Ask MidCurrent: Does Hook Eye Orientation Matter?
Question: I’m still tying on Mustad & Son 94842 hooks (upturned eyes) that I bought in the 1970s. I don’t see upturned-eye hooks in catalogs anymore. Is there any real difference in hooking ability between up-eye, down-eye, and straight-eye hooks?
~ Carl via email
Answer: Fish hooks might seem simple at first glance—just a bent piece of wire with a sharp point. But any fly tyer who’s spent time at the vise knows there’s much more to them. Every curve, angle, and dimension plays a role in how the hook performs, both in fooling fish and in landing them.
When it comes to eye orientation specifically—up, down, or straight—you might be surprised to learn that it makes relatively little difference in actually hooking and landing fish. The physics of hook-sets tell us why. Think about what happens when a fish takes your fly. The hook needs to rotate in the fish’s mouth and find a solid holding point. This rotation depends primarily on the hook’s overall geometry—particularly the gap width, point angle, and weight distribution. The eye orientation plays only a minor role in this crucial moment. In fact, the angle of pull on the hook is primarily determined by the position of your rod tip, not the orientation of the hook eye.
Modern Hook Design Preferences
Most modern hook designs favor downturned eyes because they offer some slight advantages in tying and presentation. When you’re tying, for instance, it seems easier to manipulate materials along the shank with a downturned eye. This is especially true for swept-back wings and collars because the hook eye’s position makes it easier to access the head of the fly.
In the water, downturned-eye hooks can help certain patterns, especially dries, ride more horizontally. This is why you’ll see them specified in many contemporary dry fly patterns. Some argue that downturned eyes can slightly narrow the “hooking gap” (the space between the point and the shank), potentially affecting hookups with smaller flies. But even this advantage is subtle — skilled tiers can compensate for any eye orientation by adjusting their materials and proportions.
The Rise of Straight Eyes
Straight eyes have gained popularity in recent years, particularly for streamers and smaller flies. They split the difference and remain popular for all-around use, forming a straight ring perpendicular to the shank. Proponents suggest they offer the most natural presentation, allowing the fly to move freely in the current without the eye influencing its movement. They’re particularly common in nymph hooks where precise fly orientation matters less. The straight eye also makes it slightly easier to tie on your tippet, though this becomes second nature with any eye orientation once you’ve done it a few hundred times.
The Case for Upturned Eyes
Your upturned-eye Mustads were common in their era, particularly for wet flies and traditional patterns. Some argue they help flies swim more naturally on the swing, and when used with a Turle knot, can create a more direct line of pull from the tippet to the hook point. Some traditional steelhead and salmon patterns specifically call for upturned eyes for this reason, and the upturned eye is still popular among salmon anglers. Those Mustads were also incredibly well-made hooks—plenty of vintage boxes are still perfectly serviceable today.
What Really Matters in Hook Performance
The real key to hook performance lies in the point design, the temper of the wire, and the overall geometry of the bend. A sharp hook with the right gap width and a properly engineered bend will stick fish consistently regardless of which way the eye points. Modern premium hooks have benefited from advances in metallurgy and manufacturing that make them incredibly effective, even if they’ve largely standardized on downturned or straight eyes.
Practical Implications for Tying and Fishing
For tying, hook eye orientation can make flies easier to tie, which (theoretically) means a better-tied fly, which (theoretically) means a fly that looks and swims as intended. When it comes to hooking fish, though, eye orientation is mostly a nonfactor. As long as they’re still sharp and strong, those old Mustads will do the job just fine. Focus instead on getting a good drift and setting the hook with the right pressure for the situation. Those factors matter far more than which way the eye points.
Modern Availability
While upturned-eye hooks are less common today, they’re not extinct. Some manufacturers still produce hooks with this design, though they’re primarily marketed for bait fishing rather than fly tying. Companies like Gamakatsu and Daiichi still make upturned eye hooks, though finding ones specifically designed for fly tying might require some dedicated searching. The shift away from upturned eyes seems to reflect changing preferences in fly design and tying techniques rather than any fundamental flaw in the older style.
The Bottom Line
Those old Mustads are still perfectly good hooks. The minor mechanical differences between eye orientations are far outweighed by factors like hook sharpness, your presentation, and most importantly, your ability to spot takes and set the hook with appropriate timing and pressure. Keep fishing them with confidence.
