Catalog

Due to unavoidable shadows during scanning, some areas of the hooks may appear slightly bigger than they actually are. I plan to replace many of these photos with much more detailed shots soon. Ronn

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Jock Scott (Stout) by Ron Reinhold

Catalog Information

Content provided by Ron Reinhold

General

All hooks are hand made from scratch with the help of expensive little machines I've designed and built. I use special wire that matches the wire used in antique hooks, but the meallurgy is far more pure and consistent. The hooks are electrically heat treated, which is digitally controlled to the extreme; you'll always get a hook with no brittle spots no soft spots, and no unsightly pitting. The black finish is the same japanned finish used on hooks over a century ago. No other hookmaker has this enviable finish (SEE VICTORIAN FINISH).

Victorian Finish

The Victorian finish on my hooks is a true japan coating like that used on hooks during the Victorian era. It's not paint. It's much tougher than paint, and solvents won't touch it. The high-gloss black color is incomparable. As is typical with all japans, miniscule specks of airborne dust occasionally get stuck in the coating because the stoving time is so long; however that's what antique hooks look like. I guarantee you won't find a better looking or stronger finish anywhere bar none. The appearance of the Victorian finish can be varied according to the quality desired.

Bronze Finish

All hooks are also available with an antique bronze finish. It's indistinguishable from the finish on old Mustads. Harisson & Bartleets, and Kendals. Real nice! The hue can be varied from lighter to darker if you have a preference.

Exhibition Hook or Traditional Hook (“E” or “T”)

All hooks are available in TWO styles; EXHIBITION STYLE and TRADITIONAL STYLE. The difference is:

EXHIBITION STYLE:

The ultimate hook. Exquisitely crafted to enhance the splendor of your finest work. The black mirror finish is the finest ever put on a hook. It's the epitome of Victorian elegance. Barbs are long, guttered and refined. Points are polished, and the tips of the points are slightly honed to help prevent accidental cutting of the silk while you tie. Tapered shanks are perfectly tapered to dead-center so you can tie perfectly balanced flies. Most points are ground to a graceful Dublin shape, unless otherwise noted, or you may order a customized point shape for no extra charge. Each hook is individually packaged and sealed with a gold label in a classic vellum wrapper. Throughout the catalog the EXHIBITION STYLE hook price is preceded with an “E”.

TRADITIONAL STYLE:

The best feature is the economical price-- just half of the Exhibition Style price! The grind and finish replicates the produciton quality that prevailed in the heyday of original antique hooks. The barbs are unguttered shorter, and less refined, the spear is uncorrected, and the points are (for the most part) ground harpoons. The glossy black finish is Victorian so it's reliably tough, but it doesn't have the beautiful depth and mirror finish like that on the EXHIBITION STYLE hooks. Overall, they have a very traditional appearance. Without advance knowledge it would be extremely difficult to distinguish between the TRADITIONAL STYLE hooks from original antiques. Your flies will appear to be tied on the real thing, and only you will know the difference. Throughout the catalog the price of TRADITIONAL STYLE hooks is preceded with a “T”.

HOOK POINTS AND BARBS

Because antique hooks were all handmade a most notable aspect about them is that the points are mostly different. Even in a box of a hundred of the same model, the points vary from one to the next. This creates problems when tyers want a replica of a certain manufacturers hook. What kind of point are they expecting? In my opinion (not necessarily correct!) I think they want the most elegant one they can get. Today that usually means a version of a Dublin point. Also called a “Dublin Limerick” or “Improved Limerick.” Dublin points have a suble “S” curve on the surface facing the shank. Another popular style is the “Improved Harpoon” point I strive for them on most of the EXHIBITION STYLE hooks.

Hollow points look like a sliver of crescent moon stuck on the end of the hook bend. They have a real “fishing hook look” made for the raw business of catching fish. Lots of character. In their day. Hollow points were regarded as the highest quality hooks available due to the inordinate amount of hand filing required to make them.

