I bought a bunch of materials from Grandpa Bob's a few weeks ago, and finally got a vise last week. I live in a small apartment and don't have a table to tie on, so I opted for the Cabela's $45 "Deluxe" fly tying kit. It has a wooden case with a pedestal so I can tie jigs in my lap, and store all my gear in one place. Watched a bunch of Youtube videos on jig tying before I started.

I kind of put off for awhile cause I'm the type that worries about "What if I suck at tying jigs and it doesn't look good?" Last night I finally forced myself to sit down and make something. And here it is:



Standard chenille body with marabou tail, and a couple of strands of crystal flash. No particular pattern, I just had a green jig head with a collar and picked colors based on tube jigs I have been successful with this year. I probably used about five times more thread than I really needed to, but I'm so proud of myself for actually doing it I could just about bust. Does it look like it would catch fish?

Things I learned tying it:

Never, ever try to smooth back crystal flash by running it through your fingers. Ever pulled on a rubber band and then had it snap back into a big tangled wad? That's this stuff.

Make sure you have your bobbin adjusted to the correct tension before you start.

Avoid that hook point with the thread.

The feather looks bushier on the jig than it does in the package.