Hooks - Nearly as dear as a Gallon

[Jon Whelan]

Some good posts here. Have been using SS until recently - was previously getting thru many hooks in a session & consequently losing a few too. I will not be using SS again for Trent ledgering again. Agree on the price aspect too.

Cheers, Jon

 

[Bob Gill]

Take a look at the Drennan wide gape specialist. May or may not suit you but I've found them OK so far. £1.15 per 10 in sizes 4 to 18.
Years ago bought a job lot of original Nash Fangs at around £5 for 25. Still got plenty.

Cheers
Bob

 

[Tom Marshall]

I have been using the Drennan Widegape specialist for Chub since they came out, great hook not had any problems with them. Alas the Thames is not stuffed full of Barbel round these parts so I cant report how they fair on that front, they are thicker in the gauge than Super specialists so they will be fine.

Regarding hooks on ebay, I have had Loads of different hooks from different sellers and they have all been ok, they have also tended to be far from what I would call sharp but the hook sharpener soon sorts that out.

A mate of mine is moving to China next month and has been tasked with finding me a very cheap supply of reliable hooks. I have seen one Chinese manufactures brochure which is full of all the different patterned Carp hooks you see in packets in tackle shops for four or five quid! Makes me chuckle when you realise the mark up on such small items!

Tom.

 

[Eddie Farrell]

metal, the scrapper, are making a killing on metal, was talking to a guy that i have known for yrs collecting scrape, he told me that all his scape he collects he puts in his shed, which is belled up, nothing sacred, ?????

 

[Richard Parsons]

Jon, quite agree about the gravel bottoms. And it's not just the cost of the hook is it? For every blunted hook a new hooklength has to be made up, so you have to add that on. I use Pallatrax or the Korda wide gape and the hooks last, usually, for at least 3 sessions.......

 

[David Oates]

I have been trying some-- Mustad Eyed Specialist--at £1.49 for ten. They seem a wee bit thick in the wire, have an inturned eye. So far so good, but have only had barbs to 9lb 14oz so far with them.

If anyone bothers to give them a try I'm be interested in your comments.

Mick

Also using the Mustad hooks, for Tench though. in very weedy water.
Happy so far, not sure yet how the points will be on stones and gravel.
most modern hooks have a too long and thin point which bends at the first sign of a gravel etc. Thats why beaked points are popular now.
Maybe we should club together and get someone to make the ideal hook for us, if we could agree?
Dave

 

[Dan Birkett]

So the price being paid at scrap yards are aprox £100-£150 per ton and merchants are selling at £200-£250 per ton, about 100% price hike in last 4 years. Is to blame?

Plausible but that's 25p for a kilo of steel, wonder how many hooks can be made from a kilo of steel. Besides more popular patterns have increased by upto 40% and lesser ones by only 10%.
IMO increases in the cost of materials and production are an aside to the real reason: To many greedy buggers all wanting their cut.




This is in no way a dig at the poster but herein lies the reason specimen hooks are so over priced, a marketing man's dream.............

"Next one could be a new PB."
"Its the first point of contact between you and the fish."
Or my favourite:
"Its a confidence thing, you must have confidence in your tackle."

To be honest I'm pretty guilty being afraid of losing fish, so sticking with what works and equally important, what you know. As buying blind is a real gamble, not just quality wise but more the sizes.
Though I'm going to buy 100 size 10's of these, squash the barb and give them a bash at Boddington res:

http://www.tacklebargains.co.uk/acatalog/Climax---Maverick-Carp-Specimen-Hooks.html

Because one thing I'm sure of, I'll get more than 1 hook out of 5 being good, so costing the same as branded hooks. That's working on the premise that all branded hooks are good, which they ain't!

Colin, hook manufacturers do not buy off scrap merchants, they need to use the steel mills to buy specific grades. The main issue isn't the actual steel cost its the price of the additives such as Nickel and Molybdenum, and these have sky rocketed as the demand from the far east has increased. You also need to consider that for every hook manufactured there will be material waste and rejects on top of that. Add in inflation, spiralling transport costs, higher labour rates, energy costs and you can see why the increase is happening.....


http://www.steelonthenet.com/price_info.html

the link above shows that different steel products have actually risen approx 40% over the last 18 months and this trend is set to continue....

 

[Colin Gordon]

The price increases are down to the global demand for steel products especially from the China region.

Its so bad here in Bradford that people are now nicking charity clothing bins to weigh in at the scrappers!

