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[Suther]

I have a random pick of 1/4oz jigs. Not jims jigs but same idea.

The hooks seem pretty flimsy, I'm guessing I shouldn't use these for salmon?
I see lots of jigs like this in the store, but they all have flimsy wire hooks. What would you use these for?

Spawn sack I will take that vise! I don't get out to chilliwack that often but I should be out that way sometime in the next 3-4 weeks. Email me at mattsutherland000@yahoo.ca

[HOOK]

Suther where are you located ?

I have a lot of tying stuff and while I don't tie jigs I can sit down with you and explain and show you several of the materials you would use and when/why/how they are different. I also have at least one old vise lying around your welcome to have. I unfortunately just donated a buttload of materials and tools to a kids fly tying club otherwise I would have had tools as well

If you want good jig hooks I suggest you pony up a bit more cash and buy them from Bentrods. his are top quality and you wont regret buying them

the wall is only salmon/steelhead materials  (each peg is 8" long)




I am located in Langley near Army & Navy

[Suther]

I am in port moody. When I have some free time I would love to take you up on that offer! I was planning on buying my supplies online most likely...

I saw some hooks without jigheads, that you tie a bead on with a pin through it... anyone use this style? Obviously they are more time consuming, but I figure they give more choices for a final product?

Also what weight(s) should I focus on?  I was figuring 1/4oz but I don't know for sure...

[MoeJKU]

I prefer the ones without the jig heads on the hook. You can choose to buy better quality hooks, which would solve your problem of flimsy hooks. Also i like to have the option to paint my jig heads, or leave them silver/gold/copper. etc. I second the jig kit from bent rods he uses quality hooks as well as jig heads.
Their are other companies that i use because their variety for bead heads, but i can't give all my secrets away.

[Suther]

I prefer the ones without the jig heads on the hook. You can choose to buy better quality hooks, which would solve your problem of flimsy hooks. Also i like to have the option to paint my jig heads, or leave them silver/gold/copper. etc. I second the jig kit from bent rods he uses quality hooks as well as jig heads.
Their are other companies that i use because their variety for bead heads, but i can't give all my secrets away.

I specifically liked how I could buy an assortment of sizes and colors of hooks and beads, so I could create just about any combo I wanted.

I assume you can paint any jig head if you really wanted... Just seems silly to buy one painted just to paint it differently.

With a quick look at Bent Rod's site, I dont like the lack of detail they give about their products. Might be that I didn't look hard enough, but that just seems like retail 101 - detail wtf your selling...

[HOOK]

Rod Toth (owner of Bentrods) isn't in the business to give his secrets away either. He would rather you buy his jigs or jig kits rather than tell you how to make them, that's business 101. We are all well aware he makes quality stuff and does a lot of field testing finding colour combos that work.


Rod does offer a jig tying class but Im not sure how often or cost

best stuff would be the hook, pin, bead separate from each other which is how good jig hook sets should be. ones with the lead head attached always seem to be on flimsy hooks and designed more for trout, course fish than salmon/steelhead

when picking your materials your better off doing it in person. I dig through and open packages all the time looking for the better stuff, each package is not created equal when it comes to feathers/fur

email me and we will try and set something up.


EDIT - Rod is top notch ! here is a link where he almost holds your hand in how to tie a jig 

http://bentrods.ca/steelhead-jigs-salmon-jigs/how-to-create-your-own-jigs

[MoeJKU]

Yes Rod is great i ended up buying jigs off him to start and now i tie my own. He is a wealth of knowledge, and trust me his jigs are made from top notch materials.

[3/16ths]

I'll second the opinion about using Rod's hook kits.  The main reason for me is that the material the hooks are made from is about double the gauge of anything else in the size class.  They are made by Matzuo I believe and come sharp as hell.

[Ian Forbes]

It all depends on what you are fishing for and where you are fishing. Fishing the Columbia for walleye is entirely different than fishing the coastal rivers for steelhead or salmon.  Are you fishing for bass and sunfish or trout in a lake? Bead head chironomids are basically just small jigs and they are fished under a bobber like bait.

