I figured it was time to write about the hooks I use in the bulk of my fly tying, Partridge of Redditch.
I get asked a lot about my hook choice, especially at fly fishing shows. Here is my usual answer. For streamers, I want a hook that is strong, has a wide hook gap, and is sharp. Guess what, Partridge of Redditch has hooks with all of those qualities.
The three primary styles I use for streamers are the Attitude Streamer, Universal Predator, and Universal Predator X.
ACS – Attitude Streamer
The Attitude Streamer is a strong hook that has a great hook gap, is sharp and comes in just the right sizes. I use this hook in various sizes for the majority of my smallmouth and largemouth flies. This is an awesome bass hook and I absolutely think this is the best hook out there for these two species.
Universal Predator – CS86
The Universal Predator is what I use on trout style streamers. It is a light wire hook that is very strong. I’ve heard some other tiers say they wouldn’t use the Universal Predator for bass because it is a lighter, thinner hook. I can see where they are coming from because you could easily just use a Universal Predator X instead. But what makes me disagree with that statement is that I have used Universal Predators while fishing for bass and they worked great! Just this spring I caught a largemouth that was easily over 6 pounds and the fly I was using was my Bearded Wonder which is tied with two 1/0 Universal Predators. I had no problem horsing that baby in. The hooks held strongly and I still have that same fly in my fly box to use for another day. So don’t knock it until you try it.
Besides the light strength of the Universal Predator, it also has a long shank with the best hook gap in the business in my opinion. It’s such a beautifully designed hook, if I was to marry a hook, this would be the one!
Not only do I use the Universal Predator on trout streamers, I also use it on all of my poppers. The light wire and the strength and length makes for a terrific popper hook. For example, the Zudbubblers I tie are tied on a 2/0 Universal Predator and have worked perfectly for both smallmouth and largemouth bass.
Universal Predator X – cs86x
Ok, so say you love the style of the Universal Predator but you don’t need it to have the thinner wire. Well, that’s where the Universal Predator X comes in! It has the exact same, beautiful design, but is made with heavier gage wire. It can be used on a multitude of species and would be an excellent hook for pike or muskie. Basically a strong hook that can be used for catching big bad fish.
Dry Fly Supreme – L5A
The other hooks in the Partridge family that I use frequently are their dry fly hooks. The standard dry fly hook from Partridge is the Dry Fly Supreme. It’s the right size and sharp. I haven’t had any problems with hook-ups using this hook. I use it on all of the dries I tie except when the pattern calls for a longer shank hook. Then I use the Nymph Long H1A. Even though this hook is named as a nymph hook, it uses the same wire as the Dry Fly Supreme, it’s just longer. So it works great as a long dry fly hook.
Nymph Long – H1A
I hope this gives you a little insight into Partridge of Redditch hooks. I can only report on what styles I have fished and tied with most often, so that’s what I’ve tried to summarize here. I would highly recommend hooks made by Partridge of Redditch. Now quit sitting there staring at the computer screen, go get some!
-Paul J. Beel
