Hair Swim Jigs - The latest Ties!

[bigjim5589]

These are the latest jigs that I've tied. Basic baitfish type of hair jigs, tied with a combination of bucktail and Arctic Fox tail hair. There's a little pearl flash in them also, and the heads are molded on 2/0 VMC Barbarian hooks. 

The first photo are 3/8 oz, the second is 3/16 oz, and 1/4 oz for the third. The last photo is a 3/8 oz jig tied with all bucktail. Same hook in that one too, but a different thread used.

[Capt. BassinLou]

Those look good  bigjim, thanks for sharing.

[Wizard]

Good looking ties, Sir. If you mix some gray hairs into the top quarter of the bait with the white threads, you would have a realistic Gizzard Shad pattern.

Wizard

[caddyjoe77]

those are awesome.  Gonna get ahold of you soon and get some from you

[bigjim5589]

Thanks Lou!

Wizard, thank you also! These were tied for someone who asked for all white. I agree with you about the gray back, I've done that before. Over the years, a few color combinations have been very productive for me, with flies and hair jigs, and gray over white has been one of them. Olive colors over white has also been a good combination since various baitfish have an olive color to their backs. Sometimes shades of brown and tan over white are very good.

Then of course there's chartreuse over white, and I have no idea what that represents, but it does seem to get good reactions! 

[Wizard]

Color is an iffy thing. What we see and what a bass sees could be very different. My best color at LOZ is Yellow Perch. The lake has none and the closest perch is 400 miles to the north. Go figure!

Wizard

[bigjim5589]

Color is an iffy thing. What we see and what a bass sees could be very different. My best color at LOZ is Yellow Perch. The lake has none and the closest perch is 400 miles to the north. Go figure!

Wizard

I don't know how many times I've said that in discussions, particularly to fly anglers. I firmly believe in the concept of "matching the hatch", in attempting to use imitations that mimic the forage, but there is more to that than simply color. 

Funny that you mention Yellow Perch. I've done well with lures in that pattern, in some places that I used to fish, although there was Yellow Perch in those waters. There's an old fly pattern called Yellow Perch that has been a good fly for bass in the MD tidal rivers that I used to fish. I don't recall ever seeing them in bellies of fish that I've kept however.

Same with Fire Tiger, it's a great color pattern, but seemed to produce better in specific waters. I've always done well with "Baby Bass" in a variety of types of lures, and with flies I've tied. However, as you said, what we believe it looks like, and what a bass or any other fish may take them to be, isn't necessarily the same thing. Various baitfish and game fish types are similar in color to a bass. I've come to the conclusion, that it doesn't matter what they mistake them to be, it only matters that they'll grab them, and if bass or other fish may mistake a fly or lure that I use for possibly multiple things they may eat, even better and that improves the chances they'll grab them.

Your suggestion of gray over white being a good imitation for Shad I believe is very true, but here again Shad are not the only forage that may be that color, and always possible it's a productive color, even where there are no Shad.

I do like to experiment with colors even though I know that color is not the only variable that should be considered. These are some skirt materials I've been using and recently have combined them, just as they are here with the olive/purple over the other. It looks good in the water, but what do you see?

I see that it could look like a crayfish, with an olive color to it's back, and the other colors on it's shell. But, I also see it might look like some of the various members of the Sunfish family. Again, it doesn't matter what the fish see here, it only matters that they're willing to grab it. This skirt material has pretty good movement too.  I hope it produces, and expect it will, but I need to fish it more to find out.

[Oldfart9999]

I tied a few silicone skirts with "sand", "pb &j" and they did fairly well, an old favorite is black hair with purple silicone tied under first.
Those look great Jim!!!
Rodney

[bigjim5589]

Thanks Rodney!


I keep a comment in mind that Denny Brauer said in a video he did about fishing jigs. He said pick a color, any of them work. He certainly knows how to fish a jig, and that comment sums it up very well.

I tend to use anything in the greenpumpkin or watermelon range or black, and also use white, but still will try anything. Most colors are more for us than the fish.

With hair, black, white or brown, and I like a rusty reddish brown more than darker browns.

[Wizard]

Don't let the video fool you. Brauer had a favorite color. It was "camouflage" which he used along with black/blue. His swim jig color was all white.

