Why do you fish hand tied?

I will start this post by acknowledging that some will find it offensive however as much as I love to tie my own crappie Jigs and Roadrunner Style baits with Marabou & Hackle. I would have to say that day in and day out soft Plastics perform as good or better. There are certainly rare occasions that I feel a hand-tied jig is an advantage but truthfully not enough to warrant the investment and equipment or time to justify. Do we do what we do just because we feel it's more rewarding? Is it the same equivalent to bowhunters that make their own bow and arrows and that in and of itself brings more satisfaction to the sport. What say you?

Easy my Uncle got me started tying bucktail jigs for him and his friends - then back when I was in the Air Force got stationed at Plattsburgh AFB, NY and lots of the guys fly fished so I tried it and started tying flies too. I've traded for lots of different tying materials so it's not always about how much it costs. And the biggest factor is that I can make a jig with components I choose and make a better jig than those on a store shelf

But I also have plastics, got to have the whole arsenal to catch em!!

don't have to continually adjust body .

Simple, if you have an aptitude to tie. It has an effect on me only another tier would know, it takes me to my happy place. Where my mind will actually rest. One other very important point there are times they will out fish anything. This is a fact! I did several controlled test with my own injected soft plastics and me and my neighbor hand tied marabou and craft hair jigs( I taught him basic and gave him a vise and all the set up) he's more creative than me! The hair jigs whooped my tail many times!

1. As a general rule, fur & feathers are more durable than plastic.

2. F&F have a very subtle action that can't be matched with plastics, IMO.

1. As a general rule, fur & feathers are more durable than plastic.

2. F&F have a very subtle action that can't be matched with plastics, IMO.

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Originally Posted by deathb4disco

1. As a general rule, fur & feathers are more durable than plastic.

2. F&F have a very subtle action that can't be matched with plastics, IMO.

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Ditto! I hate changing out a soft plastic after nearly every fish, just think that is something I don't want to deal with. Plus as said by deathb4disco the action of a soft plastic can not do what a feather can and even sitting still a feature is working all the time. I am one that believes hand ties will out fish soft plastic more than the opposite will happen. I do know soft plastics has it's time and place, just not so much for me unless I am bass fishing, lol! Then the tying part it self.....I use to trade the stock markets from about 1991 until maybe 2002 and use to be on my computer 10 to 12 hours a day trading, researching and in chat room with a group of friends each sharing info on companies. We did well, but after my Bypass surgery I just lost the want to for that so I just quit since I was not doing very well after the surgery and was very different before. After losing the interest in it I looked around and thought...what am I going to do with all that time? I am not going to watch TV all day and not going to fish every day all day so what? That is when I took this old super cheap vise I have in my cabinet, but didn't know anything at all of how to tie anything. My tying then really sucked because I didn't know what I was doing or even what kind of materials I soiled use. So I started studying and looking for lessons on the internet and there was not much at all. Videos on Youtube came later so I finally found the lessons on FAOL and just studied them hard and just started tying in things like they did. If I wanted chenille I looked until I found a lesson that they used chenille body on their fly and that told me how to do this. Each step was the same. One huge advantage that method of learning has it it also help teach you the language of what all this hackle is or means, lol! Anyway my quitting the market trading and this hobby not only filled my time it also helped me in many way like meeting so many great people. I wouldn't trade it for anything, for sure not for using soft plastics, lol! Why would I?

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I am a novice to this tying thing. But this past winter when the temps were below freezing I tied up a bunch of buck tails. Well I used them in early spring and WOW I caught fish on them. What a boost to my self esteem. Not only caught fish but on MY hand ties. I do use plastics at times. But the thrill of a fish on one of your own ties is as they say "PRICELESS" I have been stocking up on supplies for this coming winter. Tied a few with neck hackle for the first time, I will post some pics this weekend. They are my go to colors. I guess its all about what gives you the most confidence.

PS I want to thank you for your pics, help as I am learning.

I love to roll my own. It's fun and takes up the time during our winters. As for as catch rate, I would say both types are equal! The enjoyment of making that jig is worth it all.

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Originally Posted by tahoe 50

I am a novice to this tying thing. But this past winter when the temps were below freezing I tied up a bunch of buck tails. Well I used them in early spring and WOW I caught fish on them. What a boost to my self esteem. Not only caught fish but on MY hand ties. I do use plastics at times. But the thrill of a fish on one of your own ties is as they say "PRICELESS" I have been stocking up on supplies for this coming winter. Tied a few with neck hackle for the first time, I will post some pics this weekend. They are my go to colors. I guess its all about what gives you the most confidence.

PS I want to thank you for your pics, help as I am learning.

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Kip tail is kind of a pain, but also works very good when water is still cool! I never had any faith in it until some guys wanted me to make some for them. To short cut this story I had tied up 2 samples just to try. Stuck a cork above one about 14" and plopped it in the water next to the bank near my boat house. 15 minutes later I had 3 crappie and the smallest was 14", needless to say I found that day it really is good stuff, lol!

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