Small spade end hooks and hook tiers?

dicky123 · May 22, 2018

Until a year or two ago, I could just about tie a size 16s spade end hook by hand. But my eyes and hands have changed with age.

So I brought a hook tier, well two in fact. One a Drennan the other original match-man. To be honest, I struggle with both. It seems like they are designed for people with 3 hands. Does anyone have 3 hands, advice, help?

mg:

Is it a case of just practice, because right now they are close to the bin.:w

****y.

rich66 · May 22, 2018

I’ve got the matchman, start off with bigger hooks and heavier line to practice with. I started off with size 10 eyed and worked my way down.
Once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty straight forward. I’m in the same boat with eyes and hands that aren’t so nimble.

markcw · May 22, 2018

The matchman, once you get used to it is good, don't put to many turns on the shank, moisten well and release slowly,
that way you should not get pigtails in your line, or the line snapping or not forming the Knot properly,
as for the drennan, I took one look at it in the shop and bought another Matchman,
I know people who prefer one tyer over another, its just what you get used to, for me it was the Matchman.
I have been using one for years and always have a couple of spares in my seatbox.

nottskev · May 22, 2018

I'd say persevere with the Matchman. I've used nothing else for decades for spade-ends. I remember it took a fair few practice goes to get a feel for how many turns, how tight and how to pull the line through to finish, but after that it's all plain sailing. I have half a dozen, spread across different bags and boxes, and I'd rate them my all-time favourite accessory.

Just as a btw, I chucked the first loop-tiers I bought to one side..... stupid gadget....then I spent 15 minutes working out what to do, and suddenly they became useful too!

thecrow · May 22, 2018

Richard I had problems tying spade ends smaller than a 12s for ages, I tried the matchman and even an electric one the first I couldn't use while the second didn't result in satisfactory knots, after some searching on google and youtube I got a WE hook tyer

WE Hook Tyers | We-Products

▶ 3:11

YouTube

It incorporates a matchman hook tyer but because of its design I only need to use one hand to turn it while the other holds the line, not cheap for a hook tyer but I have been down to 18s to 1.7 supplex so far and have no doubts that I could tie smaller.

The only problem I have found with it is that the base is not none slip but that's easily solved, I used some of that stuff that's meant to go under rugs to stop them from moving and it has worked ok.

john step · May 22, 2018

I say persevere with the Matchman.

3 Hands? Yes all types can be fiddly if you tie them at home and package them up for later.
I don't bother as I just loop to loop a hooklength on my line whilst fishing and use the tension of the line running from the rod top as a 3rd hand.

If you really need to do them away from the waterside you need a heavy weight to pin down the spool of hooklink line to your table/desk.
Something like a heavy paperweight?

Peter Jacobs · May 22, 2018

If I have to tie a new hook at the water side then I use the Drennan and have done for years.

However, I have a Sensas Pierotti Hook Tyer for use at home when tying a large quantity of hooks or for making pole rigs.

sam vimes · May 22, 2018

I like the Drennan and can never have too many kicking around. It's the kind of thing, like disgorgers, that I buy every so often just to add to the collection that are liberally scattered round my various boxes and bags. I tend to prefer to keep ones used for bigger hooks separate from those used for small hooks. The ones used on bigger hooks tend to lose their grip on small hooks after a while. I can understand the three hands comment though. My way of getting round that is to grip a spool of line between my knees when I'm tying hooks. I generally do my hooks on the bank as I need them. I don't fish matches so I'm never in that much of a rush to require doing loads at home. I tend not to lose to many hooks either. I can usually make one hook/hooklength last as long as most of my sessions last.

Don't bin it, I'll at least pay the postage if anyone wants shot of a Drennan hook tyer

markcw · May 22, 2018

Like Sam, I grip the spool of line between my knees, I used to do various sized hooks on differen breaking strains of line and
have them in a hookength box, I still have some also some shop bought ones, I still tie some up on the bank if required.
I have also noticed its worth having one tyer for large hooks and one for small, due to loss of grip on them.

Richox12 · May 23, 2018

sam vimes said:
I like the Drennan I tend to prefer to keep ones used for bigger hooks separate from those used for small hooks. The ones used on bigger hooks tend to lose their grip on small hooks after a while. I can understand the three hands comment though. My way of getting round that is to grip a spool of line between my knees when I'm tying hooks.

Exactly that. Use the Drennan and different ones for small hooks & large hooks

Or when I'm tying at a table at home the spool of line is 'fixed' so it cannot move and I tension the knot against that.

bracket · May 23, 2018

****y123. This might not help you, ****y123, but others reading this thread may benefit. In my prime I used to hand tie hooks for the trade by the thousand, right down to sizes 24/26. I still tie for myself but nowhere near as fast as I use to. The main reason being my close range vision has deteriorated over the last ten years, dexterity is fine. What I have found invaluable is this:
View attachment 4773

A light, come magnifying glass. Picked it up for less than £20 at Lidl. I cannot be doing with hooktyers. By the time I have tied one hook (badly) with a tier I can tie half a dozen perfectly be hand, even with my present limitations. Pete.

rayner · May 23, 2018

Over the years I've tied hooks in all manner of ways. My favourite fastening would be dubbed hooks, the way the finished knot looks is superior looking than a spade end that I steered clear of for ages. Trouble is the knot is just not strong enough now.
I tie spades in a similar fashion to the crow, simple with a matchman, recently I've been using knotless for eyed hooks even in small sizes.
Ever since the 60s I would never use spades, it took an age for me to drop straight shanked hooks, to have confidence in using spade end hooks took a while.
a couple of seasons ago I started using eyed over spades. If it's commercials that are over stocked that forces fish to ignore eyed hooks to get a feed I don't know. One things for sure eyed hooks are no detriment to getting bites.
The knotless is just as simple to tie as tying spades.

108831 · May 23, 2018

I have used three sorts of hook tyer and been able to the decent hooks with all of them,my preference is the matchman pattern,but many years ago I made two aluminium tyers based on the matchman,with brass hook,brilliant,I tie hooks down to 26's,no problem at all,it'll be my eyes that will cause a problem first,not the tyer,as for loop tyers,not a chance,I tie a better loop with my fingers than its possible tie with a tyer,period,smaller and neater,the lot.

mikench · May 24, 2018

I know my limitations and they are several with hook tying being one of them!

Small spade end hooks and hook tiers?

dicky123

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rich66

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markcw

Exiled Northerner

nottskev

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thecrow

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john step

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Peter Jacobs

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sam vimes

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markcw

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Richox12

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bracket

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rayner

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108831

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mikench

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