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I was curious as to what you all think about tying with artic fox. I have been trying to tye with kip tail lately and it drives me nuts. I can't stand to have any little hairs sticking out past the thread on the jig head. I was curious if artic fox is hard to work with or not to bad? I feel like the easiest material to use is duck feathers. I seem to get my best looking ties with them but, was just curious on the artic fox. Anyone?
-VCM
Arctic Fox is great to tye with and you will have some very fine crappie jigs to fish with. If like most of us you will love tying with it :highfive
There's a way to get all the kip behind the thread. I use one of the retractable utility knives with the snap off blade. I begin the tie staying back from the head a little, capture all the hair you want to finish with, then press the edge of the blade on the excess hair between the head and the thread. It will cut fairly easy and just roll it around the jig til all the excess is off. This also works with bucktail. Arctic fox is really good material with a lot of action. Dont overhandle any of the natural furs, it tends to make the ends uneven. I cut the hair from the skin or tail, trim the end even, and push it on the shank til it covers the shank and begin. I bought some arctic fox fur from a dist. recently and was shocked at how little I got for the money. $4 for a square inch of skin. I'm in the wrong business. There has to be a better price out there but I figured I'd bite the bullet and try a few colors. Fun to work with. Have fun with it, hope this helped you some.
Fox is my favorite material to tye with. Unbeliveable action. One of the guys on another board got a divorce, and his wife left her fox jacket behing by mistake. We all have a lot of cheap Fox to work with now.
Hunter I got a package of that and my wife ripped it out of my hands. It will never see a jig but she has a use for it so it did go for a good use. fox is good but as far as I am concerned Badger is a much better fur to tie with. It is translucent dyes well and has great action. And yes with any fur a very sharp blade is usefull to remove that bit of hair around the head unless you are a Super tier with great skill. Sorry I even have a sharping stone at my bench to keep my blade razor sharp.
Redman
I must be terrible with a razor blade because when i tried to do that I completely messed up the powder paint on my jig... lol I guess it will take practice :) I do much better with duck and marabou tho. I tried craft hair which people say has incredible action and it drove me nuts I had that stuff all over the place!
-VCM
That's funny right there !!!:highfiveQuote:
Originally Posted by hunter7711
VCM, try the razor thing again, but stay back from the head with the tie so you don't cut the thread, and keep the blade behind the head so the paint isn't bothered. Once you do one you'll see the light come on. I boogered a couple, but they still caught fish.
Nah, I get my line started running up the shank of the hook, wrap over itself towards the bend til I get even with the hook point and back to the head, leaveing my bobbin hanging, I pinch what I want of my craftfur or kiptail giving it a slight twist cut with scissors straight across leaving all hairs flush, lay the hair down the shank of the hook wrapping 3 times before putting a slight tension on the thread, work toward the head then back to the tail til it once again is even with the hook point, back to the head for krystal flash...one 3" strand doubled over the thread, thread wrapped back to the hook point, then laying the tip of my chenile right at the head I start wrapping thread over the chenile from the hook point to the head... wrap the chenile up the body good and taut wrap over the chenile at the head pull tight wrap again, pull tight, cut chenile flush with body, whip finish...all thats needed is a single drop of waterbased fly cement on the jighead, it will run down into the thread without making your chenile crusty or hard.
Thats just how I do it.... never have any problems with hair past the chenile on the head. What part of VA are you from? You should cruise the VA board and post some reports, good or bad we always like to see reports!
I can make some nice looking jigs when I put chenille over top of my marabou or kiptail it covers up alot of the stuff that bothers me... lol. I just have a problem with kiptail on making threadnecks. However I was making 2 loose wraps before tightening it up... I'll try 3 now and see how that does. Thanks! And by the way I'm from Southwest Virginia right near Bristol Motor Speedway. I'm probably closer to better crappie fishing in TN.
-VCM
Artic fox is more costly most of the time and regular died fox is very good too!
If you want to try arctic fox, send me a PM and maybe we can work out a trade. I have lots.