Flies? We don't need no stinking flies! Any tying their own trout jigs?

[Aleforme]

So I'm brand new to Fly Fishing but have been trout fishing for years with gear. I've been wanting to tie some of my own trout jigs based on some colors I know work well in some areas I fish. I tried to combine some colors and patterns to see if they will fish well. We shall see I guess. All of these are 1/8th oz Hawken Aero Jig Heads and Yakima Bait Maxi Jig heads. I mainly used spinners and spoons most of the time but a couple years ago, someone handed me a Maribou Jig and it's now my weapon of choice many days.

These are 4 of the first 5 jigs I have ever tied. The first one was a "learning" jig and will never be shown! LOL. Brand new at tying these so please excuse the amateur quality. I was just playing around with different materials and techniques. I know that Black w/ red Maribou will crush them but the others, who knows?

So, anyone else tie their own jigs?

 

[Josh]

Just this morning I was just thinking about finding myself some jig style wooly buggers.

I have no idea why there aren't more jig style flies. Especially for bass/panfish.

 

[Aleforme]

Just this morning I was just thinking about finding myself some jig style wooly buggers.

I have no idea why there aren't more jig style flies. Especially for bass/panfish.

Hawken makes some decent ones. I've had luck with them on some rivers. The Maribou style just seems to be more effective where I fish.

 

[Old406Kid]

Jig flies are one thing but IMO trying to actually jig with a sinking line sucks compared to monofilament.

 

[Aleforme]

Jig flies are one thing but IMO trying to actually jig with a sinking line sucks compared to monofilament.

Curious and because Fly fishing is extremely new to me, is it possible to jig with a fly rod/line with weighted jigs? I know there are streamers but just curious about jigging. Again, very new to this. With a spinning rod, I will fast/short jig across shallower rivers and water but then also do slow larger jigs when deeper or slow moving water.

For gear, I use a 7ft Light Action rods with braid line and 8 to 10ft flouro and mono bumpers. Usually 10lb on the braid, 6lb on the bumper/leader.

 

[Pink Nighty]

On the river this year I picked up a 1/16th pink jig out of a tree. I never tied it on, but I was considering swinging that jig. My gear buddy usually does that when I'm swinging a run, and it is successful. He uses lighter jigs for this and I'm pretty curious about trying it on the spey rod. In my head I can get a couple feet of vertical movement by just stripping/releasing line, and it should get down in the zone early in the swing.

Maybe for Springers this year....

 

[Old406Kid]

Curious and because Fly fishing is extremely new to me, is it possible to jig with a fly rod/line with weighted jigs? I know there are streamers but just curious about jigging. Again, very new to this. With a spinning rod, I will fast/short jig across shallower rivers and water but then also do slow larger jigs when deeper or slow moving water.

For gear, I use a 7ft Light Action rods with braid line and 8 to 10ft flouro and mono bumpers. Usually 10lb on the braid, 6lb on the bumper/leader.

I was more referring to stillwater at depths.
Fishing in shallower rivers is a different story.

 

[Nick Clayton]

IMO it's possible to fish flies with a fly rod/line in a manner that they will "jig", but not in a way that replicates or is as effective as what can be done with jigs on standard gear rods. I just believe it's one of those things that is flat out better done with gear.

Edited to add that I'm mostly referring to things like twitching jigs in moving water. Stillwaters, or moving waters with indicators/floats are vastly different and I don't think gear rods hold the same advantages there.

 

[Northern]

Paging @Billy ...

 

[Tom Butler]

Many of the flies we fish can be adjusted and tied on jig hooks. They hang up less in the river, or can be fished under an indicator. Drift and/or jig or strip, or chironomid chop on the lake does the work. Fulling Mills jig hooks, I like the Hanak too, maybe more.

 

[Tom Butler]

is it possible to jig with a fly rod/line with weighted jigs?

The guys comments on jigging with a fly rod match my experience. That said, with an ESN rod on a river I'm able to jig it more effectively. Expanding the lift (either actual lift or just rod pause, more like an induced take Leisenring lift) works even better. If they don't hit on the rise they take it on the fall.

 

[Aleforme]

IMO it's possible to fish flies with a fly rod/line in a manner that they will "jig", but not in a way that replicates or is as effective as what can be done with jigs on standard gear rods. I just believe it's one of those things that is flat out better done with gear.

