Don: Thanks for the info.. That is neat... I wonder if they could be hand made with , say the small 6th G guitar string?? Put the wire under magnification to bend and flatten the end to make the spade.... Course, with my eyes, wouldn't be me doing that LOL... Chuck
----- Original Message ----- From: "DonO" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 11:01 AM Subject: Re: [VFB] Re: Size 32 - Chuck > Chuck, > > That photo I sent you off list shows the smallest hooks I was ever able to > find- some VMC #34's. They are formed wire (violin), no barb, and spade > eye. There are also some #30 VMC's and a size 28 Mustad (for size > reference), which is the same size as a #32 Tiemco. > > The Mustad #32 gold hooks are special in that they actually have barbs and > were used for fishing (forged hooks). Mustad discontinued the line and the > desireability, thus the price, of the hooks has risen. They have spade > eyes, so the leader must be snelled on. I have tried everything available > with the upper brass at Mustad's NY office, and they swear to me that they > don't have any of these stashed away. > > Flyrod-builders used to put one in the wraps just at the handle, and then > epoxy over it- just a nice touch. The $277 box on Ebay went to such a > rod-builder, I believe. > > I'm on my 3rd, and probably last, box of these things, and I have just those > coupla-dozen left. (Yes, I tied them all and gave most of them away. Some > flies were lost by dropping them.) Before my eyes go too fuzzy to see them, > I want to tie me up a managerie of size 32's and take photos, so I'm > hoarding these. > > You'd have to set one in a vise and look at it to see what a challenge it is > to tie any fly on it. I haven't found anyone else yet that can tie a > full-pattern royal coachman on one, though. Not all of them come out > perfect, but the ones that do are pretty neat. Finding size 32 hackle used > to be a challenge (almost impossibility) until Tom Whiting came out with his > super-saddles in midge sizes. I tied a #32 royal coachman for Tom Zacoi's > traveling fly show, complete with 6" of 7x leader snelled on. It was a real > good one, but I didn't have the digital photography capabilities at the time > to get photos of it before I sent it off. > > Right now Mustad #28's, VMC #30, and Tiemco #32's are the smallest hooks I > know of readily available. > > DonO > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Chuck Alexander" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 9:14 AM > Subject: Re: [VFB] Re: Size 32 - was Re: [VFB > > > > Tony, All: Geeeeeez.. I never knew they'd be that hard to find (no pun > > intended LOL) If ya dropped one you'd NEVER find it .. Seriously.. I guess > > it is a "supply and demand" thing huh?? What is the smallest size readily > > available??? And those TINY hooks bring HUGE bucks it sounds huh???? Be my > > luck, I'd try to USE it, and hang it in a tree right next to a hornets > nest > > first cast LOL...Chuck > > > >
