My jig evolution

Well I have started tying my jigs on jig heads to see if they look any better. I think they do for certain fish and are a little different tied this way. Took a while to get a clean tie at the head but working with the heads is harder to do than a plain hook. I know, only 4 with tails so far but wanted some feedback before I tied more with crystal flash. I am not sure it is the best material to use but it matches the material I used for the crochet. Will probably tie some of the lace bodies with marabou and see how they turn out.

Any favorites? Do you think they will all work to catch crappie and bluegill? And maybe a bass or two?

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...adjigsall1.jpg
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...ollection1.jpg

The following jigs are not on jig heads but they are new from the ones I posted before. This is the way I learned to tie them, well taught myself to make them and have worked on for a long time.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...dlessjigs1.jpg
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...dlessjigs2.jpg

Look good, But would look a lot better if you would paint the heads first.

They look very nice how long do each of those take you looks time consuming...

They look a lot better and more functional with the jighead and sharp hooks!! I liked the look of the one with the flat bottomed or HU style head,as it matches the flat,water resistant design of your tie for more easy, slower gliding. But the smaller round heads gives a nice look to your jigs, and if poured in tin ,provide extra lightness and flash! Don't paint these to lose a metallic flash- I'm convinced on my own jigs that this is a huge triggering factor on many days! I'd suggest trying small sickle hooks,too, tho the ones you're using are a bit longer and offer more length for your unique tie!

Those look pretty good!

I like the 2 on the top pict at the bottom right corner. They look like they are on tube inserts... have a good profile. Put a tail on em and the profile would look very close to a minnow. By the looks of it though, I would guess those are the hardest to finish off.

In the second picture the middle jig is tied on a sickle hook. The same one is the top left of the first picture. I really think I can make a really nice jointed body with a sickle hook. Will have to tie up a couple more to see how much of a segmentation I can truly get.

I do like the look of the tube jig heads with my crochet. They do have a really nice profile. I have a few more so I will try putting a tail on them and tying them in minnow colors. They are also in the third picture with a top view. They are the hardest to finish for sure but I still like the profile and think that they may have the best profile.

As for painting the heads. I didn't want to paint them yet so I could see how the jigs looked. I can still paint them but my intent was to simply paint eyes on them. I am trying to get some really small plastic gems that I can glue on for eyes. Leaving the head shiny. Am also thinking of doing the black acrylic with the glitter nail polish over the top that a member does here.

Most of the small ones are in TIN. I am making all my small jigs in tin and alloys without lead. The larger ones are simply too expensive in tin for me to buy in tin right now.

As for time consuming, I am beginning to think it is a full time job! 3-4 an hour max is all I get done between the crochet, the body wrap and getting everything looking just right. Finishing them is driving me crazy trying to get as little thread at the jig head as possible. They lose some of their "professional" look when I have to add a lot to tie the material in and keep it help tight. Thinking of staying with darker colors of thread to show kind of a neck band or whatever instead of bright colors. I just got a lot of darker thread in multiple colors so I can now match the colors a little better and not make it look so "thrown together". Lace simply makes it hard to not use a lot of thread to make sure the lace doesn't come out. The floss is easier by far but for bug patterns the lace can't be beat for looks.

Anyone have ideas for the tails? Marabou better than flash? Maybe bucktail or something else? I really need ideas for the tails as I have not put tails on them before and it still looks ODD to me.

the flask tails look good if you have any hackle use 2 tips and put a split tail on one i think would look great maraboo would look good but keep it sparse
i been playing with chelneail trying to get the look your doin but no luck lol

try 2 goose biots for your tails

IMO the unique value of the crochet tie is as a best possible caterpillar-grub imitation. Lots of proven effective minnow patterns that are probably way less time consuming. Not knocking, your talent and creativity are extraordinary!

Chenille doesn't work that well. Too bulky and doesn't really give the right look. Vernille works well enough to give some ridging on the crochet but there again, the colors don't jump like they do with other materials.

A hackle split tail huh. Like taking 2 pieces and making sure the tips are slightly separated to form a real tail maybe? Place them with the bend of the hook so the tail is in profile right. I.E. look at from the side and the tail is broad and not flat.

I don't know if I have goose or not but I have some duck and others for sure, will have to try them.

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IMO the unique value of the crochet tie is as a best possible caterpillar-grub imitation. Lots of proven effective minnow patterns that are probably way less time consuming. Not knocking, your talent and creativity are extraordinary!

