Help me understand something about fly fishing.....

OK, I was at a distributor's the other day picking up supplies for my store. I was looking over their jigs and he was showing me the 1/80oz and said they were used by fly fishermen.

Now, I'm new to fly fishing....have yet to catch a fish on a fly rod. I have been under the impression that the only way to add weight to flies is either with lead wire, beads, or combination of each. These were just regular 90degree bend 1/80oz jigs.

Is this possible and what weights of jigs can be used with a 5-6 weight rod and line?

Stupid question I realize but can't learn if I don't ask! :banghead

Thanks!
Craig

Never tried the small jigs but Stumphunter(SC Member) ties some micro jigs for fly fishing and I have a few to try. No reason they would not work as light as they are. Just remember that the line is what casts the lure in fly fishing and too much weight on the fly will cause problems getting the line too lay out and cast well. How much is too much?? Just have to experiment and see what works. The size of the leader and tippet will affect this also.

So if using a small jig should you also use a sinking line? And what depths can be reached? I'd like to try fly fishing in the lake for crappie but in the summer when I can fish you need to reach depths of 10-30 feet deep. Obtainable via fly fishing?

I've seen some 1/100 oz jigs at BPS, and some use them to get down a bit deeper, but 1/80 or 1/100 is not much weight. The fly line is what gets the lure out there from a cast. To get down 10-30 ft you will need a sinking tip line on the fly rod. The depth's reached will depend on the various sinking tip lines available for different depths.

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Originally Posted by luremaker

So if using a small jig should you also use a sinking line? And what depths can be reached? I'd like to try fly fishing in the lake for crappie but in the summer when I can fish you need to reach depths of 10-30 feet deep. Obtainable via fly fishing?

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A few points:

1) Light jigs can be cast on a fly rod. (The lighter the weight, the easier it is to cast.)

2) A floating line will work just fine, but you won't be able to fish very deep.

3) I would use a level (not tapered) leader (a straight piece of mono or flouro.)

4) To fish 10-30' deep, you will need either a sink tip or a full sinking fly line. Personally, I would rather stick needles into my eyes than fish that deep with fly tackle. Can it be done? Yes. Is it the least bit enjoyable? Not to me. The fly rod truly shines in shallow water.

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Originally Posted by luremaker

Now, I'm new to fly fishing....have yet to catch a fish on a fly rod.

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Deep water is not the way to learn, IMO. Get a few basic flies:

1) Any standard trout nymph, nothing smaller than #12

2) Woolly buggers (nothing bigger than a #6) in white, chartreuse, black and olive

3) Small baitfish patterns (almost anything that looks like a minnow and has a little flash)

... and fish them around shallow cover. For #1 and #2, I use a slow "hand twist" retrieve:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7ZT1vuxvTA


For #3, I use short, fast strips. It drives bass nuts!

I am even less of a purist. If the bream are in shallow, I put on a popping bug and have a ball. Also catch bass if one happens by. I do some tying and again, simple works for me. I found the Griffins Gnat to be really easy to tie in small sizes and if there is a pan fish anywhere around, they can't stand that little bug floating on the surface. I did tie some hellgrammites for subsurface fishing and caught a lot of 1 lb. bass in a pond, but most of my fly fishing is on top.

Not much shallow water crappie fishing around here except for the spawn. Rest of the time it's deep water lake fishing. I'll try the creeks and a small local conservation lake for bluegill and bass on the fly rod.
Thanks

!/64 ounce jigs weigh almost the same as a tssbb. I tie and sell flys and jigs. Most ( 99 percent) will not fish a jig on a fly rod. Even though a Clouser minnow is very close to a jig. I work as a Great lakes Steelhead guide and had a jig that worked well on them. All fly fishermen grumbled about using them. I designed the Titian minnow streamer No problem with fly fishermen using them. Also shad love darts Iuse a1/64 ounce dart with a wet fly dropper. As in the name they dart and provoke trikes. Personaly if the fish are more the 5 or 6 feet down I the water I is better to use a jig on a spinning rod.

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Originally Posted by addictedangler

Personaly if the fish are more the 5 or 6 feet down I the water I is better to use a jig on a spinning rod.

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Agreed, and it's also much cheaper.

A lot of the guys who fish sinking lines will use several lines, each with a different sink rate. That gets expensive! :yikes

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Originally Posted by addictedangler

!/64 ounce jigs weigh almost the same as a tssbb. I tie and sell flys and jigs. Most ( 99 percent) will not fish a jig on a fly rod. Even though a Clouser minnow is very close to a jig. I work as a Great lakes Steelhead guide and had a jig that worked well on them. All fly fishermen grumbled about using them. I designed the Titian minnow streamer No problem with fly fishermen using them. Also shad love darts Iuse a1/64 ounce dart with a wet fly dropper. As in the name they dart and provoke trikes. Personaly if the fish are more the 5 or 6 feet down I the water I is better to use a jig on a spinning rod.

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Agree the spinning rod is best to use and for those that have never fly fished with a jig needs to spend some time getting use to 'how to ' use them before hitting the water. I like using a 9 to 10' piece of 4lb mono as my leader, gives you more control.
I use the 1/80 jigs while river fishing for shellcrackers and use the fly rod just because I like to.