Look, we know you steelhead and salmon types are a bunch of opinionated…well, we know you’re opinionated. That’s OK – we are too.
We want to hear your opinions on a topic that’s near and dear to the hearts of those of us who swing articulated and/or tube flies – what’s your favorite trailer hook?
What’s a Trailer Hook?
Lots of bigger flies tied these days for steelhead and salmon are either tube flies – flies tied on tubes that that don’t have a hook at all – or articulated flies tied with a loop that you attach your own hook to. Some folks call them stinger hooks.
Since these flies allow you to choose your own hooks…you have to choose your own hooks! Earlier this month we heard from Will Novy-Hildesley, a regular reader of our blog. He suggested that it would be really interesting to hear which trailer hooks people use, and why. We couldn’t agree more.
What’s Your Favorite Trailer Hook?
So, if you fish for steelhead or salmon and use flies that require trailer hooks, we want you to leave us a comment right now and tell us which trailer hooks you fish, and why. Here’s the deal, though – for this to be helpful, we want the details!
We want manufacturers, model numbers and sizes. We also want to hear why you like the hooks you like. Do you think they’re ‘sticky’? Do you think they’re strong? Do you like that they’re offset, or not offset? Do you like the chemical sharpening process? The fact that you can get them in red? That they’re made with fine wire? That they’re made with thick wire?
OK, you get the idea. Chime in with a comment and let us know which trailer hooks you fish and why. We appreciate you sharing your thoughts, and our other readers do too.
Thanks so much to Will for suggesting the topic. We love hearing from you folks about what you’d like to see on our blog – if you’ve got ideas on what you’d like to see from us, please drop us a line.
I prefer Owner SSW hooks. Size 2,and size 4. They are sticky sharp out of the pack. plus, they resharpen far better then other octapus style hooks I have tried.
I am an avid fly fisherman in the Great Lakes Region. I have been tying flies for 25 years, fly fishing for 20, and a steelhead fisherman for 10 or more. I have also recently found success with King Salmon in Michigan. I have found the Blackbird Sabre Tooth hooks to be a great choice. They are stout and strong (very little flex to them), shaped well and are consistently sharp out of the bag. I have used them mostly with tube flies, but I plan to tie some Waddington shank-type flies with them as well. Also, the barb is the perfect size, big enough to hold hooksets well, but not overly large to damage fish upon hookset and fighting. Overall, I have found these hooks to be priced reasonably as well.
Vote #2 for Owner SSW
I like the Gamakatsu – Finesse Wide Gap and/or B10S Stinger on my Waddington Shank flies for trout or silver salmon. They seem to provide a better hook up percentage than the beak point of octopus style hooks. For King Salmon shanks or tube flies, I’d agree with the Owner SSW.
Hard to beat the Gamakatsu Octopus #2, and Finesse Wide Gapes for price point, stickiness and general success when fishing. The Finesse are insanely sticky, and with the large gape can allow you to fish smaller hooks without having to worry so much about braining the odd dolly or smaller steel, while still allowing great holding power for “real” fish.
I can’t remember the last time that I used a trailer that wasn’t an Owner SSW. They are unbelievably sharp, and they upped my landing ratio. I was a big Gamikatsu for a long time, but it seems like the hook design has gone to a rounder bend as of late, and that alone caused me to pop a few fish off and switch me over to owners. I rather the needle points to the cutting points, always in black and in sizes from #4 up to a 1/0 if needed. They stick fish whether they be on tubes or stinger style flies. Another plus to the owners is they are not as brittle, I haven’t snapped any off yet, but I have bent them out. You can still sometimes land a lucky fish on a bent hook, but not a broken one. On terms of being sharp or in need of being re-sharpened, I just swap hooks out, I don’t think there is reasoning to re sharpening a hook that has gone dull, a fresh one out of the pack can’t be beat. One of the biggest things that I like about the owners is that you can get them in ‘bulk’ packs, where gammies unless ordered only come in 25 packs. Just my opinion….
My “go to” hook for my Reverse Marabou Tubes -when guiding the Deschutes, is a #2 Owner SSW. However, if the fish are being butt-heads and not taking the fly well, I’ll drop down to a #4. -I would go #6 if the fish wouldn’t bend out the hook. If I’m fishing my Loop Leech, I really like the Gamakatsu Drop Shot Hook in #1 or 1/0.
That said, when I’m on the Dean or fishing kings on the Kanektok, I jump up to a #1 SSW. Although I have had a few toads bend them out. Fishing anything larger I worry about the potential negative effects on the fish, especially Dean River steelhead. -Besides, having a fish torque out a hook makes for great stories back at the lodge -Everyone of those fish was at least…
My go to hook is certainly the Owner SSW, typically in 2’s & 4’s. I really like the 2’s for most species (even including Kings) and typically drop to the 4’s for pickier fish.
