Jig head fly patterns

[Uncle Jesse]

I have been tying nymphs on 1/124 oz. jigs (size 10 hook) for a few years with some success in the end product. They cast okay and I use them to sink a dropper soft hackle or another nymph typically. I hate the way split shot cast but have been thinking of going to 1/80 or 1/64 oz. jig heads, maybe even 1/32 oz. What are you using and how does it cast.

[FishnDave]

I've been using 1/100th and 1/80th oz jigheads lately. They cast very well with 5wt WFF line. I may have tried 1/64th and 1/32oz heads when I first started tying flies...but I honestly can't remember how well those cast. I bet you could do it, you'd just want to make sure you "keep thine back cast upeth"!!

[Peter F]

A beadhead on a scud hook works very well as a "jig" (i.e. hook point up).

Peter F.

[Buddy Sanders]

Uncle Jesse,

I've used jighead up to 1/8 ounce in size on my fly rods.

I don't use anything over 1/64 anymore, though. My casting skills intersecting with the back of my head lead my MD to cut me off at that weight.

1/64th is no problem, casts like a nymph with lead wire under it.

We've all seen those little ball head jigs, and they come down as small as 1/100, but there are some other shapes out there too that have fly fishing applications.

The nomenclature is not very descriptive of the body shape, but jigs like the 'Ant Jig' (which has a tapered nymph shape to it), the 'Lady Bug', the 'Pearch Eye', the 'Ice Tick' and the 'Custom Ant' (more the 'taditional' ant shape with well defined abdomen/thorax gap), the 'Ice Minnow', the 'Tetr Totr', the 'Sunfish', the 'Micro', all come in sizes down to at least 1/64, many to 1/100. Some on straight hooks, some on the 90 degree bends.

By far my favorite is the 'ant' jig. You can tie a simple nymph over it and the shape and weigth are already there. Makes a good point fly for a czech nymph rig.

You can buy un molded on 90 degree jig hooks from any of the tackle supply houses. They cost about what you'd pay for 25 'fly tying hooks' hooks, but you get 100 of them. If you slide a bead on, you get a lightweight 'jig head', with all the advantages of the 90 degree hook bend, and you can change the weight by the size/type bead you use. This might be an economical alternative to buying pre molded heads if you aren't going to tie a lot of these.

Now that the lumps have healed, I may try a bit heavier jig head this season....just don't tell the doc.

Buddy

[Uncle Jesse]

Buddy,

I feel your pain, literally. One of the reasons I wear brimmed hat pretty much year around when fishing. Never thought a man my age looked good with pierced ears. I have been buying 1/124 oz. jigheads from the Bass Pro fly shop (the only fly shop for 35 miles or so). But although I love them fly shops are like pro shops at the golf course, everything cost a little or a lot more. I was thinking of checking on jigs at Walmart or in the non-FF section at BPS and see if they were available in 1/64 or 1/32 oz. I figured heavier = deeper also. Someone told me deeper was where the bigger fish lived.

But isn't half the fun in tying experimentation.

[Buddy Sanders]

Uncle Jesse,

If you don't mind mail order, check out: www.JannsNetcraft.com

They have some of the shapes I described, much less expensive than the fly shops.

At 1/124 I just use a bead on jig hook. Much cheaper. Those tiny lead heads are harder to mold, you need a centrifical casting system for them.

If you need a LOT of any of these, www.hagensfish.com has great prices but you need to buy in large quantities (500s, 1000s).

Good Luck!

Buddy

[pittendrigh]

Long leaders that taper to a fine point are (almost) as important as most people think, for
dryflies and nymph/wetflies drifting near the surface. But not for anything deep.

When you are fishing deep the fine point has little bearing. Leader length too, for that matter.
I'm a charter member of the 12 step program called lead slingers anonymous.
What matters most is the leader. With the right leader I can cast fat 1/8 ounce skull crackers
with a 4wt rod.

A 7-9' leader that tapers from 40lb at the but to 1x flourocabon at the tippet will cast
a Mepps Spinner nicely. A 12 weight tarpon rod with a spring creek leader is like
Jack Benny at the cat house. I make some leaders with 60lb butts. The nail knots
for butt material that fat are tricky. But possible. 40lb is a minimum for heavy flies.

Corollary:
Steve Rajef couldn't cast a heavy fly even with a big rod, if it had a spring creek leader on it.