On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 14:07:52 -0600, rw
wrote:

Scott Seidman wrote:
Jeff wrote in
hlink.net:


My fishing mentor and full-gospel life's work critic, pj, claimed i
was doing something wrong tying an improved clinch by threading bottom
to top (up from the bend of hook). I allowed (silently of course) as
how he was full of **** as the way the fly floated or the purchase of
the clinch knot were not affected by the threading direction. I'm
sure the bend of the eye and the particular knot may implicate a
particular direction for the threading process, but i don't think any
of the knots i tie on hook eyes (clinch, improved clinch, and palomar)
are affected.

I'll bet only a very small percentage of flyfishermen use a turle knot
(or similar type of knot). So why do nearly all dry-fly hooks have down
eyes? It doesn't make sense. A straight eye should work better. Is this
just a historical accident that has its own momentum? Do they come with
down eyes because people EXPECT down eyes?

I still use the turle knot because that is the first knot I was
taught by my father. It's a subtle reminder of him on the river. I
have in the last few years, tied more bugs on straight eye hooks just
because it is so much easier to tye a clinch at dusk :-)
Harry Mason
www.troutflies.com