AGOSTINO RONCALLO ON USING BENT HOOKS FOR BETTER MAYFLY IMITATIONS

In 1994 I published an article in the Italian fly fishing magazine “Fly Line” where I proposed bending the hook shank upwards near the eye to give the fly more balance and stability in water.

With the front of the hook angled at about 45 ° the hackle barbs perched on the water positioned forward, but also were spread out on the sides of the fly rather like a parachute hackle.

The idea of bending the hook this way was prompted by an article I read by the Japanese fly tyer, Tatsuhiro Saido, published in the 1992 in the February issue of Fly Fisherman magazine. He turned up the shank near the eye of hook to imitate duns that float on the water with their heads raised.

I found that bending the hook was a minor job. The major drawback arose because bending the front of the hook upwards negatively influenced the effectiveness of penetration. Using a hook bent this way was equivalent to using a hook with the curve partially opened.

What I realized was that to ensure efficient hooking, the eye of a hook should be in line with the axis of the point and barb. I studied the problem for years and finally worked out what to do. I took a straight hook with a long shank and gradually bent the shank down, starting from two-thirds of its length.

Once bent, I then bent the front of the shank upwards at an angle of about 45 °. The result is that the eye comes in line with the axis of the stem.

After having tested a number of different patterns I now only use a grub hook. The shape of a grub hook allows me to perfectly shape exactly how I want the two bends to be.

Using pliers, squeeze the shank of the hook just where the curve begins and, pressing on the shank with your thumb, bend it down. Once the first bend is in, keep the hook in the pliers and using a second pair of pliers, tilt an upward bend into the front of the shank.

If we look at the finished patterns we see characteristics of the French Devaux flies with their forward facing hackles, but also many of the characteristics of parachute flies.

Red and Gold Duveaux - Luca Montanari tying and photo

The hackle barbs are facing forward, as in the Devaux patterns, but because the Devaux hackles are arranged in a forward cone, the fly can rotate on the water. With my bent hook patterns the hackle is similar to a parachute assembly, which sits on the water leaning slightly forward and preventing any rotation, so the fly will not fall onto its side.

Red Spinner by Agostino Roncallo

Dressing

Agostino Roncallo drawing

I have had good results using these patterns, perhaps because they sit on the water in the same position assumed by natural duns. If tie them to the right proportions and in the right colors, they are easily mistaken for the real insect.

A FURTHER NOTE ON BENDING HOOKS FROM GARY GLEN-YOUNG, PROTEA TEAM FLY FISHER

I use Mustad C49 S hooks. I tweak the shank straighter for nymphs, but leave the hook unchanged for caddis imitations. One hook style covers all my caddis/nymph subsurface patterns from #6 to #22 - and works on trout (large & small) as well as smallmouth yellows (that open fine wire hooks).

SOME OF THE HOOKS AVAILABLE WITH BUILT IN BENDS - From Tom Sutcliffe collection

Gamakatsu C 15 - BV Vertical eye, emerger barbless

Gamakatsu C -16 Crippled emerger

Tiemco 206 BL

Grip 14723BL Caddis Pupa and Emerger

Grip 14582 Hoppers and Terrestrials

Varivas 2210 4X fine wire

Varivas IWI F-2000 Floating nymph and pupa

Mustad 32786 BLN Jig hook