Fly Tying for Steelhead

AquaTalon Hooks

AquaTalon logo

AquaTalon Hooks are the same hooks used in the production of Aqua Flies. AquaTalon freshwater hooks are manufactured from the finest tempered virgin-carbon Japanese steel (H80C high carbon). Superior strength is achieved through a heating and tempering process plus a chemical bath. An ultra sharp point is formed with proper forging and treating.

AquaTalon Hooks are engineered for durability, functionality, and style.

Kingfisher Steelhead Hook

**Introducing the Kingfisher Steelhead Hook**—a tribute to the legendary steelhead anglers of Northern California, Grant King and Bill Schaadt. Their mastery and passion for the sport have left a lasting impact on generations of anglers. Inspired by Grant King’s meticulous craftsmanship, where every fly was tied with perfect proportions, and Bill Schaadt’s relentless dedication to fishing from dawn to dusk, the Kingfisher Steelhead Hook honors their legacy. As a student of their craft, I have taken the knowledge they passed down and applied it to create products that meet the needs of today’s anglers. The Kingfisher Steelhead Hook is designed with the same precision, strength, and reliability that defined the work of these legends, ensuring it’s ready for the ultimate steelhead pursuit.

The Kingfisher siting on a fly rod was the logo for King’s Western and was drawn by Bill Schaadt.

The Kingfisher hook is ideal for tying classic-style steelhead flies. With its extended length and smooth, elegant flow, the Kingfisher is fit for exhibition-style flies. It’s also highly practical for the angler, featuring a mid-length point, a 20° tapered loop eye, and a micro barb. Whether you’re tying spey flies, summer steelhead flies or steelhead dry flies, the Kingfisher Light ensures reliable performance.’

The Kingfisher Hook will be available in light wire and standard wire. The light wire version will be available September 23, 2024. Standard wire will be available at the end of 2024.

• Forged Japanese Steel
• Tapered Loop Eye
• Black Nickel or Bronze
• 20° turned up eye
• Micro barb for those that need one

Swing Hook

hooks

AquaTalon 3474 Swing Hook
Sizes 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8.

Packaged in 25 and 100 packs.Aqua Flies and Jerry French have collaborated to produce the very best swing hook on the market. AquaTalon Swing Hooks are designed for optimal fish hooking and landing.

• Continuous, round shape for superior strength
• Slight drop point for an ideal hook-up location
• Fine wire size for maximum penetration
• 20° turned up eye for a perfect girth hitch to trailing loop
• Offset point
• Micro barb for those that need one

The ultimate trailer hook

Traditional Salmon/Steelhead Hook

hooks

AquaTalon 3500 Traditional Salmon/Steelhead, Black/Nickel

AquaTalon 3599 Traditional Salmon/Steelhead, Black
Sizes 1/0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12.
Packaged in 25 packs.

The AquaTalon 3500 and 3599 are strong and functional hooks to use on a variety of salmon and steelhead style flies. This is the same hook we use to tie the Aqua Flies traditional style flies. This traditional hook has an aesthetically pleasing curve to the bend, a low profile barb and a functional tapered loop up-turned eye. The forged heavy wire gives the fly extra strength and helps the fly to sink. The 3500 has a black/nickel finish that gives the hook some corrosion resistance. The 3599 has a classic black finish.

• Forged heavy wire
• Tapered up-turned loop eye
• Low profile barb
• Needle point

Curved Salmon/Steelhead Hook

hooks

AquaTalon 3600 Traditional Salmon/Steelhead
Sizes 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10.
Packaged in 25 packs.

The AquaTalon 3600 hook has a beautiful sweeping bend to the shank. Whether tying nymphs or traditional salmon or steelhead flies, the 3600 gives your fly a more natural look. Perfect for tying Micro Muddled Euphorias for trout or a larger version for steelhead. The 3600 is a chemically sharpened, forged hook with a needle point. The return eye loop has a nice taper to the wire for ease of tying.

Comet Hook

hooks

AquaTalon 3800 Comet Hook
Sizes 4, 6, and 8.
Packaged in 25 packs.

Our 3800 is the perfect hook for tying comets, bosses or steelhead nymphs. The forged heavy wire will withstand even the largest chinook salmon. The hook is 1x short with a wide gap. The beak point helps hold the hook in place while fighting a fish with a crushed barb.

• Forged heavy wire
• Beak point
• Down-turned eye
• Low profile barb
• Black nickel finish

Steelhead Nymph Hook

AquaTalon 5572 Steelhead Nymph Hook
Sizes 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14
Packaged in 25 packs.

