Cox & Rawle Scratching Match Hook

Overview

The Cox & Rawle SCR35 Scratching Match Hook is a fine-wire single sea-fishing hook built for delicate bait presentation when targeting smaller, choosy species. Confirmed by Cox & Rawle as featuring a Black Nickel finish, straight eye and micro-barb, the pattern combines a super-sharp needle point with a forged, curved bend for genuine strength despite its light wire construction.

Unlike a simple scaled-down general-purpose hook, the SCR35 is a dedicated scratching and match pattern, engineered so anglers can present small, subtle baits without sacrificing hooking power. Cox & Rawle notes that the forged bend makes the hook stronger than its wire weight suggests, giving confidence even if a bonus fish takes the bait.

Crucially, while Cox & Rawle's current catalogue only lists sizes 12 down to 1/0, physical SCR35 stock extends right down to a tiny size 18 – making this range genuinely useful for anglers chasing very small species that larger sea hooks simply can't present properly.

Perfect For

This pattern is purpose-built for scratching and general species fishing, where the aim is to get bites from whatever smaller fish are present rather than target one large species with a big bait. It's equally suited to match fishing – the 'Scratching Match' name reflects its use by competition anglers – and to species hunting, where the very small sizes down to 18 make all the difference.

Sprite specifically markets the SCR35 for competition and flattie fishing, and Cox & Rawle recommends it for sheltered-water venues where fish can be choosy. Veals highlights it as ideal for delicate worm baits, and the pattern also works well tied into multi-hook scratching rigs for shore fishing.

Technical Insight

The fine-wire construction is a deliberate design choice: a lighter hook allows a smaller, more delicate bait presentation, which matters when bites are tentative rather than aggressive. Veals notes that the combination of fine wire, sharp point and micro-barb helps convert those tentative bites into hooked fish, while the curved shank shape assists in pulling the point home once a bite is detected.

Despite the light wire, the bend is forged for extra strength, and both Cox & Rawle and Veals emphasise that this gives the SCR35 more strength than its wire weight would suggest. The micro-barb, meanwhile, keeps fish secured without the tissue damage of a full-size barb – useful information for anglers who might otherwise mistake this for a barbless micro-species hook.