Harpoon points are predominant on many antique hooks, but are very inconsistent in there size and shape. There are many variations. Nonetheless, they have their charm, probably because of their hint of crude efficiency. They are easier to grind thean hollow points or Dublins, and appear to have been the preferred choice for fast production in the nineteenth century. I have not seen the term “Harpoon point” associated with a particular hook point in the literature. It may be a term of more modern origin that is bestowed on the style. About the best way to describe them is they actually resemble the point of a primitive whaling ahrpoon. Of you want harpoon points just ask, there's no extra charge. Almost all of my TRADITIONAL STYLE hooks are made with harpoon-like points. Be aware that they will not be perfectly consisten from one to the next but very close.

Improved Harpoon points resemble common harpoon points but more care is taken to impart graceful lines and smooth edges. When done correctly they are very handsome. Gutters are frequently incorporated with them.

Round points (and short barbs) reflect the maching techniques of the modern industrial age. Typically unstylish they generally have a short, kicked up barb and a crudely-ground conical point resembling the tip of a low-quality needle. The black finish can be left wanting for gloss. The nostalgia and charm of early handmade hooks is eliminated. Although they are available at low cost, all sense of the grand traditions and sophistication of classic tying isgenerally perceived to be diluted on modern hooks with round points.

Barbs run the gamut from beautifully graceful crescents to unsightly sharp humps. The highest quality hooks have moderately long, polished barbs and frequently gutters. Shorter barbs are a developmental trend that began taking hold in the 1880's (roughly) and later.

A Gutter is a triangular trough that is filed or ground tangent to the barb at the barb's base, and extends into the base of the point. Gutters cause the barb to appear longer and more elegant, and ragged edges on barbs are cleaned up by incorporating them.

Shank Tapers: Most tyers today try to make small heads on their flies. Having a small taper is one way to help achieve that. However, tiny tapers don't have much surface area to provide friction to hold relatively large wings in place particularly on larger hooks. A larger taper does provide more surface area and will keep the dressing from turning on the hook.

Another consideration is that tyers usually like to have just a little of the tip of the taper showing on the finished fly. A tiny taper has always seemed a bit odd when showing particularly on larger hooks.

For these reasons, I make my tapers a little larger than Ron Reinhold did. Neither way is more or less right than the other and really boils down to being more cosmetic than anything else since very few, if any of these flies will ever be fished.

If you want tiny tapers on your hooks, let me know and I will make them for you.

For larger hooks, I have always liked to have a bit of a rough taper to provide a bit more friction for the gut and wing to stay in place. I have an apparatus that will roughen the taper and do it without an increase in wire size. The additional cost for this is $.50 per hook.

For those Tyers who tie their gut onto the bottom of the hook, this relieved taper will allow this with little or no bulk. The additional cost per hook is $1.00

Dee Hooks: Antique Dee hooks are long shank, Heavy wire hooks originally developed for use in the fast, heavy water of the River Dee in Scotland. Any hook in this catalog that's labeled a Dee simply means it has extra length (not necessarily weight) characteristic of those originally used in Scotland; some do have the extra weight, however and are faithful replicas.

Forged Hooks Available: If you like the “flattened wire” appearance on the bend of the hook, then you like forged hooks. I can forge any of the hook bends for an additional cost of $1.00. Unfortunately, the forged area doesn't show well in a b&w photograph. It is quite distinctive in person and adds a bit of a retro look to a fly.

Custom Hooks: If you want hooks with extra length, add $2.00 per inch of added length(or any length less than one inch). Maximum shank length is 4-1/2 inches.

ANTIQUE HOOKS REFURBISHED:

Got some rusty ones? Get them back looking like jewels. They'll be completely stripped and refinished with a lustrous new traditional japanned finish $9.00 each. Allow 30 days for return.

QUICK REPAIR TIP:

Any high gloss black finish that has an unwelcome nick in it can be quickly spruced up with a slight dab of black fingernail polish.