17th Century Hand made cold forged brass fish hook.

17th Century Hand made cold forged brass fish hook with a brass wire leader.

http://museum.wa.gov.au/maritime-archaeology-db/artefacts/gt851-copperbrass;

Making Fish Hooks.

YE shall understand, that the moste subtill and hardest craft in makyng your harneys, is for to make your hookes. For whose makyng ye must have feete toles thyn and sharpe and small beaten, a semy clam of yron, a bender, a payre of long and small tones, and an harde knyfe somedely thyke and an anuylde, and a lytle hamner.
And for small fysshe, ye shall make your hookes of the smallest quarell nedilles that ye can fynde of stele, and in this wyse ye shall put the quarell in a read charcole fyre, tyll it be of the same coloure that the fyre is. Than take hym out and let hym kele, and ye shall fynde hym well allayed for to fyle. Than rayse the barbe with your knyfe, and make the poynt sharpe. Than alay him agayne or els he will breake in the bendyng. Than bende hym lyke to the bende accordyng to the purpose. And greater hookes ye shall make in the same wyse of great nedles, as broderers nedelles, or taylers, or shoomakers nedles, spere pointes of shoomakers nailes, in especiall the best for greate fysshe, and loke that they bend at the poynt wha[n] they ben assayed, for els they be not good. whan the hoke is bended bete the hinder ende abrode, and fyle it smothe for fretting of the lyne. Than put it into the fyre agayne, & geue it an easy read heate. Than sodonly quenche it in water, and it wyll be harde and strong. And for to haue knowledge in your instruments: loe they be here in figure portrayed.

Hamer, Knyfe Pynsops, Clame, Wedge, Fyle, Wrest, & Inuelde.

A treatyse of fysshynge wyth an Angle.

I heat my stock to a bright red and flatten one end on the anvil. When it cools I shape the barb with a file and then shape the point of the hook with a file.

Then I heat again and hammer the other end flat. When cool I shape the  end 

that the line is tied to. Then I heat again and bend the hook into the stock. The stock I use is fencing wire.

I secure my hooks in a piece of leather. I have not made any flies yet.