Ahrex FW517 Mini Barbless Curved Dry Hooks

With their FW517 Mini Barbless Curved Dry Hooks, Ahrex took the design of their popular Curved Dry Fly Hooks and sized them down while increasing the size of the gap for reliable hooksets when fishing tiny flies. Made with a curved shank, these hooks are a good choice for tying midges and small emergers that you want to sit just in the surface film. These hooks have a barbless construction and are chemically sharpened with a black nickel finish to provide durability and a sharp point that lasts. Made in sizes 18 and 20, the FW517 is a great option whether you're fishing a winter midge hatch or the last olive emergence of the fall.

Uses

Due to their small size and curved shank hook, Ahrex's FW517 Hooks are a great choice for small larvae and emergers, especially midges, tiny mayflies, and small caddisflies.

Comparisons

Gamakatsu's C12BM Hooks are another good option for a curved shank midge hook, but they're far from an exact copy of Ahrex's FW517 Hook. One difference is that they come in much smaller sizes than Ahrex's FW517 Hooks. Also, their bend is a bit more dramatic, so if you're looking for a hook with a more subtle bend and don't need the truly tiny sizes, then the FW517 is a better option.