Ray Bergman Hook Reference
Ray Bergman Hook History
The “Ray Bergman Hook making company” is widely misunderstood; there was never a factory owned by Ray Bergman that manufactured hooks. Instead, “Ray Bergman Hooks” were a private-label brand sold through his mail-order business, while the actual manufacturing was outsourced to England.
The following summary traces the history of this brand from its origins in the golden age of American angling literature to its status today as a highly collectible vintage item.
1. The Origin: Ray Bergman’s Angling Specialties (1930s)
Ray Bergman (1891–1967), the Fishing Editor of Outdoor Life and author of the seminal 1938 book Trout, did not manufacture tackle himself. In the 1930s, to supplement his writing income and supply readers who couldn’t find quality materials, he opened a mail-order business called Ray Bergman’s Angling Specialties out of his home in Nyack, New York.
Through this business, he sold the “Nyack” line of tackle, which included leaders, gut, and his famous hooks.
2. The Manufacturer: The Redditch Connection (1930s–1950s)
While the boxes bore Bergman’s name, the hooks were manufactured in Redditch, England, the global center of needle and hook manufacturing at the time.
- The Maker: The primary manufacturer for Bergman’s private label was the firm Martinez & Bird (often referred to simply as Martinez). They were a well-regarded Redditch company formed by the amalgamation of a needle-making firm (Bird) and a tackle firm (Martinez).
- The Specifications: Bergman was incredibly particular about his hooks. He required a specific heavy-wire temper to sink wet flies, a “Sproat” bend, and a turned-down eye.
- The Labels: The hooks were sold in cardboard boxes with distinct colored labels indicating their quality or specific wire gauge (e.g., “Nyack Brand” with Red, Blue, or Yellow labels).
3. The “Bergman Hook” Style
The hook sold by Bergman became iconic not just because of the brand, but because of the fly plates in his book Trout. The flies illustrated by Dr. Edgar Burke were tied on these specific heavy-wire, Sproat-bend hooks.
- Characteristics: Heavy wire (for sinking), turned-down tapered eye, bronze finish, and a wide, round gape.
- Function: These hooks were designed for the “classic wet fly”—patterns like the Parmacheene Belle, Fontinalis, and Grizzly King—which needed to sink instantly without lead weight.
4. Decline and Disappearance (1960s–1980s)
Ray Bergman retired from Outdoor Life in the late 1950s and passed away in 1967. With the closure of his mail-order business, the “Ray Bergman” brand of hooks ceased to exist.
- The Shift to Mustad: As the supply of Nyack Brand hooks dried up, fly tyers shifted to the closest mass-produced equivalent: the Mustad 3399. For decades, the Mustad 3399 became the de-facto “Bergman hook” for wet fly enthusiasts.
- The Manufacturer’s Fate: The original manufacturer, Martinez & Bird, continued producing tackle in Redditch but eventually ceased operations in the early 1980s as British hook manufacturing declined due to global competition.
5. The Present: A “Style” Rather than a Company
Today, there is no active company producing “Ray Bergman Hooks.” However, the term persists in the fly fishing industry to describe a specific style of hook.
- Vintage Market: Original boxes of “Ray Bergman / Nyack Brand” hooks are highly sought-after collectibles, often selling for high prices to classic fly dressers who want to tie historically accurate patterns.
- Modern Equivalents: Current manufacturers occasionally release “Bergman-style” hooks to cater to the vintage wet fly resurgence. Tyers today typically use:
- Mustad S60-3399A: The modern iteration of the classic wet fly hook.
- Partridge of Redditch: Produces “Heavy Wet” hooks that mimic the old Martinez profiles.
- Daiichi 1550: A standard wet fly hook often used as a substitute.
Summary Timeline
| Era | Entity | Status |
| 1930s–1950s | Ray Bergman’s Angling Specialties | Brand Owner. Sold hooks via mail order from Nyack, NY. |
| 1930s–1980s | Martinez & Bird (Redditch, UK) | Manufacturer. The actual factory that made the hooks. |
| 1960s–2000s | Mustad (Model 3399) | The Successor. Became the standard “Bergman-style” hook. |
| Present | Vintage / Collectors | “Ray Bergman Hooks” are now rare collectibles; the name refers to a style of heavy wet fly hook. |