rubber leg tying tip with silicon tabs

[LedHed]

You need a silicon tab, scissors, threader, and a piece of heat shrink tubing. I use ~ a 2" piece of 1/8th heat shrink tubing - one end cut at an angle. Cut the amount of strands you are tying off the tab and cut off the tab end on one side. Slide your threader into the flat end of the tubing. Run the loose legs through the threader. Pull the threader back out and all the legs should be hanging out.
I clamp the end of the tube while tying so the legs don't move around too much while tying the legs to the jigs. Legs are manageable when you are tying UL jigs.



Roundhead 1/80th & custom 1/64th chub head #12 Matzuo sickle (custom #10 gap)
6 strands.

[Micropterus salmoides]

Tutorial!!!


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[skeetbum]

So now I’m confused. Easily done, obviously, but is the tubing used to hold the legs before and during tying? Or maybe used to hold the legs to the jig instead of thread? I see how both would work, though colors of the tubing would be limited. What say you Mr Ledhed?

[LedHed]

"is the tubing used to hold the legs before and during tying?" yes - I have about 3/4" of the legs sticking out of the tube. Hold those up behind the jig head. Tye down with a couple of lose wraps - gradually tightening up the wraps while positioning the front legs. Slide the tube back and trim the ends to the length you want.
I think it would be difficult to tye over the tubing. Might work if you are only tying legs behind the neck. This method is for legs behind the head and a tail. Kind of like what bass guys do with rubber skirts. Using thread instead of "O" rings.

[skeetbum]

Thanks Sonny. What I was leaning towards is the use of the tubing, IE: shrink wrap, to be the device holding the legs in place. Knowing that it's thread answers my Q. I've played with silicone and rubber some, and find that the diameter of the legs to be everything in the combination. I like the action of the silicone much better over the rubber. I've never tied for gills on little jigs so this is a lesson for me. Thanks for your patience.

[LedHed]

You could do something like what is done for bass jigs when the tye (wire) rubber skirts on.
Use a small piece of tubing, ~ 1/8" - pull you legs through - then slide it over the jig hook.
You would still have to lash it down. That might even be easier......

I like both silicon and rubber. silicon for smaller stuff and the rubber for larger jigs.
Really like the Reptile rubber - jig in the left upper corner of the posted picture.
We get some "reely" nice Bluegill with the Automatics.....