Attachment 257562
Hey guys, anyone ever seen these?
I used squirrel tail, chinelle, grizly hackle. On #10, 1/64oz jig
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Attachment 257562
Hey guys, anyone ever seen these?
I used squirrel tail, chinelle, grizly hackle. On #10, 1/64oz jig
Cool looking jig!
Skip
WOW! nice.
That is one of the best ties I've ever seen. There's gonna be some gills that want that for lunch. Very creative.
thx. i owed a guy a favor here in Mich. and was going to build him some flies. he said
he would like a mich. wiggler. i never heard of it. not surprising, i just started tying.
glad i know of it now. i think it will do good.
It's based on the steelhead fly pattern of the same name - but it's fun putting fly patterns on jig heads.
Outstanding work hope to see more of your jigs in the future.
Very nice work.
Very nice. I will take ten (smile).
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Here's the original #4 steelhead size i made. Love the looks of it and made a bunch of small jigs from itAttachment 257624
We used to tie and sell thousands of those things!
Here is a trick. We used to tie our tails different than the hair across the bodies.
Start with a bundle of hair (two different colors together). Tie the bundle on the back of the hook with all the hair facing away (not towards the eye). At this point you can do one of two things depending on the look. The most common is to put on your channel, then wrap your hackle, then take your back color and bring it over the top. The differnce is that you get a much cleaner look to the fly and you don't have to use as much hair! The butt end will have a different colored tail and instead of the back going directly over the top, it will come out of the body.
The second, less common way is to tie the same as above BUT, put your back hair on before you wrap your hackle.
These are very common wet fly presentations on the Manistee river in the late winter and prior to the spawn bite/spawning of the females. Brown bodies closly resembling the wiggler (or mayfly larvea) work great with contrasting back hair.
Another trick is to tie your hair with deer hair instead of squirrel tail hair. Deer hair is more hollow and will allow this wet fly to be a little boyoant and float above the bottom during the presentation. Deer tails work best due to the longer hair.
Great looking tie. I like it on the jig head!
Very cool jig!
thx for the great info on these.
do you have a pic of one, or illistration on how you tied this?
love to tie one like you said, just don't understand how your doing that tail.
thx,
dave
Quote:
Originally Posted by wicklundrh
Dave,
If you look at the tail (where you are tying on your squirel hair) you tie that on first (right). It runs from where you want the tail to end up, all the way to the eye of the hook. Some guys tie it on before and hold the overtop hair back while they put on the chanell and hackle. After that is done, you lay the hair over the top and tie the front. Other guys will put the channell and hackel on, then tie the tail at the front and back.
What I do is start at the back. I take the bundle of hair and tie it on the back (just like the tail. Trim off the excess as it does NOT need to go towards the eye of the hook. Tie on your channel and hackle, wrap your thread to the front, then your channel, and then your hackle and tie them off, next, take a section of the hair tail and "BEND" it back towards the eye of the hook creating your hair over look. Instead of a tied look on the back and front, you will no longer be able to see your thread in the back, the tail will come OUT of the body, and the back hair will have a bend coming out of the body and over the chanell.
*take a section of the hair tail and "BEND" it back towards the eye of the hook creating your hair over look.
i got you now. then you don't have to tie off that big bundle of hair at the front then. that would be nice.
i'll give it a try tonite. have to go try and hook me some more steelies right now.
what was some of your best colors for these on the steelies ?
thx for taking the time to explain.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wicklundrh
Here is the proper way to tie this as a fly, but just taking it to a jig should be the same. At any rate you can see the way to tie it.Quote:
Originally Posted by naturenut
https://youtu.be/ZX-pePUQ8oc
Skip
That example in youtube is the way you originally built it. Try it the way I explained and you will get a much cleaner look. Plus you can make contrasing colors of the tail section.
He is using lead in order to weight the hook as I am sure they are using it on an actual fly rod presentation or a spey rod setup. The normal setup for most michigan waters is to tie it without weight. You want it to be above the bottom and not on the bottom. The weights you use will be your sinkers. Whether they are attached with a three way and dropper set or inline with your fly.
Neutral or darker colors for dark days or days without sunlight were great. Brown's, grey's, black, and purple were great during these days.
For bright days, chartreuse, bright green, white, hot pink and blaze orage were really good.
Remember, western steelhead fishing is far different than Michigan steelie fishing. Our waters in Kzoo, GR, Ludington, Welston, and Frankfort are far different. The KZOO area fishes different than GR which is different than the PM, which is different from the Mainistee (big and small), which is different from the Betsy, which is different from the Plat. I've fished them all with this wiggler presentation. Bouncing bottom with this setup has been the preferred method.
I'll see if I can dig up a few examples. Been a long time since I have pursued them in the winter. Other passions have gotten in the way. I have more dry flies laying around than I do wet flies for some reason.
Just a hint... These were also dynamite on springtime perch!!!
