Hook points

[PennypackFlyer]

I subscribe to Fly Tying and noticed that when they show the fly in the vice you can see the point of the hook. When I am tying mine I always keep the point hidden or protected by the vice clamps. This also protects the line/materials from getting frayed and breaking.


So how do you place the hook in the vice when your tying?

 

[Andreas]

I want to see where the point is and where the barb used to be (I mash the barbs on all my hooks). I use the point and bard as a tying guide. So, I set them up like this.

 

[duckfoot]

I have the barb and point showing, and I occasionally still break thread off on the point.

Oh well, what's life without a little excitement?

 

[MKern]

When I first started tying I hid the hook point in the jaws, but now I have it exposed.

I think once I learned to tie with it exposed I had better access back to the bend.

I do occasionally hit the point which can cause a headache, but it's usually if I'm tying something that is more on the difficult side.

 

[lestrout]

One thing I like about rotatable (sp?) vises is that I can **** the angle a few degrees so the thread hangs down a slight bit away from the hook point. That reduces the times I slice off the thread by accident.

 

[nfrechet]

i tie with the hook point exposed

after 35+ years tying ive learned good thread management with an occasional nick of the thread

hook points and barbs act as reference points of where materials, tags, butts are tied onto a hook shank. being buried by the jaws provides no reference point

 

[MKern]

I also think it has something to do with stability of the hook and how vises are designed to hold hooks.