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jan 2021 at 7:08am
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Salt water fishing but had a mate using BM flasher rigs, out snapper fishing. 
On 2 different rigs, hooks broke above the bend while winding in a fish. Both rigs were brand new.

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote O'Neill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jan 2021 at 9:17am
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Just did a quick check further to the point I made about who has flies tied on what hooks. Category 3 and Feather Merchants on Tiemco clearly stated on the websites, good policy, could'nt find a listing for Pat Swift Flies but my search was short the garden is calling!
In terms of tying your own for some it does'nt suit and to get good at it as we are always learning it can be a long road let alone someone just starting out.
In terms of storage yes it can have an impact, my own tackle room has a dehumidifier in there and it gets good use but a fly dropped wet into a box isn't going to matter, but the WB I dropped in there along with a wet Clark Reid smelt had no side effects (both on Tiemcos) nor the epoxy smelt (unnamed at this stage as its still in development after successful testing) in the back of the car overnight no side effects, again a Tiemco. And yes I pay full retail for all my hooks.  
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote RC17 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jan 2021 at 10:06am
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In the last couple of years I've had some issues with the hook quality on some of the commercially tied flies. Won't name shops or brands but had numerous instances where I have removed a hook from a fish and noticed it's slightly out, or even worse is quite bent out of shape simply from a little bit of pressure removing the hook. Hate to think what a decent 10lb+ fish would do to some of these flies!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote O'Neill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jan 2021 at 11:19am
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Problem is unless we talk to the retailers who continue to carry flies on poor quality hooks the problem will simply continue, goes right beside bad service.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Kenshin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jan 2021 at 2:16pm
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I appreciate all your feedback guys. The flies that I noticed having corrosion are the ones that I had purchased from TradeMe. I had some used Pat Swift flies and some from a well known tackle shop and they are all fine with no corrosion.

I had made this habit of leaving used flies on the fly patch on my vest after use on the water and just leave it there until I decide to use it on the next outing. This also caused loosing some flies LOL along the way. I do wash and dry all my gear and tuck them away on my small man closet on the garage.

I am not too familiar with the brands of fly hooks as I dont my own flies. I see some of you have provided some brands which I will try to get familiar. For my saltwater fishing I only use Gammies or Musties.

I might have to start to be picky in terms of type of hooks used on the flies that I purchase next. Hope most sellers provide this info right? 
Be patient and calm – for no one can catch fish in anger. –Herbert Hoover
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jan 2021 at 3:06pm
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I'd say you get what you pay for in terms of TradeMe or Alibaba etc - low price flies are likely to be on no-brand hooks and assembled in a developing country. 

So it depends on how you balance their lower cost versus durability/quality.

Most TradeMe sellers of low cost flies wouldn't have a clue about the hook brand used, I'd suggest. They are probably a 're-seller'. But if the TradeMe vendor is a recognised store with a physical fly fishing shop too, then you should expect the flies to be on quality hooks and I'd certainly ask them before purchasing.

I learned early on that moths soon get to feathers or natural furs left out in the open, so the flies on my vest patch are only ones with hooks straightened on a snag, or some other defect from a day on the river.

I'd stick with Pat Swift flies - cost more, but you'll definitely catch more fish, and they certainly last.



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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote O'Neill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jan 2021 at 4:17pm
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I would be contacting TM if the purchases you had from the trader were a decent amount as a product still has to be fit for purpose under the Consumer Act.
The named brands in this post are the ones I would follow now, for ones a little different Stu's flies are also worth a look.
https://www.stusflyshop.com/ Ive a few of his ready for the trip tomorrow after I do another session with the as yet un-named epoxy smelt version 1, looking for more "improvements" and hopefully a good amount of trout "feedback".
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