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First, thank you. It took me a long time to get this pattern where I like most of what I tie. The time involved even shocked me but I timed it a couple times over the last week and it takes longer than I ever thought. I will have to look for some simpler minnow patterns for when I get ready to tie some of them. I have some of that mylar tubing so I can make some simple ones.

I am a glutton for punishment though so I will have to try at least a couple minnow patterns with the crochet patterns. The silver and copper ones look really good to me so I have to at least experiment with them. :cool:

Amazing! What material do you use on those ?

The ones pictured are all Larva Lace and cross stitch floss. I have used other flosses/lace in the past too but nothing seems to work as well with smaller jigs/flies.

Larger jigs, I also use craft lace/rexlace. Makes for some interesting patterns but I don't tie with it on sizes smaller than 1/0. Too stiff to work on anything smaller and make it look right.

when i do split tails i use sadle hackle has great points and there kinda curved
get 2 and cut same and tie one on each side curve out away from shank its a great look and when you stop it they come back apart and kinda tranperant like a fish tail
ill post a pic later today

I appreciate the picture when you get one, I am having a hard time seeing it in my head. I have an idea but always good to see it for me.

What I have done with hackle in the past is to take 2, cut them same length, lay them in a 'v' pattern over the shank and the bend of the hook for a tail look. Probably not the best way but is the way I did it from seeing other patterns made.

I like'em, what is the smallest size that you have in the pics ? have you ever done a baby crawdad with this style of tying ?
Thanks for sharing this.

I've asked him as well. I tie my own flies and a good looking craw pattern is hard to come by. These would make a good one!! Just not sure how you would come up with the pinchers. Maybe tie in a dried pork strip or two with a claw shape.

Let's see - Buckeye Mike - I bet you are the same as me and love fishing for stream smallies in the Buckeye State! Am I right?

I have made a baby craw using leather for the claws. Takes me forever but I can do it. Tail, pincers, legs, head the works. Let me look again to see if I have one still and can find it. Have found another box of stuff so I have some sorting to do. Man I hate moving.

The smallest one is size 8 1/64 ounce.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...l/Crawdad1.jpg

I could not find one with claws and a tail but this shows what I can do with some leather. Could also make the thorax by wrapping lace around but the leather was by far the best look.

The only time I have ever made these was for a guy who wanted them for bass fishing. He caught 2 smallies and 5 LM on them. They didn't work really well but they didn't look the best either. I imagine the leather scent didn't help that any. I haven't tried since because they are a pain in the arse to tie up. Took me about an hour each.

I will try tying a couple of them using feathers, fur and lace instead of leather to see how they turn out. Will also see if I can find my leather and tie a couple up with that too.

heres that pic
http://i537.photobucket.com/albums/f...hing/al006.jpg
http://i537.photobucket.com/albums/f...hing/al004.jpg

Wow,i've Never Seen Anything Like This Before ,very Nice.i'd Be Afraid To Lose It With All The Work You Put Into Them.i Like The Finished One's With The Crystal Flash. I Think A Combination Of The Crystal Flash With Grizzly Marabou Would Look Great.the Flash And The Action Of Grizzly Marabou Should Make A Killer Bait. I Thought I Could Tie Anything But Nothing Like These Baits. Great Job!!!!!!!

I like those GA, will have to get my grizzly hackle out and try to do the same thing. Tie in some at the bottom and whip it into position for the tail and then double it up in the front for the claws. All tied backwards though, claws at the bend and tail at the eye for a retreating crawdad. Might have to lay a couple hackle on the body and tie the crochet around it to form the legs.

And I thought it was a lengthy tie before. :eek:

Will be worth it though if I can get it to work right. The legs may have to be some other material laced into the crochet but that doesn't matter much.

Marabou with just a little flash.

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Originally Posted by AtticaFish

I've asked him as well. I tie my own flies and a good looking craw pattern is hard to come by. These would make a good one!! Just not sure how you would come up with the pinchers. Maybe tie in a dried pork strip or two with a claw shape.

Let's see - Buckeye Mike - I bet you are the same as me and love fishing for stream smallies in the Buckeye State! Am I right?

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I do Love smallies, but i dont stream fish much anymore, i just saw those jigs and thought baby crawdad. Everything loves baby crawdads.

FISH 4 ALL,
Is this how you weave the larva lace or do you have a different pattern. Nice jigs.

Welcome to the Online Fly Tyer

That's it. I found that one a few months ago. The one used to start my jigs was from HERE. I tried to find other places that did it when I started it some 7 years ago but never found one. Now there are some 12-15 sites I find with the same technique.

I knew I should have never posted that link in NAFC! :mad::rolleyes:

I used some kinda like that except 1/80th for ice fishing up in WI

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