The 5572 is designed to tie nymph and egg patterns for large fish. Whether fishing for steelhead in the PNW or sea run browns in Tierra del Fuego, this hook will hold up to the meanest fish out there.

• Heavy wire
• Curved Shank
• Down-turned eye
• Low profile barb
• Black nickel finish

New Octopus Hooks

AquaTalon 3400 Octopus Hook
Sizes 1/0, 1, 2, 4, and 6.
Packaged in 25 packs.

For those looking for a traditional Octopus Hook, AquaTalon produces the model 3400. The eye is larger than our swing hook, making it easier to rig a fly that incorporates a large diameter trailing loop.

• Off-set point
• Beak point
• Up-turned eye
• Low profile barb
• Black nickel finish

Euro Nymph Hook

hooks

AquaTalon 4000 Euro Nymph Hook
Sizes 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16.
Packaged in 25 and 100 packs.

The AquaTalon 4000 Euro Nymph Hook is the perfect jig hook to tie Perdigon Nymphs and other jig style nymphs. The use of competition style jig hooks is becoming more and more popular. Many nymph patterns can be adapted to be tied on jig hooks. With the introduction of slotted beads, whether they are brass or tungsten, a tier has more options for adding weight to the fly. There are size limitations when using a standard hook and bead, but with a Euro Nymph Jig Hook and a slotted bead, there is a larger range of beads that can be used on a jig hook.

Our Euro Nymph Jig Hooks are less prone to snagging the bottom as they ride hook point up and generally hook the fish in the corner or upper part of the mouth.

• 60° leg
• Medium wire
• Needle point
• Barbless
• Black nickel finish

90° Jig Hook

hooks

AquaTalon 4550 Jig Hook
Sizes 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16.
Packaged in 25 and 100 packs.

Conventional anglers realized long ago the benefits of fishing a jig hook, and have been using 90° jig hooks for many decades. An obvious advantage is the fly rides hook point up, creating a situation where the fly is less apt to snag on the bottom. Also, the fly can be moved up and down in the water column, a jigging action, which can be irresistible to a trout. The AquaTalon 4550 is the same hooked used to tie the popular Balance Leech.

Use our 4550 Jig Hook for tying Balance Leeches or other wet flies that you want to hang under an indicator.

• 90° leg
• Medium wire
• Needle point
• Black nickel finish

60° Jig Hook

hooks

AquaTalon 4700 60° Jig Hook
Sizes 3/0, 2/0, 1/0, 1, 2, 4 and 6

Looking to tie a fly that rides hook point up? The AquaTalon 4700 60° jig hook will give you the advantage of fewer hangups on snags or the river bottom. Whether tying large saltwater streamers or flies for trout, the 4700 has a wide range of sizes. We are seeing tiers use this hook for shrimp, crabs, sculpins and rabbit strip jigs. The 60 degree jig results in an excellent jigging motion that triggers more grabs.

• 60° leg
• Heavy wire
• Needle point
• Black nickel finish

Chironomid Ambush Hook, Nickel

AquaTalon 5750 Chironomid Ambush Hook

Sizes 10, 12, 14, 16, 18
Packaged in 25 and 100 packs.

MSRP-$8.99/25 & $29.95/100

Sizes 10 & 18 available in spring of 2025

The Aqua Talon 5750 hook is crafted from premium tempered Japanese steel and features a precision chemical sharpening process for an exceptionally sharp point. Developed in collaboration with Trevor Tatarczuk of British Columbia’s Cariboo region, this hook is designed specifically for stillwater anglers. The Chironomid hook is constructed from 2x heavy wire, ensuring it can handle the large trout found in the interior lakes of British Columbia. It boasts a wider gap than typical stillwater hooks, along with a slight downturned eye to further enhance the hook gap.

The Ambush hook’s nickel finish helps the hook blend seamlessly into the water, allowing fish to focus solely on the prey.

• 2x Heavy Wire
• Down Eye
• Micro Barb
• Nickel Finish

Chironomid Hook, Bronze

AquaTalon 5700 Chironomid Hook
Sizes 10, 12, 14, 16, 18
Packaged in 25 and 100 packs.

