60° Jig · Sizes #4–24
The Firehole 516 is a barbed 60° jig hook available in sizes #4–24. It's built around its shank profile, paired with heavy wire, one step stronger than standard, adding a little sink rate and useful margin when fishing for larger fish. Tyers reach for it most often when working on jig nymphs, euro nymphs, perdigons. The sections below break down what each specification actually means at the vice, which patterns suit it, and which hooks from other manufacturers you can substitute when it's out of stock.
Wire strength (1XH). It's made from heavy wire, one step stronger than standard, adding a little sink rate and useful margin when fishing for larger fish.
Bend and gape (Wide). The 516 uses a wide gape, improving hook-up rates and leaving clearance for a bulkier dressed body.
Eye type (Down). It's finished with a down eye, the traditional choice, which sets a good hooking angle for dry and wet flies fished on a tippet.
Barbed. This is a barbed hook. Many competition rules and an increasing number of catch-and-release fisheries require barbless, so check local regulations — the barb can be pinched down with flat-jawed pliers before you dress the hook.
The Firehole 516 is tagged in the Woolly Bug database for jig nymphs, euro nymphs, perdigons. Patterns that sit naturally on this hook include Jig Perdigon, Jig Hare's Ear, Perdigon, Frenchie, Walt's Worm, Quill Perdigon. Because the hook's proportions drive the finished fly's silhouette, it's worth matching the pattern's intended shape to the shank rather than forcing a recipe onto the wrong blank.
The 516 runs from size 4 through 24. The smaller end of the range (down to size 24) covers midge and small mayfly work, where fine tying thread and sparse dressings matter more than bulk. If you're buying this hook for the first time, the mid-range sizes see the most use at the vice, and tracking exactly which sizes you own is where an inventory app earns its keep — it's the detail most tyers forget at the fly shop counter.
The Woolly Bug database identifies 12 comparable hooks across 5 other manufacturers, matched on the specifications that actually determine a fly's proportions — gape and shank length first, then wire strength and eye type.
Equivalent hooks, full specs and side-by-side comparison are in the free Woolly Bug app.
Open in Woolly BugIf the Firehole 516 is out of stock, the Woolly Bug app lists 12 comparable hooks. When substituting, the specifications that matter most are gape and shank length — these determine whether the finished fly keeps its intended proportions. Wire strength is the next consideration, since it changes how the fly sits in the water: a heavier wire will sink a pattern that was designed to float. Eye type is usually the most forgiving difference, though switching to or from a jig eye changes how the hook rides entirely.
Log every hook, material and pattern on your bench — free on the App Store.
Download FreeThe Firehole 516 is a 60° jig hook used for Jig Nymphs, Euro Nymphs, Perdigons. It's available in sizes #4–24 with a 1XL Jig shank and 1XH wire.
The Woolly Bug database identifies 12 comparable hooks across 5 other manufacturers, matched on shank length (1XL Jig), wire strength (1XH) and bend (Wide). The models are listed in the free app.
The Firehole 516 is barbed. Barbed hooks can be pinched down with pliers where barbless is required by competition rules or fishery regulations.
It's available in sizes #4–24.