Ahrex AFW539 Long Shank Mayfly Dry Fly Hooks

Green drakes, slate drakes, yellow drakes, March browns¦the list of large mayflies continues and Ahrex’s AFW539 Long Shank Mayfly Dry Fly Hooks is ready to tie them all. Ahrex’s AFW539 features a 4x long hook shank that’s designed to help imitate the long bodies found on some of the larger mayflies. Barbless, chemically sharpened, and made with a black nickel finish, these hooks are super sharp, super durable,  and easier on the fish. The AFW539 Hooks are made in sizes 8 through 14, allowing you to match a wide range of insects, and whether you’re prepping for a heavy spinner cloud of March browns or a midmorning hatch of Isos, these hooks are sure to help you fool those picky risers. 

Uses

While the AFW539 Long Shank Mayfly Hooks make an excellent choice for tying long-bodied mayflies, they’re also a great hook for tying dry flies to imitate larger-bodied insects such as October caddis and various different stonefly species.  

Comparisons

Long shank hooks have been used for tying streamers for decades, however, in the world of dry fly fishing, there aren’t nearly as many options. Another option for a dry fly hook with a long shank is Daiichi’s 1280 2X-Long Dry Fly Hooks. These hooks have a barb and feature a 2X-long shank, while Ahrex’s AFW539 Hooks are barbless and have a 4x-long shank, so if you need more length to match the hatch, Ahrex’s hook is a better choice–inversely, if you need to match an insect with a little shorter body, Daiichi’s 1280 Hook is a safer choice. And if you’d like a hook that’s a barbed carbon copy of the AFW539 Hooks, Ahrex’s AFW538 Long Shank Mayfly Dry Fly Hooks are just that.