MSRP-$8.99/25 & $29.95/100

Sizes 10 & 18 available in spring of 2025

The Aqua Talon 5700 hook is crafted from premium tempered Japanese steel and features a precision chemical sharpening process for an exceptionally sharp point. Developed in collaboration with Trevor Tatarczuk of British Columbia’s Cariboo region, this hook is designed specifically for stillwater anglers. The Chironomid hook is constructed from 2x heavy wire, ensuring it can handle the large trout found in the interior lakes of British Columbia. It boasts a wider gap than typical stillwater hooks, along with a slight downturned eye to further enhance the hook gap

• 2x Heavy Wire
• Down Eye
• Micro Barb
• Nickel Finish

Poly Tubes & Weights

NEW

Poly Tubes

Aqua Flies is pleased to offer Poly Tubes for fly tying. Whether you tie trout flies, steelhead flies or saltwater flies, we have the tubes for your tying needs. Our tubes are formulated from a temperature stable polyethylene, meaning in near freezing conditions the tubes will not break. With many colors to choose from, you can give your tube flies a new look.

The 1.8mm tube is the right size to tie trout flies or lightweight steelhead flies, such as marabou tubes. Whether you tie a fly directly on the tubing or use it as a liner for metal tubes or weights, our Poly Tubes are very versatile.

The 3mm size makes a great platform for tying larger steelhead flies, such as Intruders or saltwater streamers.

The inside diameter of the 3mm will accept the 1.8mm tube perfectly. Add a cone to your fly by using the 1.8mm tube as a liner for the 3mm tube. A drop of super glue will hold the smaller tube in place, but to make for a more secure fit, cinch down on the tying thread so the larger tube is bound down onto the smaller tube. Hold the cone in place by holding a flame close to the end of the tube so it melts slightly and creates a collar.

Need a hook holder? Combine the 1.8mm Poly Tube with our Ultra Tubing. Simply cut a point on the back of the 1.8mm tube prior to tying your fly. Spin the Ultra Tubing onto the point that was cut. Then trim the Ultra Tubing to desired length. Our Ultra Tubing will accept hooks up to a size 2.

The 3mm Poly Tube is soft enough that no junction tubing is needed. Simply insert the hook eye into the back of the fly and you are ready to start fishing. For those who prefer to use junction tubing, we have a good selection of vinyl tubing.

Two sizes:

1.8mm (1/16″) outside diameter

3mm (1/8″) outside diameter

Watch a tying demo using Poly Tubes and cones

polytubes

1.8mm colors:

Clear

Red

Blue

Black

Fl. Red

Fl. Orange

Fl. Chartreuse

Fl. Pink

3mm colors:

Clear

Red

Blue

Purple

Black

Fl. Red

Fl. Orange

Fl. Chartreuse

Fl. Pink

Orange/Gold Glitter

Fl. Pink/Fuschia Glitter

Weights

Adding weight to a tube fly is easy with our cones and torpedo weights.

torpedo weights

Torpedo Weights

Sizes: 10mm, 13mm

Colors: Gold, Silver

cones

Cones

Brass cones designed to fit our 1.8mm Poly Tubes

Sizes: 4.8mm (3/16”), 5.5mm (7/32”), 6.3mm (1/4”)

Colors: Olive, Purple, King Fisher Blue, Metallic Blue, Fl. Salmon Pink, Fl. Chartreuse, Fl. Flame, Fl. Pink

Tube Fly Kits

Get started tying tube flies. The Aqua Flies tube kit contains all a beginner tube fly tier needs, except for the thread and feathers.

torpedo weights

cones

Aqua Disks

Aqua Discs are an easy addition to a tube fly. Made of brass, the disc gives the fly a little weight to help the fly get down in the water column. Our slotted discs will give soft materials more life in the water. Unlike solid discs that create resistance in the water, the slots in the Aqua Disc will make it easier to lift the fly out of the water while casting.

Designed to fit the Aqua Flies 1.8mm poly tubes

12 per package

Colors: Black Nickel, Copper, Gold, Nickel, Fl. Chartreuse, Fl. Orange, Fl. Pink, Fl. Salmon Pink, Purple, Metallic Blue, Metallic Pink, Metallic Light Pink

Shoulder Cones

Achieve a larger profile to your fly by using our Shoulder Cones. Flowing materials, such as ostrich or marabou, often collapse in the current as the fly is swinging. These soft cones prop up those materials so the profile will be more visible and enticing to fish in multiple types of current. While tying your fly, place a Shoulder Cone behind the material that may collapse.

Shoulder Cones are available for Aqua Flies Shanks or 1.8mm Poly Tubes.

