My stooge sounds very similar to Jim's, just a spike about 8" long made from a piece of old metal brake line with a wire hose clamp screwed into the end of the tube using the clamp's tightening screw. The tailhook sits between the two loops of the clamp and the release pin then slides through the tailhook and the pin has a safety wire soldered to it so it can't vibrate loose. This has been totally reliable with my 60 powered stunters but of course I only fly from grass.