Well..................They're not pretty

[kickingback]

Fish are not picky eaters. They don't go for the best looking jigs anyway. They want anything that moves and those will move nicely.

[skiptomylu]

I am out of town so not on much last few days. Anyway I use a jig head with a collar that has a small flair on the end of it to help hold thread where it needs to be. I don't car foe collars with a barb, but will if I have to. I do use collars with most hair ties, but most of my tying is feathers and I don't want a collar at all with that!

still not a bad job at all and as someone said maybe just a little less hair. Learning to tie well is not going to happen over night! Before it's over if you keep thing then you will need plenty of patience!

[skeetbum]

Your jigs look fine, much better than mine were. Most of my beginning jigs were tied with a collar that I had remove the barb, then painted. If you want to make one flair the squirrel hair like skip spoke of, you can do it with the thread base layer. All good jigs have a solid base layer of thread, and making a bunch of wraps by the base of the collar will get this done without a new mold. I wouldn't count on dozens but a few will let you see how it works. Those jigs will definitely put fish in the boat. Keep after it and you'll pick it up, just like the rest of us did.

[justinp61]

Thanks for the kind words guys, I'll give your suggestions a try. I'm going to practice finishing by hand and see how that goes. Where do you guys get your flashabou? Thinking I'd like some iridescent silver.

[ifish]

Hey Justin, I can hook you up with some collarless jig heads painted or unpainted for free so you can try some more. I also have a lot of extra stuff you can look at and try plus all kinds of places to get stuff. I am in Grand Rivers a lot and I can get them to you somehow. Just PM me your phone # and we can go from there if you want! All I need is for you to tell me where the dang fish are hiding!! LOL Buddy

[BuckeyeKdog]

Just squish the barb flat or file flat, Put a wrap of tread full length of collar, apply some head cement of clear nail polish over the thread them wrap back to the front ans start adding your tail. you may want to add small amounts 3-4 times to get it spaced all aound the hook. Final wrap (neck) just takes practice.A whip finisher is nice to have but not completely necessary. This video shows a few tricks to using hair. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV4Q2aYIbGQ and this one is short and sweet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss9ati-DKTQ

[justinp61]

Thanks ifish, I may take you up on you offer. I want to work on the basics and the collarless jigs may help. I was on the lake for a little while last week but the wind was blowing and it started raining so loaded up and came home. I didn't mark many fish in the stuff I fish. Sorry, we're both lost for now .

Thanks for the links Buckeyedog. That tying set up in the first video is pretty ingenious.

[tahoe 50]

Your jigs look so much better than mine, I didn't even post them. But my step son nailed a nice crappie off of one then snagged it and lost it. Then this fall I hooked some rock fish on some of my hand tied jigs. So keep on tying and fishing them.

[crappiepappa]

I cut the barb off one and couldn't keep the thread from slipping back. I'm not sure I'm cut out for jig tying.

Don't give up so quick. My first one was horrible but you know what? It caught fish! still carry it on the console of my pickup! go barbless with your jigs. Haven't used squirrel yet so no comment on that. I don't use a whip finisher, too frustrating I knot by hand. I know I know, Skip and Snake are going to get all over me but hey, I'm having fun, and so should you.

I think your first ties are just fine!

[skiptomylu]

As for the flashabou, Probably every fly shop out there has Flashabou and here are some places....

Crazy Angler...
FLASHABOU - Crazy Angler

JS....
Hedron Holographic Flashabou | J. Stockard Fly Fishing

Bob Marriott's....
Bob Marriott's Flyfishing Store