Attempted my first jig tonight!!

Well, got the danvise in today. Man this is a nice rig....although its the only rig I've seen...lol.

Used a 1/16oz #6 jig head...yellow and white hackle and black thread on the neck. Looks like...well a LONG skinny fly...lol. A few questions...

#1 HOW IN THE WORLD...do you keep your material from spinning around the hook as you are tightening and adding more material...I had this problem.

#2 My thread is very hard to get off the bobbin...will this take time to loosen up?? I had to hand pull the thread each time I needed more thread...I was afraid to tweek the barbs out any...I'm guessing as the thread and bobbin gets broken in it will loosen??

#3 How do you end?? Is there a particular knot you guys use?? I found a video on youtube that really helped...as I didn't know how to put the thread on the bobbin!! lol. He did kind of a triangle with two fingers and put the head back trough and tightened. I dont' have any nail polish yet...I got the vise in and didn't want to drive to walmart...but I'll have some tommorrow!!

#4 When using hackle do you put one feather on at a time?? this was the only way I could find to do it...seems that hair would be MUCH easier.

#5 How do you attach the fuzzy neck material?? I do not know the exact name of it, but seems it would be used to make a body...do you wrap it or what??

I'll quit with my questions for now..I'm sure I'll have some more...I'm going to piddle around and try another one! This is going to be fun! CAN'T wait to get one wet!!!

Can't post pics until tommorrow unless I find the time to get it off my phone on here...otherwise I'll take one tommorrow and post them.

Thanks again everyone that has helped me so far....ecspecially skip!! :D

I to had all those problems when I started . Go to top of the jig page and click on thread that says new to tying there is alot of things that will help you there.

#1 how are you starting your thread? You need a base to help with the sliding and you might be pulling just a little to hard.

#2 I remebr mine was to I spread the bobbin out a little and that seemed to help now it works fine.

#3 That video is how I end its called a hitch knot

#4 I dont use much hackle

#5 When I use fuzzy materail (chenille) I tie hair,feather or whatever on shank right where point of hook ends do a couplewraps on the tail end of chenille. then wrap thread to head of jig after that wrap chenille to the head and do a couple wraps to secure chenille and tie of with that hitch knot. a little head cement and done

I'm by no means a expert at this but I did just have all these problems & months or so ago and the guys here will definitly help you out they did me

joe

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Originally Posted by Scrapper

Well, got the danvise in today. Man this is a nice rig....although its the only rig I've seen...lol.

Used a 1/16oz #6 jig head...yellow and white hackle and black thread on the neck. Looks like...well a LONG skinny fly...lol. A few questions...

#1 HOW IN THE WORLD...do you keep your material from spinning around the hook as you are tightening and adding more material...I had this problem.

#2 My thread is very hard to get off the bobbin...will this take time to loosen up?? I had to hand pull the thread each time I needed more thread...I was afraid to tweek the barbs out any...I'm guessing as the thread and bobbin gets broken in it will loosen??

#3 How do you end?? Is there a particular knot you guys use?? I found a video on youtube that really helped...as I didn't know how to put the thread on the bobbin!! lol. He did kind of a triangle with two fingers and put the head back trough and tightened. I dont' have any nail polish yet...I got the vise in and didn't want to drive to walmart...but I'll have some tommorrow!!

#4 When using hackle do you put one feather on at a time?? this was the only way I could find to do it...seems that hair would be MUCH easier.

#5 How do you attach the fuzzy neck material?? I do not know the exact name of it, but seems it would be used to make a body...do you wrap it or what??

I'll quit with my questions for now..I'm sure I'll have some more...I'm going to piddle around and try another one! This is going to be fun! CAN'T wait to get one wet!!!

Can't post pics until tommorrow unless I find the time to get it off my phone on here...otherwise I'll take one tommorrow and post them.

