[Uncle Grump]

Hi all

Been lurking for a while - time to jump in.....

I've been tinkering at making my own jigs for the last 6-8 months - nothing real fancy yet - but I'm more interested in function than anything else.

I've been looking at the stuff I've store bought vs what I can tie....

Many of my store bought hair jigs are wrapped w/ chenile - and I am stumped on how to 'tie it off' once I get it wrapped around the hook shank up to the head.

I've used thread - the same color as the chenile, and it works - but there has to be some thing else....

Thanks much


UG

[Mac10]

I use a thread collar to tie it off as being the standard way of doing it.....tying the back on first, running the thread by wrapping it forward and catching the chenille when it comes forward and then making a thread collar over it for about 1/8 to 3/16 inch.... Chenille wraps are great for holding scent if you use scent at all.

Instead of using the same color, you may want to use red thread.....adding a little red to the overall tie is a good idea in my book....my opinion. Sometimes just a contrasting color sets it off nicely as well, for example a black collar on a light colored chenille gives the best of both worlds concerning catching a fish's eye at the onset.

Hope this helps, Mac

[Brian_Va]

Chenille is real good at covering up thread.If you de-manufacture a jig, you'll see a lot of times nothing more than few wraps and a couple of half hitches. Thats all I do myself, considering the life of a jig, whats it really worth? If I did some for a customer I'd go a bit further with a dab of head cement, but thats it. If I was doing calftail or bucktail, I'd finish with a whip finish.

[Fatman]

Learn how to whip finish by hand or a large saltwater size whip finisher.

[LedHed]

Welcome Uncle Grump
This is a method I use for chenille;
To tie on chenille – strip off a ¼” of the fluff and tie the exposed thread (tag) to the shank of the hook. Wrap thread forward to the hook eye or jig head (whatever you are tying). Wrap your chenille, around the hook, forward to the thread.
To finish the tie - wrap the thread over the chenille twice and then once under the chenille then tie a half hitch. Cut the chenille leaving a 1/8” tag. Clean off the fluff up to the double wrap, over wrap the tag end with your thread, and whip finish. This method leaves a cleaner – flatter tie off. Before you whip finish – try tying in a wet hackle (big plus for added action) around the neck.
Hope it makes sense..

[Spike-A-Pike]

Originally Posted by Mac10

I use a thread collar to tie it off as being the standard way of doing it.....tying the back on first, running the thread by wrapping it forward and catching the chenille when it comes forward and then making a thread collar over it for about 1/8 to 3/16 inch.... Chenille wraps are great for holding scent if you use scent at all.

Instead of using the same color, you may want to use red thread.....adding a little red to the overall tie is a good idea in my book....my opinion. Sometimes just a contrasting color sets it off nicely as well, for example a black collar on a light colored chenille gives the best of both worlds concerning catching a fish's eye at the onset.

Hope this helps, Mac

Mac has shown me a few neat tricks... His tutorial in the Member Submitted Tutorials, explains a cleaver method of pulling the thread under the wraps giving a jig a very clean look.

Making Swim Jigs

Thanks again Mac.

[LedHed]

UG

Take a basic fly tying class is probably the easiest and best way to really get into tying jigs. You will learn knots, techniques, and all about materials and their characteristics. If you can tie a wooly bugger – you can tie any kind of jig (IMO). You want to do fnf jigs – learn to tie streamers. Look up a local fly shop and give them a buzz – I’m sure they will hook you up. Out here Bass Pro offer classes.

An alternative to chenille, much easier to tie off, is dubbing. Or peafowl hurl - a real favorite. I like using the stuff from around the eye, real buggy green with a lot of iridescence.
Dubbing technique is pretty easy and is the tyers choice – loop, spin, wax, no wax….
There are a lot of new and different materials (crystal flash) used in both dubbing and chenille.

[Jake3]

Heres my jig that I use :

[Fatman]

Are you using collared jig heads??? I see alot of thread wrap near the living rubber tails and the chenile looks really big for that size head.

If you have a lead collar cut some of them off down to the hook and extend the chenile for the body.

Fatman

[Jake3]

Yes its collared and i also tie on noncollared ones too.
The fatter chenile is sometimes better for bigger gills and crappie