My Favorite Threads

Which do you like to use?  These are the ones that I use most often.

• UTC Ultra Thread - A very good flat-waxed, nylon thread.  Like a well-fitting suit, it makes a good tyer an even better one and an average tyer seem pretty good.  Best for collared jigs in my opinion.
• Round Nylon - I purchased a box of several spools of old Gudebrod Gude-Wind Nylon thread which I like a lot.  I use it on jigs without collars weighing 1/8 of an ounce or more.
• Trilobal Polyester -  The 40-wt embroidery threads work well for applications involving jigs without collars.  Their color selections rival those of the fly tying thread manufacturers.  Coats & Clark makes very good ones.
• Nylon or Polyester Monofilament - I really don't know why I like it so much.  Monofilament has memory that can sometimes spring its wraps away from a hook shank.  Maintain its tension and it will stay controllable.  I like the clear and smoke-colored ones measuring  0.004 of an inch in diameter.  Coats & Clark makes both types which are readily available at most fabric, craft, and department stores.

Note:

• Rayon is used in decorative sewing thread.  It seems weak to me, so I stay away from it.  Be sure to read the spool's label when choosing a sewing thread to tie jigs. 

Hair Jigs: Crappie.com Jig Swap Submission

Painted some heads and used them to tie these for a crappie jig swap in progress at Crappie.com.

I call each of them a Fireball "Half & Half".  Each measures approximately 2" long.

Materials:

• 1/16-oz. ball head (collared) with a #4 rounded-bend hook.
• White and black acrylic paint for basecoat and eyes.
• Plasti-Kote B27 Orange Glow Enamel.
• Devcon 2T Epoxy for topcoats.
• UTC Ultra Thread (gray brown) - 70 denier.
• White and fawn-colored (cream) craft fur.
• Silver holographic tinsel.

This type of jig might work for Float-N-Fly fishing smallmouth bass if it doesn't work well for crappie.

Plan B Jig & Nothing Fancy Jigs

Tied this one over the weekend. Attempted a chenille body that wasn't going to work, so I broke out some Holoshimmer to finish up.  Here's my "Plan B" jig.

Materials:

• 1/16-oz. minnow head jig with #4 hook.
• Turkey feathers - bright yellow.
• UTC Ultra Thread (olive) - 140 denier.
• Sulky Holoshimmer - sliver metallic.
• White acrylic paint for eyes and basecoat.
• Black acrylic paint for eyes.
• Maybelline Nail Polish for head paint - Go Go Green.
• Devcon 2T Epoxy for topcoat.
• Flymasters (Wapsi) Flashabou Accent - fluorescent chartreuse/pearl.

I've seen so many good-looking jigs being tied lately, that I thought I'd post a couple of dull ones. :) These are my "Nothing Fancy" jigs.



I think that the one to the left might be worth trying on dark, cloudy days. The one to the right might be a little bit too "rusty" (as in...rusty crayfish). Maybe, a brown bass getter?

Both do have a bit of flash in the back end and each weighs 1/16 of an ounce. Hook size is #4.

Insert Heads - Not just for tube baits anymore...

Thought I'd tie up a hair jig for walleye (and largemouth bass) last night.

 
The pattern requires an orange head, purple/violet nylon thread, and violet over orange craft hair. Tied on a 1/4-oz. insert head with 2/0 hook.

Bit O' Everything

Bit O' Everything

Materials:

• 1/16-oz. ball head jig (collared) with #6 hook.
• Fluorescent yellow and lavender craft fur.
• UTC Ultra Thread (70 denier) - red.
• Flymasters (Wapsi) Flashabou Accent - red.
• Revlon Nail Enamel for head paint - deep berry.
• Black and yellow acrylic craft paints for eyes.
• Devcon 2T Epoxy for topcoat.

I catch a little bit of everything on this one.

Jig Swaps

An entertaining way to improve your tying skills and view what others are tying around the country.  Jig swaps are available at many fishing web sites.

I'm currently involved in one with the jig tyers at http://crappie.com/.

Looking to buy a vise?

Check out this review first. It's the best review that I've seen with regard to selecting a fly tying vise.

Fly Fish Ohio's Vise Review