Another great springtime perch bait was a simple hair style jig tied on a hook. Ron Springs out of Montague ties about the best rig I have seen for perch fishing but... years ago, before he was even around to sell them commercially, we used to tie our own. Simple number 6 aberdean hook, red thred on the front and hair. White was always the best at that time. I remember going after the dog with a pair of scissors because he had a nice long white patch of hair on his chest that was perfect for tying!!! Tipped with a wiggler that setup couldn't be beat. Still can't. I just prefer to buy Ron's gear now as it is already made up!
While I agree there are a lot better way to tie some flies and jigs than the original, but some of the guys here are new to tying and a video at least shows them the way a pattern is tied. Then later on it's easier for them to understand what we are saying when we change how to do something and then they can decide what they like nest. Just my 2 cents!Quote:
Originally Posted by wicklundrh
Skip
No Skip, not my intention at all to diss the post. I actually liked it. I was just pointing out the difference between the video and the precedure I was talking about. I didn't want the OP to get confussed with what I was talking about and the video you showed. He is doing it the right way (no wrong way really).
i tried the way pulling some of the tail up to the front. but didn't work with the longer shank hook i was using.
i would have had to make the tail really long to have enough hair to pull forward. unless thats ok ??
i pulled up a pic of a real wiggler and seen they have black eyes. so i had to try that. i'll post a pic, have to do it off my cell phone...
i like all the different info here guys, thx.
Attachment 257733i was out of dumbell eyes, so i soldered i wire across the shank then glued on the beads. i really don't mind having the thread showing in the back by the tail or head. a real wiggler has segments to it.
so i don't see the andvantage to having it smooth...
Attachment 257734Attachment 257735i
i had to throw this in. winter steelie here in mich. looks just like a big crappie jig. its 1/32oz. #6 2x strong hook
tipped with berkley trout worm. drifting under a float.
Kurt from brimfisherjigs.com tied me that jig, before i had materials to tie my own.
here's a real wigglerAttachment 257736
hard to dispute which way is better to tie a wiggler. none of them look that much like a real one anyway. its going to take more then which way to tie a tail to make it look like the real thing.
If you google wiggler fly there are some that have closer colors.
Skip
this is a native mich. wiggler.
Quote:
Originally Posted by skiptomylu
Yup, those are the guys! I used to carry them in my vest in a baby food jar. Had to keep the pocket warm with an old school hand warmer (ran on zippo fluid) to keep the bottle from freezing. Used to keep hundreds of them in my fridge! Hands down best bait for Steelie fishing the wintertime.
I don't beleive the "Michigan Wiggler" fly was ever invented or tied to represent the real thing. I think it was just a name that stuck! I really beleive that the fly looks similar in appearance when running down the stream against the bottom. It has the hazy appearence of a wiggler with the hackle. The colors were provided to add interest. More than anything, I think it floats like a wiggler hence the reason for the name!
yeah, that makes sence. whatever tie job catches the fish is whats important.
Dave Richey originated the fly I guess in the late 60s or early 70s. It imitates a Hex. nymph.We have the same nymph in Pa. It emerges in August. To my knowledge there is the picture taken from outer space of a cloud that was a May Fly hatch! There is a full name but can not spell it correctly Hexagenia
Fantastic job!
I don't know anything about Steelhead fishing but I like the tie. I'll be digging out the vise for the first time in a long time today and I'll be trying one of these just for fun. Thanx.
Nice, bet they drop slow
I think the jig is beautiful. I'd be proud if I'd had tied the jig. One thing I am wondering about, maybe someone can explain to me why I think the jig is upside down? It would appear the black top will turn around when fished and be on the bottom and the light side up on top. Pop
You are correct pop! If they are imitating Hexaginia Limbata it is light on the bottom and dark on top,
thx.
good point.
on a standard hook, it would ride in the water dark on top. but tied a jig hook, it's upside down.
back to the drawing board.
i tried one tied up on a fly hook tonite for steelhead. it has lead wire wrapped on shank to give it weight,
and it runs upside down in the water. black side down. i don't like that.
i'm guessing a unweighted hook, might ride correctly.
i tied the pattern on the opposite side of the hook on this #4 fly hook. i heated the eye and bent it to 90 degrees, so it would run horizontal.
works perfect now in the water.
i'll have to do some jigs next.
thx again for pointing this out.
Attachment 258701
That looks like it should do a good job for you. I am sure the other pattern would have caught fish . Even the best swimming nymphs get swept away at times. So I am sure in heavy broken water it would work. However as tyers we need to work with our patterns and let the fish decide what is our best features and what needs reconsidered.When I am at doing a seminar I tell the audience " I really do not care what you think of my flys! However I do care what the fish think". I am sure I have lost a few sales over the years!
yeap, the fishes opinion is the most important. :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by addictedangler
Good looking tie!Quote:
Originally Posted by naturenut
Skip
thx! didn't put to much attention on it, it's getting thrown in a river..... :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by skiptomylu
it's functional now though, and thats whats important to me