Colin, hook manufacturers do not buy off scrap merchants, they need to use the steel mills to buy specific grades. The main issue isn't the actual steel cost its the price of the additives such as Nickel and Molybdenum, and these have sky rocketed as the demand from the far east has increased. You also need to consider that for every hook manufactured there will be material waste and rejects on top of that. Add in inflation, spiralling transport costs, higher labour rates, energy costs and you can see why the increase is happening.....


http://www.steelonthenet.com/price_info.html

the link above shows that different steel products have actually risen approx 40% over the last 18 months and this trend is set to continue....

Dan. if you look at your first post, I think you'll see it was you hinting at a connection between scrap prices and hook prices. Though of course scrap prices rise and fall pro rata with all grades of steel. I just followed on from where you left it.
Regards price increase of steel, I stated; 4 years and not 18 months, though in fairness my 100% increase is nearer 80% but it was a general figure to illustrate a point and I thought (wrongly) that was clear.
As like I pointed out in terms of the price paid by an angler the production costs are a pittance.

Inflation: RPI annual inflation rates 2009 -0.5%, 2010 4.6%, first 6 months of 2011 5.2%, not really that great I wouldn't say....

I'm sorry Dan, I stick steadfast to my earlier conclusion; too many greedy buggers in the supply chain from factory to consumer.

Now I'm not against people making a profit but like I've said, it rings of to many fingers in the pie.
Would you or anyone else like to offer a brief breakdown of costs from factory to consumer for a packet of hooks, or how these come to cost nigh on 19p each: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Solar-Car...tingGoods_FishingAcces_RL&hash=item2c4fbcdadc

 

[David Pearce]

Take a look at the hook from pallatrax they are awsome and super strong right down to the smallest size, they retail at £3.25 for ten
If you are buying I'n bulk u may get a better deal give them a bell they are super helpful

 

[Michael Mckone]

just received the hooks of ebay from jons link ,bought 50 size 10s cost 11 quid delivered they look very promising nice black teflon coating needle sharp beaked point, slightly of turned ,of course the test will come when i get a chance to give them some stick int backyard, before i get on the trent next week ,

 

[Tom Marshall]

just received the hooks of ebay from jons link ,bought 50 size 10s cost 11 quid delivered they look very promising nice black teflon coating needle sharp beaked point, slightly of turned ,of course the test will come when i get a chance to give them some stick int backyard, before i get on the trent next week ,

But are they actually ''needle sharp''?

 

[Chris Jones]

Quite pleased that I've spent the last two years steadily stocking up on my favoured Nash Fang Gapers every time I've encountered them at a sensible price. I've got enough to last me several years yet.

 

[Tom Marshall]

Spot on, I am doing the same with Conti's

 

[Michael Mckone]

they past the scratch the thumb nail test,so thats sharp enough for me which is sharper pin /needle or razor i prefer good old razor so i might send em back

 

[Tom Marshall]

 

[Jon Frisby]

just received the hooks of ebay from jons link ,bought 50 size 10s cost 11 quid delivered they look very promising nice black teflon coating needle sharp beaked point, slightly of turned ,of course the test will come when i get a chance to give them some stick int backyard, before i get on the trent next week ,

I got mine today, 10 size 8s and a selection of 6, 8 and 10 in rapier and curve shank, barbed and barbless. first impressions they are superb and 'razorsharp', yes mike a bit of back garden testing and comparing will be done and hopefully a good hauling session on the TT sometime next week.

 

[Colin Gordon]

I got mine today, 10 size 8s and a selection of 6, 8 and 10 in rapier and curve shank, barbed and barbless. first impressions they are superb and 'razorsharp', yes mike a bit of back garden testing and comparing will be done and hopefully a good hauling session on the TT sometime next week.

The sizes stated, how do you reckon they compare to 'branded' equivalents, I'm especially interested in the Rapiers to say Korda Wide Gapes??

 

[Luke Ayling]

Why are as anglers happy to spends 100,s on rods n reels and we quibble about line and hooks...the most important items of tackle..this is not a dig in any way..just a generalisation..
Hooks are the most import item of tackle..IMHO

Luke

 

[Ian Crook]

Why are as anglers happy to spends 100,s on rods n reels and we quibble about line and hooks...the most important items of tackle..this is not a dig in any way..just a generalisation..
Hooks are the most import item of tackle..IMHO

Luke

Here, here, a bit of common sense at last.

 

[Ramon San Juan]

Why are as anglers happy to spends 100,s on rods n reels and we quibble about line and hooks...the most important items of tackle..this is not a dig in any way..just a generalisation..
Hooks are the most import item of tackle..IMHO

Luke

It's simple.... bad anglers loose lots of them















(joke)