Thanks again everyone that has helped me so far....ecspecially skip!! :D

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There is a book called The Fly Tying Bible by Peter Gathercole It is a great book with good pics and easy to lay out so you can look at it while you tie. It goes into great detail in the first part of the book on materials and how to tie each one. It is not a jig book but the principles are the same. It's 25 bucks but it is worth every penny. Again it is geared alot toward trout and salmon fishing but the methodology is still the same. brim

if what he si saying sounds latin to you i went online and watched every video i could on jig tying. because the more you read here and watch there you will get the hang of it in no time. One of the keys to tying is less is more. once you get a grip on that you will be a good jig maker. every time i tie now i try to get away with as little as possible and still make it look yummy to a fish.

thanks guys...just did a marabou...and WOW...MUCH easier to work with and make look decent. I really like the way it falls...looks REALLY fishy! its so light looking!

I'm start out holding my thread and doing about 10 wraps to start with then cutting my excess. Thats what I saw on the video...should I use more wraps on the first part?

My deal with the chenille (fuzzy stuff lol) was I was thinking that if I wraped it, it would take away from the "fuzziness" of it. So you are wrapping at the tail and head of the chenille and not in the middle? These two I've done so far I wraped to the point of the hook. I picked that up on that video to.

I REALLY gotta get some cement! lol

I do think I'm pulling a bit hard...I think once the bobbin loosens up it will help.

yeah hurry up and post some pictures i cant wait to see a fishy looking jig.

I just learned the less is more deal...my marabou I just did looks better and I didn't use near the material I did with the hackle...when you look at the hackle you just think...man its going to take a bunch of that to fill it in..but it really doesn't

I may have to take that one back...I think the "marabou" looks fishy..not my jig...lol. :D I could just see a jig falling into a crappie condo and spreading out like a parachute on the fall and all the action it would have with a slight jig! Mine on the other hand....well...it is chartruse and white...thats about all I can say! lol

dont use hackle for the tails use marabo

as far as the bobkin yea pull it a bit to make it where its still tight

hit up you tube watch as much as you can you realy want to watch stuff on wolly buggers
and the best thing i can tell you take it slow you get better the more you do it and once you understand how they go togather its just making them look good to you and if they do that they will put fish in the frying pan

where would I use the hackle then?? do you use it "in" the jig cut short? I am also looking at images of different jigs...this site is a BIG help. I have a slow connecntion so youtube is really slow...and I can't get on at school...its blocked...go figure!

Glad to see you putting all that stuff to work. It will come soon, but some things just take time to learn the little subtleties that make something easier. Experiance is a big thing.

On your stuff spinning around the hook, make sure to put down a good tight thread base before you even tie anything in.

Spread the wide part of you bobbins until you get it firm, but easy coming off. You don't want the bobbin falling down just hanging there or anything.

Practice make perfect? well in tying I am not sure perfect is a goal that can be reached. I don't even want to think about trying some of the Realistic flies they tie.

Anyway glad to see it's going and know it will come.

Skip

hackle can be used for some tails but its used mostly in dry flys and if yuo look around this site you will see some of us to put the lil hairy necks on some jigs

Just put a "hairy" neck on the last one I made...I don't know if I did it right...thats a tuff thing to do!! you need a third hand! lol. I wraped one wrap on one end....then wraped the chenille three wraps up to the head...then made a few wraps up to the front and hitched it twice. Seems to look okay...I figured you wrapped is as looking at just laying one length of it doesn't seem like you would be acheiving the effect all the way around the jig. Does add alot to it though. I'm sticking with chartruse/white with black neck thread...I don't know if that is a true color but it looks pretty neat...lol...and I like chartruse and white stuff.

Thanks you gabulldog...good advice...even though its from a DOG!! I'm a hog fan but its ALL SEC!! Florida better put the hurt to OU!!

Skip, I tightened my last one up and put some more wraps on it before I added anything and it seemed to help alot! I really got to get some videos of some simple jigs to tie and work on them. Right now I'm just kinda making stuff up and getting used to the tools.