Edited to add that I'm mostly referring to things like twitching jigs in moving water. Stillwaters, or moving waters with indicators/floats are vastly different and I don't think gear rods hold the same advantages there.

Thanks. I would agree with you on fly with indicators vs. gear with indicator/floats. I definitely brand new to fly fishing but I can't really gear having the advantage here unless we're talking larger baits/jigs.

 

[Aleforme]

Many of the flies we fish can be adjusted and tied on jig hooks. They hang up less in the river, or can be fished under an indicator. Drift and/or jig or strip, or chironomid chop on the lake does the work. Fulling Mills jig hooks, I like the Hanak too, maybe more.
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Wow, those are great. That second one with the rabbit tail and even the two in the third photos would do really well in some of the waters I fish. I need to keep that in mind. Actually, I'm sure they would all do well. I could definitely see using these with gear under a small float. I've done that with Woolly Buggers in some alpine lakes to great success. Clear water float and a black Bugger retrieved slowly.

 

[ThomasM]

Thanks. I would agree with you on fly with indicators vs. gear with indicator/floats. I definitely brand new to fly fishing but I can't really gear having the advantage here unless we're talking larger baits/jigs.

Everyone's definition of fun is different but my perspective:

A 1/8oz jig is huge and heavy when it comes to fly rods sized for trout 0-5wts. These rods are mostly optimized to cast the weight of the line and a near weightless terminal fly/lure. Casting them with big chunk (again 1/8oz is huge on a trout fly rod) will suck. Then when trying to 'jig' them in moving water, the flex of the rod works against you. They are basically the opposite of a typical 'twitching' spinning rod like we use for coho.

Twitching small crayfish patterned jigs with an ultralight spinning outfit will work great. Trying to do it with a 5wt fly rod and you'll be fighting your gear more as much as the fish.

The other thing to watch unless your jigs are originally manufactured for panfish or some such is hook size. Tiny WA trout will get a hook trough the eye with the 1/8oz jigs commonly sold here for steelhead/salmon.

 

[Aleforme]

Everyone's definition of fun is different but my perspective:

A 1/8oz jig is huge and heavy when it comes to fly rods sized for trout 0-5wts. These rods are mostly optimized to cast the weight of the line and a near weightless terminal fly/lure. Casting them with big chunk (again 1/8oz is huge on a trout fly rod) will suck. Then when trying to 'jig' them in moving water, the flex of the rod works against you. They are basically the opposite of a typical 'twitching' spinning rod like we use for coho.

Twitching small crayfish patterned jigs with an ultralight spinning outfit will work great. Trying to do it with a 5wt fly rod and you'll be fighting your gear more as much as the fish.

The other thing to watch unless your jigs are originally manufactured for panfish or some such is hook size. Tiny WA trout will get a hook trough the eye with the 1/8oz jigs commonly sold here for steelhead/salmon.

That's a good point on the hook size with some of the tiny trout we here in WA. I mainly fish jigs in larger lakes and rivers with some larger fish. If I see really small trout, I switch to really small spinners and even the Trout Magnet jig heads. Those actually work remarkably well.

 

[Billy]

Paging @Billy ...

Thanks for the Ping

To the OP:
I fish jigs for stillwater trout pretty religiously. Generally a 6 or 7 wt rod with a type 5 or 7 sinking line depending how deep I want to go. In my opinion the action is money and the trout dig it. I do use pretty heavy jigs, often 4.5 mm slotted tungsten beads. Often I get strikes on either the kill/pause or the "pump up." Sometimes they want a slow steady retrieve and sometimes ripping it. Just depends☺

 

[Aleforme]

Billy., those are amazing. These are giving me some ideas. I've got a 6wt that has pretty stiff action so I bet I could get some good actions like you have described. I haven't tried using slotted beads but curious about the weight on these? I mainly use 1/8th oz jig heads for spin fishing but guessing these are maybe 1/16 or less?

 

[Rvrfisher360]

Just this morning I was just thinking about finding myself some jig style wooly buggers.

I have no idea why there aren't more jig style flies. Especially for bass/panfish.

I have a plan this year for Whatcom. Its called twitching jig ned rigs.