Homemade Jigs

[Jigmaker]

Hi, love the site and info from everyone. Thought I'd contribute how I'm making jigs for squidding. Careful, metal things are sharp.



I tie flies for trout in streams and thought, why not use the same materials for making jigs.



If you've tied flies before, here is is a description of what I've been doing for jigs. If you don't have a fly-tying kit, just buy a cheap one. For $30 you'll have tools to make lots of tangly artificial bait...



Here's what you need.



Tube out of a slip bobber



Strong wire- (I use the wire from old spinner seperators, but any wire will do just make sure you can attach rings on both ends to keep the lure practical)



Oblong oval sinker with open seam (Remove the rubber stopper)



Fly-tying kit (Vise, bobbin, hackle, embroidery floss, chenile)



Barbless hooks or pins bend to accomodate tasty squiddies



In a nutshell: Wire through bobber tube. Open sinker, squeeze on bottom of wire below bobber tube- leaving enoug room to attach ring on botom end. Attach thread on bottom.



Now, it's up to your imagination. Here's on of my recipies: Bright orange thread. Red embroidery floss from absolute bottom of lure to 1/2 way up the sinker. Wrap hooks in position.(I use at least six. From below your wrapping point, green chenile over the remaining part of the sinker. Tie, Cut. Grizzly hackle. Tie green chenile, silver tinsel, and very long blue dun hackle. Move thread near top of lure. Chenile to near top, tie. Tinsel in wide circles to top of lure, tie. Palmer blue dun hackle to top of lure, tie. Long whip finish with orange thread and apply head cement. Lure is bright, and palmered hackle creates swimming effect in water.



Possibilities are endless. Peacock Herl, blade from spinner at botom of lure. Purchase squid hooks, or disassemble cheap lures. Use toothpicks on outside of tube for rectanglular form before dressing, etc.



Glad for other advice folks have about tying your own.



Jigmaker

[glen]

hi jigmaker, thanks for all that info.



i tie flies too but these days i have grown a bit lazy and sometimes just buy them because i can't be bothered digging out the fly tying gear.



i noticed you are using hackles (which for non-fly-tiers is basically a feather wound around a hook/jig such that the fibres along the feather spray out in a circular fashion) and also peacock herl. I would have thought the squid would make mince meat of these materials...particularly the peacock herl. how durable do you find your jigs to be?



also, what is a slip bobber?



cheers and thanks again,



you have tempted me to start making homemade jigs again.



glen

[Jigmaker]

I keep the hackle on the jig in two ways. First, it's very large hackle- way too big for most dry flies. Second, I forgot to mention in the first post, that weaving and wrapping thin copper wire through the hackle from the bottom of the lure helps keep the hackle attached.



Each of the materials in the hand tied jigs are sort of flimsy on their own, but when combined properly they make a sturdy jig.



A slip bobber is simply a bobber, (strike indicator) that is comprised of a hollow tube and the float. {The bobber can slide down your line for easy casting, and you use a small slip knot in your line to stop the bobber at a predetermined depth. You use this bobber so that you can fish deep with a bobber, and still cast easily since the slip knot easily passes through the guides of your pole and into your spool.} I just cut the hollow tube for the body of the squid jig. (I use the float to be used later as a strike indicator for nymphing for trout in fast streams.)



I'm an hour from the ocean, so I'll let you know how the peacock herl works on my next excursion. Copper wire should hold her together- but we'll see what the squid say...



Jigmaker

[Mr_Willy]

Hey jigmaker.

Have always wanted to make my own jags. Will have to look at your method and see what i can come up with!

Cheers for sharing that with us!

Nathan

[glen]

jimaker, if you can post a photo of your jigs that would be great. thanks, glen