Wizard

[lockinload]

OP, are you familiar with the articulating patterns of flies?  I used to tie quite a bit and may get back into it now that I am retired.  It would probably be the style I would try and tie.  Very realistic action.

[BASSCATLILDAVE]

Awesome looking. 

[bigjim5589]

Awesome looking. 

Thank you for the comment! Yes, I'm familiar with articulated flies. They're very popular now, although they've been around for a long time. They have been popular with Atlantic Salmon flies possibly since folks stated fishing for them with flies. I was tying articulated flies 30 years ago after reading about them for Atlantic Salmon flies.

I tied large size articulated "Woolly Buggers" to use for bass, but for the time involved with tying them, didn't feel they're any more productive than flies that were not articulated. It was disheartening to spend the time tying a fly like that, only to lose it to a snag, and sometimes not even catch anything with it. 

Some of the flies being tied for Steelhead now, and for fishing in Alaska are tied on "shanks", an adaptation of components used for Atlantic Salmon flies, and articulated flies. I have a friend who lives in Alaska who ties some of these more traditional/classic style Atlantic Salmon flies and he uses them for everything, even the large trout. He ties many in what is called the Spey style, and also those tied in Classic styles that have been popular in the US and Canada.

Fly Tyers in the Scandinavian countries tie articulated flies, and more classic styles of flies that are used for various fish species. They've developed entire new tying systems with some advances in components. I try to keep up with new things in fly fishing and tying, but it changes often enough it's not easy to know about all the new products, particularly those not used much here in the US.

A fellow by the name of Kelly Galloup, who owns the Slide Inn and Fly Shop on one of the famous trout rivers in Montana, has several streamer patterns that he's developed primarily for large trout, that are tied in that manner. They've become very popular for not only trout, as many use them for bass also.

I retired this year and have been doing more tying, but mostly have been tying jigs. I have several boxes full of flies already, and have not been doing much fly fishing at all. What I have done has been for panfish in the lake, and I stick with very simple and small flies for that. I plan on doing more fly fishing for bass.

As you get back into tying, if there's anything that I can help you with, just let me know! 

[lockinload]

As you get back into tying, if there's anything that I can help you with, just let me know!

Thank you Jim.  As I transition into this bassworld, not leaving fly fishing, I think once I feel comfortable with the traditional style of bass fishing I will try presentations with a fly rod.  Maybe a sinking tip and working some big bunny leaches and see if can produce something.  If that works maybe I will try my hand in some soft style articulating lures.

[bigjim5589]

As you get back into tying, if there's anything that I can help you with, just let me know!

Thank you Jim.  As I transition into this bassworld, not leaving fly fishing, I think once I feel comfortable with the traditional style of bass fishing I will try presentations with a fly rod.  Maybe a sinking tip and working some big bunny leaches and see if can produce something.  If that works maybe I will try my hand in some soft style articulating lures.

I fish for bass with any type of gear, as I also make lures of various types. I'm also not typical of a lot of folks who target bass with fly tackle. My approach is more like folks who may be chasing Striped Bass or Muskies & Pike with fly gear as I'll use flies a lot larger than the majority will use. I'll use flies that can cover the water column, even though topwater flies are the most fun to fish with. I've got fly setups in various weights, so if I want to just try and hook up with whatever bass might grab the fly, I can do that with anything from a 3 weight up to a 10 wt. I don't care for fishing real deep with fly tackle, but have done it.

I used to fish shallow tidal creeks in MD for bass, and when I started really wanting to get serious, I ended up using a 10 wt and larger flies and tossing them into Spadderdock pad fields and into downed timber. The heavy 10 wt is akin to using a heavy casting outfit with heavy braided lines, just to get even small fish out of those nasty places. It's not needed for the majority of fish I ever hooked, or the size of the flies, but does allow me to go very large now with flies when I choose, and also drag decent fish out of snags.

I live right next to Santee Cooper, so there's a lot of potential to hook a really big bass now with fly gear.

I enjoy fishing with the fly tackle the most, but it's not always a practical choice, which is why I still fish with other tackle. I enjoy fishing, and see little sense in limiting it if I don't have to do so.

The offer still stands, anything I can help you with, feel free to ask!