It’s no secret that there’s quite a bit of variance on hook sizing from different companies. If you bought three different size 12 hooks from three different brands, I wouldn’t be surprised if none of them were consistent in their sizing. Outside of the sizing, how much of a variance is there just in the wire that they use?
For a time, I was trying out tying the same pattern on different hooks to find out if I liked a particular shape better - or even if a certain hook performed better. If you haven't read that article, you can find it here…
My experimentation extended a bit beyond just the Griffith’s Gnat that I used in the article. Through tying on different hooks, I noticed that a certain hook model that was said to have “1x Fine - 3x Fine” wire looked to be about the same size in diameter as another hook model that was advertised as “Medium” wire. This observation led me to find a micrometer and start to measure all the hooks I had in my tying box.
The Initial Findings
I measured hooks from Gamakatsu, Moonlit, Firehole Sticks, Hanak, and Umpqua. Using the micrometer, I first measured the diameter of the center of the shanks in 1/1000ths of an inch on all the models that were in my box. For consistency purposes, I measured 3 hooks from each size and model to make sure there wasn’t any fluke in the diameter of the wire.
Much like the hook sizing between manufacturers, I found a wide variation in diameter between the different companies. Within that, I found that even the “same size” of hooks in different models from the same company to have variance in their diameter - even though they’re marketed as the same “medium gauge” wire.
Even though there is a variance in the sizing between manufacturers and models, I did find that, for the most part, all hooks seemed to be consistent in the diameter of the wire for the same model and size.
A Secondary Measurement
Out of curiosity, I wanted to try to measure the taper of the hooks. I had the instrument to do it, so why not? To do this, I took a second measurement in the bend of the hook just before where the taper of the hook point starts. I wouldn’t have a consistent way to measure the taper of the point itself (which I would be interested to dive into at some point), but in my mind the taper of the wire in the bend should play a role in the performance and durability of the hook - even if it’s a small role.
I took the same approach as I did when measuring the shanks of the hooks - three measurements among three hooks of the same model and size. Some hooks had seemingly no difference in the thickness of the wire between the shank and the bend, while the biggest difference I recorded was 3/1000ths of an inch. Another observation was that different sizes of the same model sometimes had a difference in the taper.
One instance of this was with the Hanak 280BL hooks. There was a difference of 2/1000ths of an inch between the shank and the bend in both the size 14 and 12, but jumped to 3/1000ths of an inch in a size 10, and then reduced to 2.5/1000ths of an inch in the size 8.
Does Hook Diameter Matter?
So what does all this mean, and how big of a role does it really play in the performance of our hooks?
A friend once suggested that I match the wire gauge of the hook to the fish I’m targeting. You don’t need a carp hook to catch trout in the 5-8 inch range, and realistically you probably shouldn’t use a hook that thick. A finer hook should penetrate better than a thicker hook. Using the same logic, a hook with more taper should offer the same advantages as a thinner gauge wire, and possibly even allow the hook to penetrate to the bend with less resistance.
On the other side of it, a thicker gauge would offer more friction and durability. The friction would possibly hold a fish better, and the durability would be more important in chasing bigger trout.
But, with all that being said… Do 1/1000ths of an inch make that big of a difference?
While you’re welcome to take away what you will from this post and the numbers you can find in the included link for the spreadsheet, I would say that skill plays a bigger role in successfully catching fish. In my mind, knowing how to play a fish (regardless of its size), is more important. Keeping tension on the line keeps the fish on the hook. With that being said, I do think there’s a valid point in matching the wire gauge to what you’re fishing for. From the perspective of a catch and release angler, a fine hook will be less damaging to a trout than a hook with a thicker diameter. At the point of writing this, I have never had a trout bend a hook and get free. I don’t chase trophy trout though, and it’s not often that I catch anything over the 12” range. So, for me, I don’t need “extra strong” hooks, and would prefer to buy hooks with a smaller gauge wire.
A Final Measurement
After measuring these hooks with a micrometer, I became curious about the weight of these hooks. I purchased a scale that measures 1/1000ths of a gram and went back through the box, weighing the hooks in the same way I measured the diameters. On the spreadsheet, you’ll find the average weight of the hooks. Most companies were consistent in their weight, but there was some variance on a few models. I won’t dive too far into it on this post, but may revisit it in the future.
If you're looking for the sheet with all of the measurements, look no further!