I also use a lot of stinger style flies when swinging for Trout in the Rockies. This is when smallish size Gami Finesse Wides (4’s) and the B10S in 6’s are perfect. I use the B10S quite a bit for in Trout Spey world.
Also, the B10S is an awesome hook for using on top…whether fishing mice on the K-tok or swinging dries on the Dean, it’s a great sticky hook for that use.
Owner SSW in 2 and 4
Good article, good ideas.
Question for the group here. I saw a guy using a circle style hook for his trailer. Claimed it worked good, but I’m one of those who still can’t buy into the concept of circle hooks.
Anyone?
I’ve just picked-up the Gamakatsu “Split Shot/Drop Shot #50409. Can’t yet comment on their “hook-up” performance, but, they have the following preferred items; made of a small guage, not off-set, (but that’s easily solved with my pliers), have a very small barb that’s easily smashed, and a sexy wide gap, (forgot the correct term, sorry). I’m liking stinger fly set-ups more, as I believe they cause less damage to the fish. Given, of course, that it doesn’t trail too far back. Thus avoiding a potentially fatal hook-up deep in the fish’s throat, or worse a foul hook on the body. That would ruin my trip, for sure. Thanks for asking. Best.
Ed F.
I’m using Owner Mosquito (#5177), usually in #2. The Mosquitos are very similar to SSWs of the same size, but have a slightly longer shank which is good when you’re tying some big streamers. They are fine wire, have a decent gap, slightly off-set, and the hook eye is slightly upturned.
The Mosquito is Owner’s drop shot hook, and are very similar to what Ed Filice has described about the Gamakatsu’s he’s just picked up.
I use #1 Owner SSW (debarbed of course.) I love the fact that after fishing a run with many snags they are still as extremely sharp as when I put them on. They have my full confidence.
Andrew Niethe got in touch with this input:
I like the Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap hooks in size 2.
They are chemically sharpened, they have a short shank slight up turned eye, non-offset bend. This hook is a very fine wire, with a short shank. They are sticky sharp an penetrate instantly. I like the available 25 count packs.
This hook isn’t found at fly shops to often because it is made for Drop Shotting for LM Bass. I Have been using the size 2 for mid sized Intruder style flies and larger tubes.
Thanks Andrew!
For subsurface tube flies, my favorite is the Owner SSW 5111 in sizes 1 through 6, depending on the size and style of the fly. They are extreemly sharp and”grabby” and I don’t think I have ever had one break or bend on a fish.
The up eye allows me to feed a “non-slip mono loop” through the tube and the hook eye and then form a “loop to loop” connection to the hook. This makes for an easy hook change if required.
I have started tying tube fly skaters and find that the Owner 5111 in sizes 6 and 8, with it’s short shank, is light enough to allow the fly to skate very nicely. My landing percentage on the few fish I’ve hooked using this set up is very high, I think because of the short shank hook.
The Gamakatsu Octopus runs a fairly close second, but the hook shank is longer than the Owner and it has more “offset” than I like.
Scott Hagen
I use exclusively the Owner SSW in sizes 2 & 4, black or red. I tie them on with a snelled tie which keeps them level with the tubes or as a stinger. They are extremely sharp, heavy enough and long lasting with no rusting.
Gary…
My favorite trailer hook is a short one. Leaving a loop big enough to change the hook puts the hook too far back. I tie my hook in before I construct a fly. The idea is to iliminate the hinging that would occur if one used a long shank hook, not to be able too change out a hook.. If your hook needs to be changed before your fly is mangled by fish then you need to learn to cast (keep off the rocks) and carry a hook sharpener. Flies with long trailer hooks are called GRIMM REAPERS.
Vote #2 for Owner SSW
and Daiichi X510 #4
Gamakatsu split shit/ drop shot can’t be beat. 1/0 always for articulated streamers. Never come unbuttoned. Never bend out or break. Sexy design. Nice corner for holding their grip. Super sticky. Better shape abd design for keeping buttoned than the octopus.
Gamakatsu–Finesses–Wide Gap….#1
Owner SSW’s. The ones you are showing in your photo above are the ones that work the best for me. 5180 and 5315. This is the strongest hook that still has the “stickiness” and sharpness to do it. And, it’s easy to sharpen if needed. Even with that I had one bend out (a 1!) on a Chinook this year. I use 1’s up in BC and 2’s in PNW in both models, one for stingers and one for tubes. The guides up on the Babine choose these as well. But, I am open minded and looking forward to what others suggest as well.
Loren
my favorite hook must be gamakatsu LS-5314F very fine wire and sets the hook perfectly every time, never fail me so far..tight lines, wish i was with you guys right now..next year..
michael.
I’m looking at the owner SSW #4. what is the differences between the needle point and cutting points
I prefer gamakatsu size 2-4…