Chaps I've been searching for 60 degree jig hooks in the shops I frequent - no luck yet. Plenty of 90 degree hooks available - bought a box and tried to bend one open a little but it snapped off just at the 90 degree corner. Maybe the 90 degree ones work just as well even though they look a bit odd - I'll give it a try anyway. Kinda like the upside down approach I've been experimenting with lately - just by bending normal SS long shanks up a tad near the eye - it gives the fly a sexy wiggle and the hook is far better concealed in the fly body with the pointy bit where the fish bites rather than hanging way below the actual target of the bite.

If anyone spots any 60 degree jig hooks in the shops anywhere please give me a yell.

They've been mentioned on Dan Blanton's board and here is a link to another good thread on them:
http://www.stripersonline.com/ubb547/ultimatebb.php/topic/3/4182.html

Cheers
William

William, half dozen 3/0 60 degree hooks on their way to you.

Guys you are so generous with your assistance

Lionel I have those hooks you sent in hand - just the thing I was looking for.

David thanks for the lead on West Gosford - I shall raid their stocks ASAP Now that fly you have in the pic above - is it weighted at all? And if not does it behave itself okay in the water?

Cheers
William

George the fly rides with hook up - like a clouser. Even clousers ride better on these hooks and can be tied with lighter dumbells to still get upside down effect. Relatively snag-free. The hook is also better concealed in the fly material - more realistic presentation to wise fish. The hook point is nearer the bite point i.e. in the centre of the fly's body rather than riding below / in front of main bite target. In the thread on Stripers Online they are claiming more cleaner hookups (on striped bass I presume) - although the amount of data hardly makes it a scientific fact yet - nevertheless it seems logical when you look at a fly tied on one of these hooks.

Some of the flies I've been experienting with (just bending long shank hooks into roughly this shape) produce an extra little side-to-side shimmy on a jerky retrieve. Reproducing this effect consistently on each fly still needs some work - I'm hoping the consistency and slightly shorter shank on these hooks will cut down the variables so I can get the effect consistant. Also an upsidedown pattern I'm working on seems to hold some promise in minimising tail-wrap.

Cheers
William

PS: Apologies for repeating myself

no worries william, good to see you got them.
looking forward to seeing the results!

david that fly looks sweet - the proportions look great - perfect "shrimpy / fishy" suggestive something or other that you want to go down and puff up some sand to excite the flatties. i can imagine a mini version of that fly fooling a few bream and possibly even whiting. i notice (at least it looks so in the pic) that the dumbell is on the inside ie topside of upsidedown shank. i wonder if there is any merit in putting the dumbell on the other side - that would bugger the proportions a bit but it may negate the need for the extra lead. i'll try a few both ways and see what happens.

btw one of the inspirations for all this 60 degree stuff is the sellers sst on dan blantons hot flies section:
http://www.danblanton.com/sststory.html
personally i like the idea of concealing the hook more than on the sst but it has so much else going for it that perhaps it doesn't make a big difference.

cheers
william