Watch how to incorporate a Shoulder Cone into a fly: https://youtu.be/AVnnDdNFEG0?si=hKHrsJMzitv9OIYk

20 per package

Colors: Black, Blue, Chartreuse, Clear, Orange

Tube Beads

The Aqua Flies Tube Beads are made of brass. Drilled specifically to fit the 1.8mm Poly Tubes. Eight colors and two sizes. 20 beads per pack

Colors: Black Nickel, Metallic Orange, Metallic Blue, Kingfisher Blue, Salmon Pink, Fl. Chartreuse, Fl. Flame, Fl. Pink

Shanks

Aqua Flies shanks are designed with the fly tier in mind. All of our shanks have a gun metal finish and the ends have been polished to ensure the trailing loop will not be compromised while fishing. Packaged in clear bags with an easy to read header card. 25 shanks per pack.

shanks

Return Eye Shanks

Our Return Eye Shank has a clean tapered return with no sharp edges. Ideal for any pattern using dumbbell eyes. The return portion of the shank makes a perfect platform to secure eyes and other materials.

Available sizes: 27mm, 43mm, 51mm

shanks

Round Eye Shanks

Our Round Eye Shank is great for adding a cone or a bead to the fly.

Available sizes: 20mm, 26mm, 33mm, 51mm

waddington shanks

Waddington Shanks

The Waddington shank is a double wire shank that gives the fly tier a large platform to tie on and the shank also adds weight to the fly. These shanks have the same black nickel finish as our other shanks. The leading eye is slightly up turned and the eye at the back can be gripped by a vice.

Available sizes: 23mm, 28mm, 35mm, 45mm, 58mm

jig shanks

Jig Shanks

The jig shank is a unique design in the world of shank flies. Use these shanks to tie steelhead, trout or bass flies. Add a tungsten bead or cone to the head of the fly and create a jiggy fly that will drive the fish mad. Tie a sculling pattern on the jig shank with the Ultra Rig and create a more fish friendly fly.

The 25mm jig shank has a 60° leg that is 3mm in length; the leg length on the 35mm jig shank is 6.5mm.

The shanks are made of 1mm diameter wire and have a gun metal finish. The Ultra Tubing will fit snugly onto the back end of the jig shank.

Available sizes: 25mm and 35mm

carnivore shanks

Carnivore Shanks

Description for these shanks

Available sizes: 35mm, 45mm, 55mm

Senyo’s Steelhead Shanks

Senyo’s version of the steelhead shank incorporates a classic up turned eye and a rear vertical loop for tying modern age steelhead flies. Securely hold this shank in the vise by clamping onto the rear vertical loop. Simple and durable components to build better flies.

Packaged in clear bags with an easy to read header card.

Available sizes: 20mm, 25mm, 40mm

Ultra Rig Kit

We have felt for a long time that steelhead flies with trailing loops need another style of rigging. Wire tends to be stiff and can become compromised if hitting rocks. Braids are too flexible and soft, causing the hook to foul on the fly or leader.

The Ultra Rig is a new style of rigging that remains flexible, even in freezing conditions, but is stiff enough to keep the trailing hook in place. This rigging system is super durable — we use 50 pound spider wire threaded through a soft tubing. The hook is fixed in the perfect location in the fly to maximize ideal hook-up with excellent flexibility. The Ultra Rig also will allow the angler to position the hook by simply turning the hook in the tubing. The hook can easily be replaced by pushing the tubing up the hook bend enough to release the girth hitch.

Each kit contains:
• 10 AquaTalon Hooks, size 2
• 10 Aqua Flies Shanks
• 70 inches of 50 pound Spider Wire
• 2 feet of Ultra Tubing

The Ultra Rig Kits are available in six sizes:
Round Eye Kits – 26mm, 33mm, 51mm
Return Eye Kits – 27mm, 43mm, 51mm

Watch Jerry use the contents of the kit: Ultra Rig Video

Ultra Tubing

Ultra Tubing is the ideal tubing to use when building an Ultra Rig system or rigging an intruder in the old school method. Our Ultra Tubing fits perfectly onto an Aqua Flies shank and fits firmly over the eye of a hook. This style of rigging allows the hook to be placed in the optimal position behind the fly. Aqua Flies Ultra Tubing remains flexible in all weather conditions, even below freezing.

It is easy to rig a fly that is tied on a shank with no trailing loop. First thread your tippet through the eye of the fly. Run the tippet over the top or the bottom of the fly, and comb the materials around the tippet so the tippet is not smashing the fly. Take a short piece of Ultra Tubing and thread the tippet through the tube. Fit the tube onto the end of the shank, tie on your hook to the tippet and pull the tippet until the eye of the hook is in the tubing. At this point you can twist the hook into the position you prefer.

