Less is more, bob clouser and tiny torpedoes

[bombora]

I still do it. Swear I'm gonna tie very sparse tales for clearwater saltwater fishing here. Reminded yet again by Jiggerjohn's facinating insight into early jigging and how Bob Clouser's super sparse minnow tie brought questions of if it was even finished yet!
I still end up with quite thick tales mostly despite my vows. Yet I know our baitfish are very slim. I've given up fighting my weakness and now usually slow bottom, or near bottom, jig with these 1/8th ultra minnow heads until the tail thins a bit through nasty teeth. Then they get used for baby pelgics.
And the best colour by far is white!
View attachment 5
Took advantage of a miracle blue sky day and found some frigate mackeral in the dirty water in the harbour.
The ratty looking jig above fooled a little speedster with Sydney's CBD in the background.
View attachment 6
They are a true tuna and are related to your false albacore (which are also here) but a monster would be 3 pound and this was a classic average frigate of a pound and a bit. Super fun on 4 pound ultralight spin gear.
So, anyway, after all that, just wanted to ask are those brilliant little crappie jigs with just the single feather tail also a case of less is more, or something else behind them?

 

[toadfrog]

Tying thin tails is sort of about time of year and location . Winter is when I use thin tails . Just a sprig of hair or feather . Hence the name sprig jig . From pond to pond , lake to lake or state to state fishing each location is a little different because of so many weather patterns and varied types waterways . Yes sometimes less is better you just have to know your area .

 

[CrappieHappy]

very nice...

 

[jiggerjohn]

I talked with Bob Clouser a while back,when ordering supplies from his shop, and he laughed when I mention the thin bucktail tails that he sells (his famous Deep Minnow fly) and has photographed in his books. " If you think they're thin,you should see the ones I tie for MYSELF," laughed Bob, "my own personal ones are so skimpy of bucktail that NO ONE would ever buy one!". And Bob agreed, when working saltwater, all you ever need is white! For an experiment he went to NC on several long saltwater missions and took nothing but white flies-did better than ever!

But ,I KNOW, the tying of bucktail or kiptail is near impossible for some of us to tie ultra thin!! I almost have to buy someone else's to get a nice skinny pattern!! One time I "sorta" tied some great,long skinny patterns -I'd obtained some legal , natural polar bear hair(translucent white) and had to stretch that small supply out -hence very skimpy ties -they were deadly down at the Outer Banks !

 

[Fatman]

There's a rule of thumb in fly tying about dubbing for bodies - This can apply to hair for tails also so write this down and post over your bench.

"Whatever you take for dubbing, split it in half then split it in half again" is a really general rule so your bodies don't look hugh, change dubbing to bucktail and follow it.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Ah, so thats why trout still hammered my shredded minkies...

Also interesting that shad darts can be fished bolohead - now that's a skinny tie!

Hawaiian lesson - "bolohead" is a bald head, and also a fruitless fishing session.

 

[jiggerjohn]

In "Flyfishing the Tidewaters" by Tom Earnhardt, he reports that famed guide, Captain Dennis Hammond has tremendous success on false albacore with a no 4 hook dressed with a mere dozen bucktail hairs tied to the shank with red nylon thread. It is an inch and a half in length, no eyes, no flash ! Can't get any skimpier or simpler than that!!

 

[blt]

I have heard that saying ever since I started to make bucktails. Read it on many web sites that this is his position, but you can't make customers believe that lol. Then again, it is America, and more/bigger/faster is better.

I should go meet him, he only lives about 20-25 minutes from me, and I hear he loves to talk/share info.

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

Thanks for the info,more stuff to tie and play with. On some of my flash ducks, it seems like the thinner they get after catching some fish and losing some of the feather the better the fishing gets. In some cases using shad darts the only thing left was the painted head with red thread and I still caught them.

 

[bombora]

PS the above were tied with Arctic Fox, love it and thin tie has translucent qualities too, magic for clear water. It's good to know its a common curse.
Hey Jiggerjohn I may have to use your method: limit my supplies so am forced to tie sparse!!
Toadfrog now I know what a sprig jig is.
Blt you should!
And Hawn I should try to get bolohead adopted here. Got a few mates who are a bit lacking upstairs I might spring it on!

 

[AtticaFish]

I have a hard time keeping my ties 'thin' as well. But other times i want them thicker in an attempt to deaden the action. Guess it depends. The single hackle tail on alot of the crappie jigs you see does make an extremely thin tail when the jig is on the move.

Love that last picture...... beautiful colors in that fish and the big city in the background!

 

[LedHed]

smokin tyes bombora - excellent jigs

 

[bombora]

Thanks Led. Attica I love the oil on water/mother of pearl and metallic colours of little tunas. Just way cool little fish!!!