Jig Head hooks

**wwelz** · 01-20-2009, 06:25 PM

I have been tying flies on Jig Head hooks for a while. I like the way they drift with the hook point up (less snags) . The hooks come in sizes based on weight 1/124 to 1/80 . There are three finishes gold ,nickel and plain lead . I paint the plain lead. The paint lasts about as long as the flies do. One downside is that the hook itself is not very good quality . I have done well fishing these flies indicator and Euro - Nymphing .

**AaronJasper** · 01-20-2009, 07:48 PM

I was at the same show last weekend tying fly and I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking to Charles Jardine for quite some time. I got to look in a few of his boxes of weighted flies and hee had a ton and I mean a ton of nymphs tied on jig hooks. he had some very intersting ties in there are well. Some of the flies tied on jigs were quite small as well.

On a side note he had a good amount of flies tied with fl orange and green tungsten beads.

I took a very good mental picture of that fly box. I also tied a few nymps from fly tying and fishing 2nd edition and they look very nice to say the least.

**Davyfly** · 01-20-2009, 09:01 PM

wwelze,

Not sure what brand of jig hooks you are using, I suspect the Wapsi brand, all be it may be marketed under a different name. If you are having problems with the hooks bending out, which at times is a advantage when fishing craggy bottoms, most time you can pull the hook free and bend it back again with no problem.

I have jig hooks way smaller than 1/24th, about 1/2 ins long, not easy to find to day, but l do know of a source.
No doubt they have a place, there are some who consider using jigs is not fly fishing, BS, it is a hook profile that's it.

By the way you can obtain jig hooks without the heads, l can tell you that they are well worth using at times with the right fly tied on them.

Ok, Aaron so you sneaked a look into Charlies box, he did not show you the good one !!

DW

**AaronJasper** · 01-20-2009, 09:37 PM

Haha he told me that he is going to show me some flies as well as tie them with me. If I show people he is going to lynch me!! So the answer must be that I am slated to see it!

FK · 01-20-2009, 10:38 PM

I have made my own jig heads with fly tying hooks for many years.

Use a Mustad 3906 or 3906B hook,,,,wrap the eye shank end with unwaxed thread (I like Gudebrod size "A" rod wrapping thread).

Pinch on a small split shot, to the top of the hook shank,,,the use FishinGlue to fix the split shot to the unwaxed thread. The split shot should be offset relative to the hook shank and not central like a bead head.

The fly will now ride inverted or point/bend up.

These hooks are much stronger than the commercial 1/80 or 1/124 oz. and you can also use 94840 hooks for the very small jig head flys.

The obvious advantage over bead heads is the inverted hook presentation.

Regards,
FK

alanb_ct · 01-20-2009, 11:39 PM

I use two different jig hooks for small flies, the Knapek jig hook (60deg) and the Daiichi 4660 (90deg). Both models let you mount a slotted tungsten bead for the weighted head. The quality of both hooks is first rate. Most of the cheaper jigs are designed for small panfish and some are really cheaply made. The hooks are so weak, they can be easily bent in your fingers.

**Davyfly** · 01-21-2009, 01:21 AM

Alain, yes that is true panfish hooks, Wapsi recently had Mustad produce a new range of jig hooks for them which are strong hooks.
I will add this, l have seen some very big browns caught on the smaller jig hooks that we use here at times for fishing serious high water, often as not we have to fish shorelines over grass and all sorts of crap, fly loss is way less when we use jig hooks.

DW