The Harrison Bartleet’s Quality 3025 Sproat is a classic vintage wet fly hook made in Redditch, England — one of the most collectible and historically significant fish hooks ever produced. Manufactured by one of Redditch’s most respected firms during what is widely considered the golden era of British hook making (roughly the 1930s–1950s), the 3025 features a traditional Sproat bend, tapered blind eye, and hollow point — a combination purpose-built for soft-hackle wet flies, classic winged patterns, and traditional river fishing. Whether you’re a fly tyer researching period-correct hooks for authentic pattern reproductions, a collector identifying vintage Redditch tackle, or an angler curious about the heritage behind modern hook design, the Harrison & Bartleet 3025 Sproat represents a direct link to the craft and materials that defined fly fishing for over a century.

Hollow Point | Sproat Hooks | Tapers | Redditch, England

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Hook Reference

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Harrison Barleet’s 3025 – Additional Info

1. Identification

Brand: Harrison Bartleet’s (Manufactured in Redditch, Worcestershire, England)

Model/Code: Quality 3025

Sizes Documented: The images show two separate original boxes — No. 6 and No. 3. Estimated Era: 1930s–1950s. The green paper label pasted onto a textured cardboard box is characteristic of mid-century Redditch trade packaging. The typography and the “Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.” designation confirm this was an export model produced for the American market — common practice for Redditch firms during the golden age of British hook manufacturing, before molded plastic packaging became the industry standard in the 1960s.

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2. Technical Specifications

Eye: Tapered Blind Eye (also called a “needle eye” or “gut eye”). There is no hole — the gut or nylon was bound directly to the tapered shank end. This was standard for wet fly hooks of the era, designed for use with drawn gut leaders.

Wire: Standard to heavy wet fly wire, appropriate for the sizes shown.

Shank/Bend: Sproat. The Sproat bend begins its curve earlier on the shank than a standard round bend, and the point sweeps slightly back toward the shank axis. This produces a narrower relative gape than a true round bend, and a deeper “bite” that was believed to seat the hook more securely in a fish’s mouth. It is distinct from the angular, flattened geometry of the Limerick bend.

Point: Hollow Point. The metal near the tip is ground in a concave, “dished out” manner, producing a very thin, rapidly narrowing point that penetrates quickly on the strike. This differs from a spear point (straight taper) or a knife edge (flat-ground).

Finish: Bronzed

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3. Historical Context

The Manufacturer. Harrison & Bartleet was formed around 1876 when Arthur Greame Bartleet entered into partnership with Richard Harrison of R. Harrison & Co., Redditch — both established needle and fish hook manufacturers. The firm operated from the Metropolitan Works in Redditch and was already listed among the leading Redditch hook makers by 1885. It became one of the so-called “Redditch Giants” — firms whose quality and output made Redditch, Worcestershire, the needle and fish hook capital of the world through the 19th and early 20th centuries. At its peak, the Redditch trade is estimated to have supplied the vast majority of the world’s fish hooks, with dozens of competing firms working the same steel wire traditions handed down through generations of craftsmen.

Inconsistency as a Feature. Collectors and historians note that Harrison & Bartleet hooks — like many Redditch products of the era — can vary noticeably in wire gauge and geometry even within the same model number and box. This is attributed to the cottage-industry nature of hook production, where individual outworkers (often working from home) finished hooks to varying tolerances, and wartime material scarcities occasionally forced substitutions in wire stock. For fly tyers, this means period examples may not match each other perfectly, which is part of their character as handcraft objects.

The Sproat Bend — A Name with a Story. The Sproat bend is widely attributed, by tradition, to a Mr. Sproat of the English Lake District — some sources have associated the name with Ambleside — who developed or popularized the design in the mid-19th century in response to hooks whose bends were felt to lose fish too easily. The parabolic curve was designed to create a deeper seat in the fish’s jaw. While the precise origins are difficult to trace with certainty in the historical record, the Sproat bend was already a well-established and widely manufactured standard by the time Redditch firms like Harrison & Bartleet were producing hooks for the American export market.

Decline of the Redditch Trade. The original Harrison & Bartleet factory is no longer in operation. Like virtually all the classic Redditch houses — Allcock, Milward, Bartleet — the firm could not survive the dual pressure of Norwegian competition (principally O. Mustad & Son, which had industrialized hook production on a continental scale) and the eventual shift of mass manufacturing to Asia in the latter half of the 20th century. Partridge of Redditch remains the last active hook maker in the town, and today produces a “Bartleet Traditional” salmon hook that honors the legacy of the original firm’s designs.

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4. Usage & Modern Equivalents

Best Used For: These are definitive wet fly hooks. The No. 6 is ideal for traditional winged or soft-hackle wet flies used for trout, sea trout, or summer steelhead. The No. 3 works well for larger classic bass patterns, Atlantic salmon flies tied on standard-shank wet fly irons, or oversize panfish patterns. The blind eye means they are best used for display, collection, or period-accurate tying with whipped gut or monofilament loops rather than direct line attachment.

Modern Equivalents:

Mustad 3399 / 3399A — the most widely recognized direct descendant of the classic Sproat wet fly hook and still in production.

Partridge G3A (Sproat Wet Fly) — a more premium, traditionally styled equivalent still made in Redditch.

Tiemco 3761 — a modern wet fly hook of similar proportions, though with a slightly different bend geometry.

Daiichi 1550 — a standard wet fly hook that closely mirrors the shank length and gap of the Harrison & Bartleet 3025 in comparable sizes.