Sealey Hooks?

[Flyborg]

I noticed there are quite a few people selling bulk lots of Sealey hooks on ebay. Does anyone have any experience with them?

[traditionalist]

These hooks were marketed by Sealey, ( Edgar Sealey) Gladding-Sealey, both companies now defunct. There were a lot of partnerships formed between various companies, and takeovers by others, resulting in a very complex history for some tackle.

The Sealey hooks were OK, I only used a few of the sea fishing hooks, so can´t comment on the others.

Few of these companies actually manufactured hooks and the like, they were mostly repackagers. As indeed most companies now are. If you want the hooks for fly-dressing, then you would be better served going with Mustad, Gamakatsu, etc, who actually manufacture hooks.

[FT]

As has been mentioned, Sealy has been out of business for many years (like 30+ years). Sealy (Edgar Sealy) made hooks in a small scale factory in the UK and some old time fly tyers thought very highly of them because of their shape and tempering. The Gladding company bought Edgar's Sealy factory sometime in the 1960's, but the hooks were still being made to Edgar's specifications. The salmon irons, dry fly hooks (the Dettes and Art Flick used Sealy hooks on their dry flies), and streamer hooks are the ones many of the old timers thought well of do to their shape and tempering. In fact, Herter's Inc (the old Herter's that was fined into bankruptcy about 1981 due to selling illegal, undocumened jungle cock) used to sell Sealy hooks under the Herter's Gaelic Supreme brand name.

If someone is selling bulk lots of Sealy hooks, they either found a catch of them hidden away somewhere, or have had someone make them for them now (which means they had to buy huge quantities to get them made). Depending on the price, they might be very good buys.

[Davy]

I have gobs of origianl Sealys,mostly 3/0- 4, I still tie most of my fishing flies on them, I find them to be a very strong hook, albeit on the brittle side of hardness. I like them. Many don't. seem ok to me

[Flyborg]

Thanks for the feedback. For the price, I might try some out, although I'd hate to end up with 100 hooks I won't use.