Watermelon Marabou

[backwatertech]

Hi all, I am new to the forum. I used to do alot of crappie fishing when I was younger and am trying to get back into it. I've always tied my own flies for trout fishing so I am not new to tying. However, I am trying to replicate Len's "Summer Melon" jig in the Jig Pictures Subforum. I am planning on making an order from Crazy Angler and am having a hard time finding watermelon marabou. Can anyone tell me what color will most closely be a marabou color on his web site. Any help will be appreciated and I look forward to learning more on this forum.

[skiptomylu]

I would think some shade of Olive, but not Dark Olive. You probable need to see it in hand. If you post a link to the jig your talking about I could get closer?

[backwatertech]

Thanks for the reply skiptomylu. Here is a picture of Len's "Summer Melon" Jig.

[skiptomylu]

It's really hard to tell for sure because it's looks like the green has some light streaks in it, but may just be the picture. However if I had to bet it would be Olive, but Golden Olive is an awesome looking green as well. If he has a light Olive you may want to see it as well. Watermelon is a type of green in soft plastics I would try to copy that color with one of the Olive shades. It also depends sometimes on the batch you get because from one batch of die to another especially if they have to change Mfg. of a Die which happens sometime, it can sure make them change from one time to the next. I have seen some big changes.

Their Green also changes and I have some of that from different time and have 3 shades of the same color and one is much better than the other 2.

[backwatertech]

Thanks for the advice skip. I ended up finding a light olive, I'll go with it and see how it looks. Interesting about the changes in dye though. I'll keep that in mind. I wish I had a place closer to my house that sold tying materials so I could get some in hand. The closest place I have to Huntsville, AL is in Lynchburg, TN and it's a good hour drive.

[skiptomylu]

Thanks for the advice skip. I ended up finding a light olive, I'll go with it and see how it looks. Interesting about the changes in dye though. I'll keep that in mind. I wish I had a place closer to my house that sold tying materials so I could get some in hand. The closest place I have to Huntsville, AL is in Lynchburg, TN and it's a good hour drive.

Your Welcome!
Well I don't either and had to just do on line totally. Heck Walmart is 40 miles from me. I learned about the die changes just by ordering the same color from the same people and all of a sudden it's different by a good bit. I happened to like the change more than the regular last time so I bought a lot before they changed it back. Talking with them I learned that some law in California made them have to change the brand of die they were using and the first try it was just different. I even went so far to order some hackle & marabou on a special order just to make sure I got that new color of chartreuse which means pounds and the hackle I use is about 2 times the cost of most hackle people use like at crazy Angler and Barlow's. What I use is longer for several reasons and it just cost more.

Anyway good luck and ask questions as they come up.

Skip

[Len]

Hey backwatertech,
You are right. It is Lt. Olive marabou and you can get it from Crazy Angler...

[backwatertech]

Thanks Len, I really love the look of that jig and bought all the mats plus some from Crazy Angler today. I just hope it looks as good as yours. If it comes out good i'll post a picture up.

[skeetbum]

Backwater, the shop in Lynchburg are good folks and do very good work. Being small their stock isn't what a big store would have, but I always found what I needed.

[ifish]

I have that jig in a frame with all the other jig entries for a contest a few years back. That jig won first place and some loot from Robert at Crazy Angler. Still one of my favorite jigs Len. Fantastic eyes back then.The picture colors are pretty washed out. A little darker in the real !