Ultra Tubing can also be used on Aqua Flies Poly Tubes. Cut the back of the 1.8mm Poly Tube to a sharp point, then slide the Ultra Tubing onto the Poly Tube.

1 yard per package.

Ultra Tube

Colors: Fl. Orange, Fl. Pink, Olive, Clear, Black, Chartreuse, Blue

Aqua Fur

Aqua Fur is not your standard craft fur. This synthetic fur is designed with four different lengths of fibers that are as long as 4 inches. The underfur makes a good dubbing. The middle fibers when used with the long fibers will help build bulk in wings and tails. Or just comb out all the shorter fiber and use the long fibers for a wing on saltwter flies or steelhead flies.

Each package contains approximately 45 square inches.

Available in 46 colors:

White	Red	Blue
Golden Yellow	Scarlet Red	Medium Blue
Bright Yellow	Olive	Damsel Blue
Hot Yellow	Green	Brilliant Blue
Hot Orange	Lime Green	Frosted Black
GP Orange	Purple	Frosted Sculpin Olive
Burnt Orange	Dark Purple	Sculpin Brown Tan
Gray	Black	Sculpin Olive Black
Cinnamon	Pink	Fl. White/Black
Tan	Hot Pink	Fl. Chartreuse/Black
Sand	Coral	Fl. White
Beige	Cerise	Fl. Yellow
Brown	Fuchsia	Fl. Orange
Orange Brown	Ocean Blue	Fl. Chartreuse
Chocolate Brown	Light Ocean Blue	Fl. Fire Orange
		Fl. Salmon

Aqua Fur

Aqua Fur front and back

Aqua Fur

Un-Real Jungle Cock

unreal jungle cock fly examples

Our Un-Real Jungle Cock is like no other synthetic jungle cock on the market. It has been meticulously color corrected to bring the fly tyer the most accurate synthetic feather. The Un-Real Jungle Cock is then printed on a waterproof material that is super tough, but still has some flexibility and movement in the water. The fly tyer can use a permanent marker on the back and edges to create a natural look or a color accent. With a variety of sizes available, the choice is similar to selecting a feather from a real cape.

Packaged on sheets, available in 4 sizes:

• XSmall (12-13mm)

• Small (13-21mm)

• Medium (33-34mm)

• Large (48-51mm)

Eyes

Ultra Eyes

With a long monofilament stem, our Ultra Eyes are handmade at our factory with glitter and UV paint for sparkle and realism. When a fly is tied with Ultra Eyes and becomes slender in the water, the eyes are more prominent.

We use these eyes on our Jerry French Ultra Squid. They are ideal for prawn or shrimp patterns or to add a little flash to a saltwater crab pattern. 12 eyes per package.

Pearl: Chartreuse, Hot Orange, King Fisher Blue, Pink, and Purple
Solid: Black, Fire Orange, Fl. Red, Fl. Green, King Fisher Blue, Chartreuse, Metallic Blue

Size: 3.5mm diameter

Intruder Eyes

Aqua Flies is now offering the same dumbbell eyes we use on our Intruders and Sculpins. We are constantly asked where fly tiers can purchase the painted eyes used for our Intruders, Mini-Intruders and Sculpins. Now these brass dumbbell eyes are available from Aqua Flies in packages of 20 eyes per pack.

These Intruder Eyes are colored with a durable powder coating in eleven eye popping colors: Black, Black Nickel, Blood Red, Brown, Blue, King Fisher Blue, Olive, Purple, Fluorescent Pink, Fluorescent Salmon Pink, Fluorescent Flame and Fluorescent Chartreuse.

Available in three sizes: 1/8″ (3.2mm), 5/32″ (4mm) and 3/16″ (4.8mm)

Intruder Double Eyes

Our popular Intruder Eyes are now available with pupils. The Intruder Double Pupil eyes are painted in the same fishy colors as the standard Intruder Eyes. The Double Pupil eyes are painted with a base color, then a layer of white and topped off with a black pupil and finished with a clear coat for durability.4

Machined from brass and painted in 4 colors: Blood Red/White/Black, Olive/White/Black, Fluorescent Flame/White/Black and Fluorescent Chartreuse/White/Black.

Available in three sizes: 5/32″ (4mm), 3/16″ (4.8mm) and 7/32″ (5mm)

Halo Eyes

Halo Eyes are hand made with a long monofilament stem, similar to Ultra Eyes. The overall eye is oval shaped with a tear drop pupil and clear outer coating. These unique eyes will give your shrimp or squid patterns a realistic appearance.

12 eyes per package.

Available in four sizes.

Next Generation Fly Tying

flytying