What it is
Hareline Core C1100 Dry Fly Down Eye is a down-eye dry fly hook built on Ahrex wire. It’s a 1X-fine wire, 1X-wide gap hook with a bronze finish, a chemically sharpened point, and a small barb, with the eye turned slightly down for clean head shapes and easy thread control up front.
What to tie with it
This is a straight-ahead hook for tying dry flies, from tiny midges and tricos up through bigger buoyant bugs like stonefly dries and hoppers. It’s a natural fit for parachute patterns where you want a neat front end, and it’s light enough that it won’t fight you when you’re trying to keep small dries riding high.
Flies and the fish they're for
Tie classic trout dries like the Adams and Blue Wing Olive on it for selective fish on rivers and spring creeks, and for steady dry-fly eats on freestone streams. For small-bug situations, Griffith’s Gnat is a go-to for trout sipping midges on flat water and tailouts. Step up in size with a Stimulator for trout looking for stoneflies and large attractor dries on faster water.
How it compares
Compared to the Ahrex FW500, the C1100 keeps the same chemically sharpened point and small barb, but it uses a bronze finish instead of black nickel. The FW500 runs to larger minimum sizes only down to 18, while the C1100 goes smaller down to 24, and the FW500 has a higher cost per hook while the C1100 comes in at a lower price.