New Oregonian

[Fin and Fur]

I have found myself in a quest to catch big browns and bows on jigs in my local river this winter.  So I  blew the dust off the old vice the other night and tried some concepts I was thinking about.  I haven't tied flies in probably 10 years and jigs have their own little quirks.  Found this forum and looks like I'm kinda going down right track.  I liked what I saw here so I registered.  I'm not a forum guy but this is the best one I've seen, so congrulations on a real help and idea forum.  I'm sure I will learn new and different techniques, and plan on contributing some as well.

 

[Fin and Fur]

Some pictures of my tied but untested products of my imagination.View attachment 9View attachment 1View attachment 3

 

[AllenOK]

Welcome from Michigan!

Wish I could help with your Trout jig questions, but I'm not much of a Trout person, at this time. However, your jigs look nice. Looks to me like you've already found out how nice Rabbit Zonkers are.

 

[Fin and Fur]

Yes, I love the action of the zonker strips. When I tied flies and fly fished the zonker pattern was my go to fly. I'll have to dig out the mylar tubing and do that pattern on a jig head.

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[joe]

It'll be interesting to hear (and see) what you learn in this new endeavor with applications to trout. Sometimes, patterns that were so-so on flytackle take on a whole new life and effectiveness when tied to heavier jigheads. There's only so much one can push in materials and dimensions with flycastable weights, but bump that up on jigheads with spinning tackle and we have an entirely different critter to sell 'em.

Your craw double tails are proven, what really interests me are the leggy and buggy stuff when jigheaded and worked in trout waters. Way different action and independence from current than the typical beadhead nymphs. Presentationally, it's quite versatile with better depth and speed control in current.

Once you start crossing tackle types (fly & spinning) and bring it to the vise, one spirals even deeper into the tying disease...and it's really cool!

 

[Jig Man]

Looks like the trout are in trouble....

And welcome from west Texas..

 

[Hawnjigs]

Are your leggy ties for float n fly? Look like they might be hard to cast without assist weight on spinning gear. They certainly look buggy, which always works for trout, observing that flyguys outfish my jigs most of the time. But in my local stocker lake, #4 hook jigs between 1/12 - 1/8 oz. get less dink harassment, while still attracting an occasional chunk rainbow.

Indeed, heavier jigs sometimes have an advantage over nearly weight neutral flies in deeper current.

Your trout must be sizeable considering the size of your zonker jigs? Mine top out at 1-3/4" head to tail.

 

[hookup]

I've caught trout on your buggy looking jigs

And another on the board is big on zonked strip jigs for trout

I'm sure you'll do good

 

[Fin and Fur]

The leggy jigs (some stonefly esque) are going to be float and fly/jig with a slip float I'm thinking. Pools are 6-8' deep and boulder strewn. The larger zonker/clouser and leach styles will be actively jigged. 1/8 heads and 3" curly tails got me started in this quest as I got chase from a 24" pig. I'm targeting fish over 14".

 

[Fin and Fur]

Zonker pattern

 

[Fin and Fur]

Try that again. Zonker pattern View attachment 8

 

[Fin and Fur]

Clouser + spinner? Thoughts on mid shank spinner or at bend?

 

[joe]

Clouser + spinner? Thoughts on mid shank spinner or at bend?

Test in the water (actual fishing angles) and see which attachment point spins best without interference from the dressing.  Or vortices from the water moving around the jig, it can be tricky to predict at the vise at first.

Used to make spinners like this and tail spins worked best with short bodied ties whereas belly/underbody spin attachment points almost always did better actionwise with clean (no material) bellies and only an upper wing.  Some of it depends on the size and angle of the swivel and how far from the material it holds the spinner on a retrieve.

When in doubt or question, hit the water with several variations of a new idea and see.  Small spinner blades are tricky, they like unimpeded personal space to dance in.  Tub testing works to a certain extant, but it's hard to get the angles, falls, and speed in a bathtub that represent real fishing scenarios.

 

[Fin and Fur]

Thank you for the info on your trials and tribulations. I am sure there is some scientific fomula for the placement, but what fun is that. Plus as you stated the variable to that equation would be A thru Y, and probably an equation to figure each variable...too much BS.

I'll stick to the tried and true trial and error. Plus what I like may not be what the next guy likes, but more importantly what the big browns and bows want. They might like it one way one day and different the next. That's why we do this, right?

 

[joe]

  Plus as you stated the variable to that equation would be A thru Y, and probably an equation to figure each variable...too much BS.

Yeah...especially when you start playing with Colorado through Willowleaf and realize one can get away with different material styles against different blades.  Slip a willow or French on the split ring up there and note the difference in spin space used.  

Fishing vertically from a boat, I think one can get away with most anything on jig spins.  It's the non-vertical retrieve angles that convolute things.