Just like any other form of angling, the success of any pike fly pattern is dependent ultimately on the quality of the hook used during construction. You can tie the best fly in the world theoretically, but in real terms it matters little if the hook used lets you down when it matters most.
All of the hooks we sell have been selected from the myriad available to us with only one aim in mind, to tie bloody good pike flies! No matter how big or small you make your flies, quality hooks are paramount to their effectiveness whichever way you look at it! Hooks are simply not worth skimping on if you want to remain attatched to that fish of a lifetime when the chance to land it occurs!
Our own brand of hooks are as good if not better than some "famous names" when it comes down to suitability for tying pike flies. I certainly do not see the need for bone-crunching circle hooks or such-like in tying pike flies, when in this day and age we are more concerned in the welfare of the fish we catch. I do not like hooking pike in the top of the jaw where the most sensitive organs lie in a pike's mouth, as unnecessary damage is more likely to occur. I would rather not catch a pike than do any damage to it where it is avoidable.
I prefer to try and keep hook-holds around the "scissors" area of the lower jaw, or just inside the mouth where more soft tissue exists and hooks can get a good hold more readily. Standard longshank patterns of hook acheive this type of hold on a more regular basis, and convert more "hits" into takes that stick and hold fast more often than not. Longshanked hooks are also better at converting tail nips into proper bites as the important bit (the point) is further back in the dressing and far more likely to get a good grip.
So from a conservation point of view our patterns of hook are about as fish-friendly as can be.
ALL OF OUR HOOKS ARE SOURCED IN THE U.K. OR UNITED STATES!