YouTube - Simple Crappie Jig

Here is a good place too start.

making things up is never bad really if it is something the fish have never seen before. remember your not catching fisherman your catching fish.

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Originally Posted by Scrapper

Skip, I tightened my last one up and put some more wraps on it before I added anything and it seemed to help alot! I really got to get some videos of some simple jigs to tie and work on them. Right now I'm just kinda making stuff up and getting used to the tools.

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Go to this site and click on fly tying, then click on beginning and later Intermediate and later Advanced. I know it's fly tying, but you can learn most every little thing you need to know. Great descriptions and Pics.
Fly Anglers OnLine, Your Complete Internet Flyfishing Resource.

Skip

Made my first two woolly boogers tonight...now those are fun to do...you actually know your making something...lol. SOOO...you wrap the hackle...not try to make the tail out of hackle...looks alot more like I thought it should...still no pics...camera didn't work out..maybe tommrrow night or so...lol. I made a black/chartruese and a white/blue tonight...MAN I can't wait till this weekend so I can test them out. I still dont' have any cement...gotta get that tommorrow...making flies with no cement...go figure...lol...Thanks again guys!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scrapper

Made my first two woolly boogers tonight...now those are fun to do...you actually know your making something...lol. SOOO...you wrap the hackle...not try to make the tail out of hackle...looks alot more like I thought it should...still no pics...camera didn't work out..maybe tommrrow night or so...lol. I made a black/chartruese and a white/blue tonight...MAN I can't wait till this weekend so I can test them out. I still dont' have any cement...gotta get that tommorrow...making flies with no cement...go figure...lol...Thanks again guys!!

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I can see it all now.....

So when you getting your fly rod and reel? If you get into that go get some fly hooks, have fun! Now fly tying is a whole new world and some really nice things.

Skip

skip... well...this is all for the crappie and whatever else might be in the lake at any given time with an appetite for flies...lol. Its really making since more tonight...and my hand actually is getting used to the bobbin. I'm taking baby steps...but they look SOO much better tonight than they did last night. Watched a video on the woolly booger tonight on youtube...LOTS of info there..lol. who would've thought?? lol.

What about hackle pliers? A guy used them on a video and seemed to work pretty good when wrapping the hackle around the fly. I used my hand and it worked but what do you think about the pliers??

I'm amazed at what the hackle does when you spin it around your fly...I thought it was used just for tail till I saw the video...man that is the coolest part of the whole fly...when you wrap it around and it makes that hairy body!! I'm using nonpainted heads right now...please don't stone me...but baby steps...lol. I'll get that once I can tie decent. :D

