I bought some size 12- 1/124 oz. plain lead, round ball jigs. I thought I’d dress them the same way I dress any fly. I call that a jig fly. That’s just my opinion.
OK, so because the fly has a moulded ball/weight on the hook it is not acceptable to be classified as a fly by some!!!???
My 2 cents is that using a “jig” fly is is still fly fishing even if some use a similarly designed hook & weight for conventional fishing. The weight you use is dependent on the weight fly rod you are using, heavier the fly heavier the rod. The weight 1/124 oz I would comfortably use with my 2 weight fly rod and possibly 1/80 oz.
Jig fly for blue gill is equivalent to Czech nymph for trout.
In the past I have used the 1/124 oz. with about a size 10 hook. They don’t seem to snag in the river as frequently as regular nymphs, I have tyed Prince Nymph and Copper Johns on them and done well. Bream and bass have fallen victim to them. I had an interesting discussion with a 6 lb. class LMB one Saturday morning before getting him to come over and say hello at a personal distance using my 3 wt. that is now in the bottom of the Hooch.
Congratulations on your meeting with Mr. Bass on your 3 weight using the “jig” hook tied fly.
That must have been a good old tussle. I too use ultra light fly rods for these adventures, this just proves the fish don’t mind what shape hook they get snagged with. Only some fly fishers:):):):)
I have been lucky enough to catch my largest bass, catfish and one 7 lb.(ish) grass carp on light rods. My all time personal best bass I caught on a ultralight spinning rod that woud touch tip to tip. I have caught a couple of bass in the 5 1/2 - 6 lb. range on my 3 wts. and spent 15 minutes (by the watch) with a channel cat a few years ago. There are a few trout in public waters around here in the real trophy range but they usually only show up on DNR survey using electroshock equipment. Although a local guide caught a 12 lb. brown fom the Hooch last year on a Rapala.
Watch the late Michael Verduin’s Cap Spider video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzZekzILGRI
You will not regret the time… He was great tyer who LOVED bream fishing with 1/124 oz. micro-jigs. I fished with him many times and an tell you that they work!