Big Eye Hook Sources

[dorenac]

With both cataracts and macular degeneration I guess I should be blind by now but I'm still struggling along on the water. Hook eyes are a big challenge often being too small to tie onto tippet without taking a good bit of time. Recenctly I became aware of "big eye" hooks but am finding very limited sources. First off what mfrs. are making them and then where are they available online? Most of my local fly shops have no real awareness about them.

[flyfishermann1955]

Orvis has big eye hooks in both down eye and straight eye versions.

Tight Lines- Ken

[twistedtippet]

You'll find them here https://www.jsflyfishing.com/daiichi-hooks
tt

[narcodog]

Daiichi (sic) sells makes and markets them and makes them for Orvis.

[Bacchus_2]

I carry some fly threaders in my pack and they come in handy for tying on small flies in low light. Available from various sources and the threaders come in various sizes. Threader fly boxes are also available and they allow you to preload several flies on a threader at home and store them for easy access on the water. Threading the line through the wire loop is way easier than threading through any hook eye… best of luck!

[Silver Doctor]

Two things really help, cut your tippet at an angle so it has a sharp end. Makes threading a lot easier. I also carry a magnetic threader which is great late in the evening when the light fails. Makes threading easy.

[JabaliHunter]

The Daiichi 1100 and 1110 are good hooks with oversized eye. I believe these are the same as the Orvis ‘big eye’ hooks.
I wish there was a klinkhamer / emerger hook like the Daiichi 1160/1167 with an oversized eye…

[ibookje]

Why not tie a size 14 fly on a size 12 hook (for instance)?

[Althehackleman]

The Daiichi 1100 and 1110 are good hooks with oversized eye. I believe these are the same as the Orvis ‘big eye’ hooks.
I wish there was a klinkhamer / emerger hook like the Daiichi 1160/1167 with an oversized eye…


A little history of bent hooks now. Long ago there was a fly shop in Waterford MI owned by Mike Freeland. I frequently visited that shop. Mike was always trying something new and one day he showed me his ACE pattern. The “attitude correct emerger” was tied on a standard dry fly hook that Mike bent down about 1/3 of the hook length back from the eye. He tied the parachute post at the bend point and some yarn at the bend. Dubbing was the body and some dry fly hackle tied around the post and he had his ACE. It was pretty basic and easy to tie. Sort of an early Klinkhamer pattern.
Give it a try.
Tight lines.
Al

[Norm Frechette]

Two things really help, cut your tippet at an angle so it has a sharp end. Makes threading a lot easier. I also carry a magnetic threader which is great late in the evening when the light fails. Makes threading easy.

i have a hard time seeing 6x tippet let alone cutting it at an angle

[RKII]

Along with the big eye hooks that others have mentioned, perhaps fly box from C&F with threaders could help as well?

[dorenac]

Thanks for some great suggestions. I also came across a YouTube of Ed Engle talking about tying midge patterns. He uses magnifier glasses and then an additional pair of clip-on flip down magnifiers. The combined magnification he says really helps sometimes.