How many of you use circle hooks for your flies?

[mdrew9]

I hope to start tying now and I was thinking of exclusively using circle hooks in my flies, they seem like a new development for flies anyone have any experience?

[Armando]

The main idea on circle hooks is to catch and release fish with the less harm possible.
Though I still think the barb is too big.
Best regards

[stevec]

Maybe if you plan on dead drifting flies. An active swimming fly is not going to get you the hook-ups

[AlderBrookFarm]

You don't have to dead drift to catch on circle hooks. I tie several patterns on circles and don't dead drift any of them and they have all caught fish.

[rockfisherman]

I experimented with them for dead drifting flies but found no advantage in hookup ratios. Not often does a bass inhale a J hook to the gullet. It does happen, but not enough that I am tying on circles anymore. Gave it up.

[thynnus]

Just say no to circles. Pointless for flyfishing. I have been fishing for almost 15 years and came only remember a very few fish that were hooked deep on the fly. I just don't see any need for them with flies, want to fish bait, then fine can see that, but not flies.

[Saltydog]

circules. O.K. heres one it's my DR.DEATH
"GOOD LUCK GOOD TYIN"

[peterjay]

I've been using circles exclusively for false albacore and bonito flies since Mark Lewchik turned me onto them back in '98, and the improvement in hookup rate and landing rate has been nothing short of astonishing. In fact, in that time, I have never once had a fish spit the hook, which is more than I can say for the bad old J-hook days. When the tunoid comes straight back at you, just reel up the slack and the fish is always there with the hook planted firmly in the corner of the mouth. They work equally well for bluefish, though less well on stripers, at least in my experience. A couple of trips to the ER to have circles removed from various appendages convinced me to de-barb all my hooks, and it hasn't affected their staying power in the least. If you don't use circles for tunas, you don't know what you're missing.

[Animal Chris]

using the Mustad 39951BLN Demon® Circle: Extra Fine Wire hooks I picked up in a Wally World in Hawaii. The only problem tying them is that this is a true circle hook and has a short shank, and I am limited in my patterns. So far, I am very impressed in the results. My main testing ground has been under (or over as in the case of greenlights) at night. I picked this time because of the abundance of smaller fish that typically swallow the fly and end up hooked in the gills or stomach. Using a Clouser pattern, the tally is up to 80+ speckled trout (most in the 15" range), 2 redfish and 2 flounder. All of the fish have been hooked in the corner or top of the mouth. The hook up rate is about the same as the "J" hook. I have been tying some kwans and Borski style shrimp. I have also been re-bending some 34007's to conform to the overall shape of the Demon®, but keeping a longer shank for Deceivers, etal. Nothing against the Mustad 71SS, but I've had better luck (conventional tackle fishing) with the more radical Mustad circle. Tight Loops, AC

[Nauti Buoy]

YES!!! Circle hooks (offset type) are a definite advantage over J-hooks. Situations in which I find they work better include: getting tired (read that as sloppy) on the strip and, as a result, the fish sometimes hit in-between strips. Have had a number of occasions where this has happened and the fish (Striper) hooked itself; on hook-ups with a normal strip, have not had a problem - don't have to strip strike; have found the fish rushing you stay hooked better when slack develops; have found it easier to hook yourself too, with the offset circles.

I use the Owners Mutu Light Circle (Model 5114-141) hooks up to size 6/0 and the Gamakatsu Octpus (Stock 02014) up to size 6/0. They are sharp, strong and they work for me. Try 'em. What do you have to lose?

[striblue]

I am sure there are pros and cons , and after reading these posts there is mixed opinions. My take on it is ..from a boat... with fast taking fish ,like albies..circles are ok where the fish will hook itself with minimul stike on the part of the caster... but on the flats with selective stripers where a hook set sometimes requires a quick strip..I would not use them... plus I do agree that gut hooked stripers are a rarity... and if you go barbless it make no difference anyway. I will not use circles on any flies..I see no advantage for the fish or me. Just a lot of missed strikes while site fishing. Just IMHO.

[peterjay]

Chris - We’re probably talking apples and oranges here (unfortunately, we don’t see a lot of reds and specks in New England) but when I started using the Mustad C71SS circle streamer hook last year, I made the mistake of using hooks that were a bit too small for the intended quarry. (false albacore) After a few missed strikes, I switched to bigger hooks (1/0 and 2/0) and the problem vanished. It seems that an adequate hook gap is even more vital with circles (especially non-offset circles like the C71SS) than it is with J-hooks. That said, I found the C71SS, with its longer shank to be a great hook for epoxy minnows, surf candies, albie deceivers, etc. Also, the fact that they’re stainless was a big advantage over the Owner Mutu hooks that I’d been using. I still tie all my striper flies on J-hooks, but as far as tuna flies go, I wouldn't go back to using J-hooks even if it meant making my own circles. They're that much better. PJ