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Firehole Sticks Competition Hooks

August 26, 20187 CommentsFly TyingBy Jason Klass

Firehole Sticks Competition HooksOver the course of my fly tying career, I’ve had the opportunity to try out a lot of hooks, and like many tiers, I’ve settled on a few favorites: the TMC 2457, TMC 2499 SPBL, Umpqua Competition Hooks, TMC 2488, TMC 100 (just to name a few). But I always like to experiment with new hooks when they come out. I recently came across the Firehole Sticks from Firehole Outdoors and knew I had to give them a try. And I’m really glad I did.

I ordered them directly from Firehole and even with the shipping, the price was amazing ($10 for 50 hooks at the time of this post). I’m not sure if that’s just a temporary promotion or not, but I was pleasantly surprised by the price-to-quantity ratio as compared to other brands. But check their website for the most current prices.

I ordered a 50 pack of the model 315 in size #12 (a curved nymph hook with a 2x gape) and a 50 pack of the model 633 in size #12 (a 1X straight nymph hook with a 2X gape). Both are heavier gauge wire to help the fly sink faster.

Firehole Sticks Competition HooksI’m impressed with these hooks for many reasons. First of all, they’re really sharp. That’s obviously an important quality in a hook, but is something I find curiously lacking in a lot of brands. Overall, they’re solid–very strong steel that won’t pull out and a sexy black nickel finish. I’m not sure the black finish factors into catching more fish in any way, but for those of us who tie just as much for ourselves as we do for the fish, it’s a nice canvas to paint on. I just like the way my flies look on these hooks.

Also, they’re barbless. I fish 100% barbless (yes, even in saltwater) and while I don’t mind crimping down the barbs on barbed hooks, when tying dozens of flies at a time, I’ll admit it’s nice to be able to forgo this step. In case you missed my post on why it’s to your advantage to always fish barbless, here is my reasoning.

Here are a few examples of flies I’ve tied on Firehole Sticks so far (and you’ll likely be seeing more in my future posts.

Zenmai Stiff Hackle

Zenmai Sakasa Kebari

Double Glass-bead Takayama Sakasa Kebari

Takayama Sakasa Kebari

Utah Killer Bug

Utah Killer Bug

As a nice little bonus, they also included a free sticker and a handwritten “thank you” note on my invoice by the owner of the company. That might seem insignificant, but in this age of mass production, it’s nice to see a company that pays attention to detail and values adding a human touch to their service.

Firehole Sticks Hooks

I’d like to try out some of their other styles too so I’ll definitely be ordering more soon. If you’d like to see the full lineup, specs, and current prices, check out the Firehole Outdoors website here.

hooks for tenkara fliestenkaratenkara fly tying
About the author

Jason Klass

Jason is an avid fly angler and backpacker. As a former fly fishing guide originally from Western New York, he moved to Colorado and became an early adopter of tenkara which perfectly suited the small, high altitude streams and lakes there. He has not fished a Western-style fly rod for trout since.

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7 Comments
  1. August 26, 2018 at 4:42 pm
    Michael Agneta

    Nice, glad you’re having a positive experience with them. Barbless is definitely the way to go… and if any of your readers have a hesitation, don’t, especially if they’re tenkara anglers. Keep that line off the water (keeping it tight), you won’t have any issues.

    I’ve been using their 320s in a size 12 for a little bit now. Really nice hook and MUCH easier on the wallet than the TMC2487BLs I’d been using.

  2. August 26, 2018 at 5:53 pm
    Tom Davis

    Jason, I’ve been using them every since they came into production. They at first had a Kickstarter campaign (which I had supported) that failed, but they persisted and got funding anyway. I’m glad they did, as they have very nice hooks at excellent prices!

  3. September 16, 2018 at 1:43 am
    Gilbert Ayala jr

    Mahalo for the info I ordered 2 packs of there hook I love the color of the hooks they definitely have a character to them I tied some kebari patterns including the Utah K B bug…..Aloha

  4. November 18, 2018 at 11:18 am
    Karl Klavon

    Hi Jason. I ordered the 718s (which are most similar to TMC’s 2312s) in #10,12, and 14s and they run at least one hook size bigger than TMCs comparable size rated hooks. I was wondering if anyone else noticed if this is consistent across their entire hook line? I was blown away by the quality, finish and sharpness of the FireHole Sticks Hooks….Karl

  5. November 18, 2018 at 1:31 pm
    Jason Klass

    Hey Karl, I haven’t done a direct comparison but I mostly find hook sizes meaningless these days. It used to be that a #12 was a #12. But now, there are so many different styles of hooks that a “#12” means nothing unless you also specify the model and manufacturer. It doesn’t bother me though. Personally, I’m grateful for the variety of hook styles we have available to us today.

  6. January 18, 2019 at 10:12 am
    Justin Bruce

    Great write up Jason! I tie exclusively on Firehole Sticks! I am curious, what would a Tenkara specific hook look like?

  7. January 19, 2019 at 5:36 pm
    Jason Klass

    Hey Justin, something eyeless with a more angular bend like these Gosen hooks: https://www.tenkaratalk.com/2012/05/gosen-torrents-ace-eyeless-tenkara-hooks/

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About Me

Jason Klass is a former fly fishing guide & casting instructor based in Colorado. He was an early adopter of tenkara in the West and has been fishing the method for a variety of species since 2009. Read more >>

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