Shrimp/Caddis/Pupa · Sizes #10-20
The TMC 2487BL Bronze is a barbless shrimp/caddis/pupa hook available in sizes #10-20. It's built around its shank profile, paired with standard wire — a balance of strength and weight that works across most freshwater applications. Tyers reach for it most often when working on shrimp, saltwater crustacean. 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 (Std.). It's made from standard wire — a balance of strength and weight that works across most freshwater applications.
Bend and gape (Round). The 2487BL Bronze uses a round bend that distributes pressure evenly and holds well.
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.
Barbless. This hook is barbless from the factory, so it's ready for competition use and catch-and-release waters, and it does noticeably less damage to fish. Keep a steady line tension when playing a fish, as barbless hooks drop out more readily on slack.
The TMC 2487BL Bronze is tagged in the Woolly Bug database for shrimp, saltwater crustacean. Patterns that sit naturally on this hook include Czech Nymph, Pink Shrimp, Crazy Charlie, Merkin Crab. 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 2487BL Bronze runs from size 10 through 20. The smaller end of the range (down to size 20) 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.
These hooks match closely on the specifications that determine a fly's proportions and behaviour, so they work as substitutes.
If the TMC 2487BL Bronze is out of stock, the closest match in the database is the TMC 2487 Bronze. 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.
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Download FreeThe TMC 2487BL Bronze is a shrimp/caddis/pupa hook used for Shrimp, Saltwater Crustacean. It's available in sizes #10-20 with a 2XS Curved shank and Std. wire.
The closest equivalents are: TMC 2487 Bronze. These match on the specifications that matter most — shank length (2XS Curved), wire strength (Std.) and bend (Round).
The TMC 2487BL Bronze is barbless. That makes it suitable for competition use and catch-and-release fisheries without modification.
It's available in sizes #10-20.
Woolly Bug