Circle Hooks

**Adrian** · 04-02-09

Hi Guys

Has anyone used Gamakatsu Octopus Circle hooks in saltwater fly fishing/fly tying . I picked some up from my tackle shop this afternoon and was going to try the whole Circle vs J hook experiment in the coming weeks . I see they in diffrent sizes all the from 8 to 5/0 and not too badly priced , actually they are cheaper than the Mustad 34007's . Anyone used them ? Any info feedback will be welcome

Thanks

Adrian

**Michael** · 04-02-09

Originally Posted by Adrian

Hi Guys

Has anyone used Gamakatsu Octopus Circle hooks in saltwater fly fishing/fly tying . I picked some up from my tackle shop this afternoon and was going to try the whole Circle vs J hook experiment in the coming weeks . I see they in diffrent sizes all the from 8 to 5/0 and not too badly priced , actually they are cheaper than the Mustad 34007's . Anyone used them ? Any info feedback will be welcome

Thanks

Adrian

Hi Adrian

You're going to get 10 different opinions on them...and here's the first.

I don't use circle hooks anymore. I found I missed strikes a lot.
The theory behind circle hooks are that you DON'T strike...you let the fish swim away with the bait (or whatever) and then tighten up and the fish will hook himself.

The problem is, if you are fishing two hooks, one circle and one normal J hook (small nymph) let's say...you don't know what fly has been taken so do you strike, or leave it?? If you do strike, the circle hook simply pulls out of the fish's mouth. And if you're watching an indicator (upstream dead-drift or NZ style fishing), the temptation is great to strike when the indicator dips...so there goes the fish, lost. Are you really going to see the indicator stop, not strike, and wait for the fish to swim away?

I've used them and lost many takes...then changed back to scud hooks and immediately my hook-up rate went up again. That was proof enough for me that the above theory holds some truth. So I do not use them anymore.
They are great for the baities, etc...but not for FF in my opinion...not even in the salt.

**jock0** · 04-02-09

Originally Posted by Adrian

Hi Guys

Has anyone used Gamakatsu Octopus Circle hooks in saltwater fly fishing/fly tying . I picked some up from my tackle shop this afternoon and was going to try the whole Circle vs J hook experiment in the coming weeks . I see they in diffrent sizes all the from 8 to 5/0 and not too badly priced , actually they are cheaper than the Mustad 34007's . Anyone used them ? Any info feedback will be welcome

Thanks

Adrian

I use them for some of my vaal caddis patterns and find them super strong - never had one fail, and I've had three or four of the mustads that needed some "plier-ing" back into shape. They are a little bigger than the mustads and I've found that I'll use an 8 gama instead of a 6 mustad when tying flies of identical "finished" sizes if that makes sense?

**Adrian** · 04-02-09

Sorry guys i forgot to mention i will be fishing the circles in the salt not freshwater

**Gerrit Viljoen** · 04-02-09

I'm using Mustads Freshwater Circle Streamers with great success regardless of all the opinions floating about.

U get the Salt version too,(S71 or something)I tried them but obviously the wire is almost twice as thick thus your hook penetration suck on freshwater jobbies.

I spoke to a guide a while back and for his home Salt waters he only use the freshwater hooks for marlin and sailies,etc with excellent results.

I take note of his comments cause in his lifetime he landed over 15000 sailfish.

**Michael** · 04-02-09

Originally Posted by Gerrit Viljoen

I take note of his comments cause in his lifetime he landed over 15000 sailfish.

Wow...that's one sailfish per day for 41 years solid...

**Gerrit Viljoen** · 04-02-09

One of his recent trips,76 in one day.

It sounds dodgy but that's what he said.Can't argue with that!!

**jock0** · 04-02-09

Originally Posted by Michael

Hi Adrian

You're going to get 10 different opinions on them...and here's the first.

I don't use circle hooks anymore. I found I missed strikes a lot.

I agree with you on your point about getting ten opinions on circles! Some love them, some hate them.

Which brand, model/style and size of circle did you try? I had similar experiences with the earlier eagle claws(only ever found one model/style) and the mustad streamer circles in sizes smaller than #12.

The mustad light wire demons, the gamma octopus' and the newer eagle claws dont seem to follow the same rule of "dont strike" nearly as much as the older circles and I think this is because of their far less aggresively curved profile. That said I still dont like using them for flies smaller than say #12 and I still tie my mayflies and streamers on regular j-hooks.