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

I tied up my first jigs, squirrel tail. how do you guys keep the thread tight.http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/...pscf0464bb.jpg

Nice job a barless jig head may work better.

X's 2. Pull 'em in front of a crappie and they would probably not even notice if the hair was tight or not.

Well they look good for your first. Now to answer your question I use a whip finisher to finish.#2 a little squirrel tail goes a long way, don't use so much. And you might want too get some collarless jigs.your doing great. I'm sure you'll get more advice from guy's how are better than me so take there advice over mine .

Looking good for a first try.

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.

I'm new to tying too so I can't really say much other than before you give up, try a jig without a collar and weed guard.

Thanks for the input guys. These are jigs I pour and no more than I'll tie I probably won't buy another mold. What I can do is cut the lead off the hook shank and see how they tie. Also the weed guard is not an issue like I thought it would be, just bend it up and after finishing tying just bend it back.

Not bad at all - tying with Squirrel tail is tricky as it's slippery!!LOL On the jig heads either cut off the whole collar or cut off the barb and take needle nose pliers and flatten the collar so there's a raised edge at the bottom your thread won't slip off and the hair will hide it. Don't worry about looks the fish will tell you how you did. We were all new to tying so just keep tying and practicing.

your jigs look good to me for the first time we all have to start from someplace and you are just doing fine like fatman said either cut the callers off with the needles pair of pliers or you can get some jig heads from one of the guys on here but keep up the good work I for one would like to see you in your progress you are doing just fine.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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

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 :dono.

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

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. :banghead Then this fall I hooked some rock fish on some of my hand tied jigs. So keep on tying and fishing them.

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Originally Posted by justinp61

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.

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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!

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

Nice start to your tying.

Just thought I'd follow up on my ugly jigs. I got to go to the lake this week and caught two of my three fish on my tied jigs, so they will work. The hair looks almost alive in the water.

Thanks guys.

They look OK to me.

Sometimes I'll tie on the hook instead of the collar, so the wraps are further back. I still bring the hair up against the head like you have it, just wrap and tie "in the middle". You can give the thread a couple of wraps and then pull it tight and it'll flare the ends of the hair out and make a fluffy body so the lead collar is kinda camouflaged. Similar to spinning deer hair flies.