Like others have said, it is hard to beat marabou in the various colours from hot pink to subtle shades of olive. Cheap body feathers can replace the most expensive genetic hackle necks for jigs. You don't need a lot of materials if you are willing to experiment. The only secret is learning to tie a whip finish knot to finish the flure. And, that is pretty much what "jigs" are... they are a cross between lures and flies. The basics of fly tying can be learned in one night if taught by a good tier. I don't know where you live, but there are group tying nights in various locations throughout the province. I learned entirely on my own over 65 years ago. There were no books or mentors to help.

[Suther]

When would I want a 60 degree eye vs a 90?

[Animal Chin]

1/8th oz jigs work well for floating, or even lighter if you can find them.

Like many others have mentioned get a few of Bent Rod's jigs for comparison and his hook kit to tie your own. Save yourself some time and aggravation. Those thick gauge sickle hooks are awesome.

Though if you think about it. At $3.50 a pop, it may actually be not that much more expensive to buy Rod's jigs at the store vs tying, for me it is after all said and done, but I like doing my own for the ego.

His jigs are pretty good. If for whatever reason you don't like doing as others, owner jig hooks from SeaRun are really good too. Not cheap though. The class at Sea Run is excellent...tying marabou and schlappen to a lesser extent is a bitch.

Any of you use cheap dollar store nail polish to color jigs with success.. catching fish that is.

[Gooey]

I have been fishing/tieing jigs for over a decade...must be doing something right as I hooked 3 species and over 10 fish on them yesterday.  Not to mention a fisher thought they were Bentrod jigs...shucks i'm blushing now

Anyhow, here's what I can tell you:
- bead heads are not good for twitching/spin casting because that are too light.  The pin/bead heads are great for jigs under a float.
- 1/4 is a good alround size, 3/8 is pretty heavy for dead water pools.  I carry 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2.
- my best jigs are copies of productive coho fly patterns...dont reinvent the wheel, copy what works
- marabou is my favorite material...I think it give the best result.  Learn to PALMER the marabou (wrap opposed to tie flat)...a hackle tool helps immensely
- I don't think a painted head does anything more than impress the fisher!  If you disagree, I have some powder paint I am selling
- tie a variety of colors for different conditions
- use a good hook...no point in spending the time tieing them if they are dull and miss fish or if they bend out.
- if you can tie a fly, know the different materials, and can whip finish then I think a class is pointless.

[HOOK]

you can learn almost anything related to fly tying on YouTube 

instead of searching for jig tying tips be more specific with your search and look under fly tying stuff.

example - palmering/wrapping marabou, Schlappen, how to whip finish by hand..........etc.

any skill you need for tying jigs is the same for tying flies


Suther - let me know if you have any free time sometime soon if you still need some help

[Suther]

Rod Toth (owner of Bentrods) isn't in the business to give his secrets away either. He would rather you buy his jigs or jig kits rather than tell you how to make them, that's business 101. We are all well aware he makes quality stuff and does a lot of field testing finding colour combos that work.

Actually, with some more searching on his site I found the info I was looking for.

Also, what do you mean he isn't in the business to give his secrets away? I was just told by a bunch of people to look for a class taught by him... Isn't teaching a class exactly that - a business? Where he gives away some of his secrets to tying a good jig?!

[Spawn Sack]

I've been to one of Rod's jig tying seminars. He did pretty much give away his secrets. He took several of his popular jigs and showed us how he ties them. I bought the materials, went home and tied them, and yes they look pretty much the identical to a BR jig you'd buy off the shelf. Sometimes I'll go on his website, see a jig I like the color combo of, and copy it and tie the same ones.

BR jig hooks are very good and I think he knows that if you don't buy his premade jigs them you'll likely buy some of his hooks. In addition he just seems like a really decent guy who likes teaching and sharing his knowledge of jig tying/fishing.

BR jig hooks are pricey. Owner and gammagatsu jig hooks are also good I use them all. Check out ebay etc for hooks you can score some good deals if you buy in bulk.

If you still want that vise Suther lemme know kcp@alumni.sfu.ca.

I am looking for some new ideas for jig ties so I think I'll throw a thread up on that