I usually touch the brush from a sally hansens clear nail polish to the hook where I'll start the thread wrap. most jigs and flys start the tying process at the back of the hook or somewhere in that vicinity. I may wrap the thread 50 times before I'm ready to start tying. each thread thickness ( denier ) and manfg. has different braeaking strengths. 6/0 is pretty weak, 3/0 is stronger and thicker, and flat waxed nylon is really strong. If yer lookin at the denier rating 70 is weaker, 140 is stronger and 210 is the brute. 3/0 or 140 denier is about right for my taste, unless I'm tying hair jigs then may use the heavy nylon. the reason I'm making such a big deal out of the thread is, it will hold the materials to the hook the tightest when wrapped tight enough to stretch the thread slightly but shy of breaking it. and the tension needed to accomplish this will vary with the strength of the particular thread you are using. when using chenille, strip about 1/8 inch of fuzz off the end and use that bare end to tie it to the hook at the rear of the hook, then let it hang loose and wrap your thread toward the head of the jig where you want the chenille body to end, let it hang, now wrap your chenille up the entire hook tightly and crowd each wrap with the next wrap but don't wrap a double thickness. this gives a denser more even color for me. once ya get the chenille up to the head, wrap over it where ya want it to end while keeping everything tight. trim the excess, as close as possible with sharp , small pointy sissors. as for tying the finishing knot, I whip finish by hand, about 5-6 wraps over the thread and pull it tight. let me attempt to explain. when your ready to tie a finishing knot, pull about 14 inches of thread off the bobbin and cut it. I now take the index and middle fingers of the right hand and hold the thread in a loop with those fingers while I double the thread back to the hook exactly where it originally left the hook. so what I have is my fingers of one hand are pulling on the thread which has been doubled back to the hook. you need to adjust this loop size to about 3 1/2 inches. now you are holding the tag end on top of the hook with the left hand, and you use those two fingers that where holding the loop in the thread, to wrap over the tag end about 5 times. then you hold a finger in the loop and keep tension while pulling the tag end of the thread, the loop will get smaller and smaller till it gets tight. so when you are wrapping over the tag end, all the wraps are pretty much in the same place, and when you make those 5 or so wraps you are only wrapping over the tag end with one side of your loop, so you right hand will be in out in front of the jig and your left hand will hold the hook a little to keep it from bending, and those two fingers will do the 5 wraps while guiding the thread to wrap in the right spot. If you use a hitch knot, you are doing the same thing I think, but you are only wrapping over the tag end one time. 5 times is better, and won't require glue although I use it. as to what is best, alot of this is my opinion based on 42 years of off and on tying. so you will get different ways of doing things from other people....kip

Redear

Thank you for the explanation on thread and your wrapping process. This fills in a couple of gaps for me in the what/how dept.

UG

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Originally Posted by Scrapper

skip... well...this is all for the crappie and whatever else might be in the lake at any given time with an appetite for flies...lol. Its really making since more tonight...and my hand actually is getting used to the bobbin. I'm taking baby steps...but they look SOO much better tonight than they did last night. Watched a video on the woolly booger tonight on youtube...LOTS of info there..lol. who would've thought?? lol.

What about hackle pliers? A guy used them on a video and seemed to work pretty good when wrapping the hackle around the fly. I used my hand and it worked but what do you think about the pliers??

I'm amazed at what the hackle does when you spin it around your fly...I thought it was used just for tail till I saw the video...man that is the coolest part of the whole fly...when you wrap it around and it makes that hairy body!! I'm using nonpainted heads right now...please don't stone me...but baby steps...lol. I'll get that once I can tie decent. :D

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OK let me say this...
Hackle is also for tails and most hackle that is wrapped on bodies is not the same and usually comes from a cape. They even have woolly bugger capes just for that. Other than that you can get strung saddle hackle and that is for doing the same thing, wrapping it around the body or neck of the fly/jig. Almost always the strung neck hackle is to wide and webby to using like that. I have capes for this and capes for dry flies are even different too. About all the strung neck hackle is good for is tails. If you decide to get into all that other stuff better break out your wallet, LOL! A good

Hackle pliers, yes, but I didn't think you would be getting into palmered hackle, LOL! Just get the Griffin Rotating hackle pliers with the little rubber band around the jaw. They are not high cost and work well. I even use them sometimes when my chenille gets short.

You can get what is called Saddle Patch which are good for Palmering as is the Strung Saddle hackle, but the capes are usually better quality. The more premium the feather the higher the cost so the dry fly capes are the highest priced. You can get a lot of capes for $12-$20 for what you are doing. The Woolly Bugger Saddles I buy wholesale for about $10. Strung Saddle Hackle is about $3 wholesale and probably $4-$5 retail.

Go to this site and click on feathers so you can get a good idea what I am talking about... Bob Marriott's Fly Fishing Store - Product Catalog - Fly Tying Materials

You should probably take me up on calling me on the phone, LOL!

I never need any glue on my thread at all until I tie in something and then only when doing some things like tying in rabbit strips I use some brush on Super Glue for that and special things. I don't have any trouble with regular jig and never use glue until I have finished my whip finish and then only one drop of thinned head cement or if like me what I make up.

Skip