Can you explain why we should avoid “thin wire” hooks. I’m not doubting you, it is just something I don’t know about. I am relatively new to tying on jig hooks and just ordered some from Allen that are thin wire.
Thanks for filling us in on the details.
Don
There is an upside to thin wire. One, if you do get a snag, you can often bend open the hook, if the temper allows it, and free the fly providing your tippet is up to it. I feel like I know at what point certain hooks will open up and then I can manage the pressure I put on the hook, whether it be joined to a fish or snag. Secondly, thin wire, all other things being equal, I believe goes into flesh like fish lips and tissues with less force than thicker wire. I believe I have evidence that thin wire hooks work better on many species in that you get a better hook set and better retention.
Not all hooks have the same strength and temper nor use the same steel or manufacturing processes. Gamakatsu SC-15 hooks are incredibly thin wire hooks considering the fish they are expected to take, but I’ve never had one fail. I’ve had much thicker wire hooks from a different maker open up on the same class of fish using the same pressure during the fight.
In a perfect world, I’d chose thin wire hooks on nearly all of the fish I go for. I do not have much experience with cold water trout so there might be something fundamentally different about them. But I’m always looking for the thinnest wire hook available for a particular fish that will be just strong enough to have a good chance to set well and land the fish in the particular conditions of the setting.
Think about it this way. A very thin sharp needle or razor goes in or cuts with very little force. A much thicker blade or point requires much more force to part flesh. My experience with hooks mirrors this.