Best hooks for buzzers and midge patterns

The Woolly Bug database lists 5 hooks suited to buzzers and midge patterns, across 1 manufacturers. The most common specification in this category is a Curved Shank shank with 2XH wire, and 2 of the 5 are barbless. Buzzer hooks are typically curved or grub-style, following the C-shape of a chironomid pupa. Short shanks and fine-to-standard wire keep the profile tight and the fly hanging correctly in the surface layer.

Wire strength. The typical choice here is notably heavy wire that sinks well and stands up to sustained pressure.

Barbed or barbless. 2 of the 5 hooks listed for buzzers and midge patterns are barbless from the factory. Competition rules and many catch-and-release fisheries require barbless, and a barbed hook can be pinched down with flat-jawed pliers before dressing.