FishEastCarolina Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 After tying for a month or so now I have quite the collection of "those don't look like what I thought" flies. I was wondering if anyone here has any method of burning old material off of hooks without it getting too messy. I dumbly used lots of nice tiemco and owner hooks for my first month instead of tying on cheaper hooks. I would rather salvage the hooks than toss the whole fly in the garbage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaytee Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 Just use a new razor blade. One swipe and you're home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crs2006 Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 I usually cut down the material to as little as possible, then put the hook in a hemostat, take it outside, and light it on fire. At that point you can just scrape off any residual junk. This can stink up the house, so definitely do it outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbuzzi Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 Single Edge Razor is you best friend for cleaning materials off hooks. I will usually give away the flies I don't like or save them for Bluefish. You can spend a whole morning cutting off materials, but you will get your hooks back. Atlantic Saltwater Fly Rodders - Bayshore Saltwater Fly Rodders - South Jersey Coastal Fly Anglers BuzFly - Got Gooey Body or Foil? Share what YOU HAVE DONE, not what you have been told. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishEastCarolina Posted November 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 thanks for the responses, I am gonna burn and cut some tonight. Out on the porch of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howied Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 Great info here. I will definitely apply those techniques to my large bin of junk/practive flies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt.Castafly Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 thanks for the responses, I am gonna burn and cut some tonight. Out on the porch of course. Just a gut feeling, razor blade..... heating a hook might change the metallurgy properties, including the temper. Nothing flies by me without a hook! If my fly is down, That's a good thing. Public Access.....It's a shore thing. My daily requirement of "Vitamin Sea". Capt. Ray Stachelek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KironaFly Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 After tying for a month or so now I have quite the collection of "those don't look like what I thought" flies. I was wondering if anyone here has any method of burning old material off of hooks without it getting too messy. I dumbly used lots of nice tiemco and owner hooks for my first month instead of tying on cheaper hooks. I would rather salvage the hooks than toss the whole fly in the garbage. Yeah ... I have a ton of flies where the epoxy yellowed and I went about salvaging flies or stripping the material off the hooks. Use a lighter to soften the epoxy and use a razor (the kind that has a plastic handled for scrapping off stickers on a window) ... to slice off the epoxy Or boil the heads ... again to soften the epoxy and use the razor. And yeah ... salvage the hooks ... there's nothing dumb about using sharp hooks for striper flies. ... makes all the difference when trying to stay hooked to a decent fish. Good luck and get busy! RockfishOn!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishEastCarolina Posted November 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 Razor alone worked just fine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. saxatilis Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 Razor and a good pair of needlenose pliers to get at that stubborn CCG, Loon UV, Tuffleye, Epoxy, Crazy Glue or whatever else you use removed from the hook. Life is too precious to fish ugly flies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crs2006 Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 Quote: Just a gut feeling, razor blade..... heating a hook might change the metallurgy properties, including the temper. The flame usually does not burn long at all, 1-2 seconds max. Its really just enough to burn off hair/thread and weaken up the glue. I would think that you would have to apply some serious heat for a long period of time to effectively weaken a hook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt.Castafly Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 I would think that you would have to apply some serious heat for a long period of time to effectively weaken a hook. Not really. If it was a frying pan..... yes! Burning material, I don't know? ... but some synthetics just might cause caustic drippings maybe even some toxic fumes . But the mass of a hook isn't that large will conduct heat quit readily, especially thinner places like the barb end where it is much thinner. Best thing.... use pliers to crush epoxy/UV resins, place hook strongly into vise, use a safety razor blade for normal use. A razor knife works best for stubborn materials give you better leverage. Keep fingers clear, always pushing away from body. I've always wonder the number of times a hospital emergency room has treaded for accidental box cuts or embedded hooks? Nothing flies by me without a hook! If my fly is down, That's a good thing. Public Access.....It's a shore thing. My daily requirement of "Vitamin Sea". Capt. Ray Stachelek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crs2006 Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 Quote: I've always wonder the number of times a hospital emergency room has treaded for accidental box cuts or embedded hooks? I've hooked myself with flies plenty of times. Thats not that bad. I did put three barbed trebles in my hand at the same time once. No car and way out in the middle of nowhere by myself. I had to cut the damn things out of my hand. One of the stupidest and most painful things I have ever done. I would have preferred the ER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. saxatilis Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 I've always wonder the number of times a hospital emergency room has treaded for accidental box cuts or embedded hooks? Cpt Ray - In the lobby of the 24 hr Clinic in Sterling, AK, they have a mannequin where they place a hook in the same location from where they're removed from patients taking part in combat fishing for sockeye salmon on the Kenai/Russian rivers. It's hilarious on one hand, and down right frightening on the other. Apologies for the unrelated material to the OP. Had to share. Life is too precious to fish ugly flies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philly Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 I've seen the same thing in the emergency room at the hospital in New Liskeard, Ont. I was lying on the table waiting for them to get my Afib attack under control several years ago and noticed that the wall was covered with fishing lures. I asked the ER doc about them and he told me whenever someone comes in with a lure stuck in some part of their body part of the price for removing it was the ER keeping the lure. I've hooked myself four times, two times I ended up in the ER to get the hook out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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