Pearl Swim Jig

Although the emphasis of this blog is mostly going to be hair jig patterns, I don't think I will be able to resist posting other types of jigs and spinnerbaits I make for smallmouth bass.  Here are some pearl swim jigs I made recently.  I have been fascinated with swim jigs for a couple of years now.  Monsoor and Johnson won many tournaments on these baits before the secret was out.  Swim jigs have alot in common with hair jigs in my opinion, and they work really well for smallmouth.  

This 1/4oz swim jig is poured with a 5/0 mustad hook.  I modified my mold to hold a piece of spinnerbait wire that is .032 diameter for the soft plastic keeper which is a must for swim jigs.  I also poured this jig with a much smaller brush guard (only 8 strands).  To paint the head, I brushed on metallic pearl acrylic paint (2 coats) and then coated the jig with silver glitter nail polish.  Than I painted on the eyes and finished the head with a coat of devcon 2-ton epoxy and let it dry overnight.  

I like my swim jigs tied with only one silicone skirt tab (20 strands) as opposed to the two found on those in stores.  Like a good hair jig, the less material the better.  Below is a picture of one silicone skirt tab split into two pieces (10 strands each).

Tying in the first piece to one side of the jig with red thread.

Now with both sides tied it is time for some pearl flashabou.  I cut about 8-10 strands and then fold them over the thread before tying them down to the underside of the jig.

The next step is tie off with a whip finished knot and trim the silicone.

The result of my efforts.

The Original Doll Fly

I was able to score a couple of the original doll flies off ebay recently and thought I would share a picture of one.  Doll flies had a head that is most similar to what is now called a peanut or walleye style head and were tied with polar bear hair.  Polar bear hair is known for having a shimmering translucent quality in water and was the best material for baitfish imitations.  The material, however, is no longer legal unless you have proof that the hides were legally obtained prior to 1972 and is thus very difficult to obtain.  Finn raccoon guard hairs and skunk hair are the closest imitations to polar bear hair in that they have a similar reflective properties in water.  

White Bucktail Fly

Here is a hair jig inspired by the old school doll fly.  I really like some of the color schemes they use to use.  Particularly the yellow head with white hair and the white head with yellow hair.  The latter combination is still a well-known wintertime favorite on Dale Hollow tied on an aspirin head with craft fur.  The flies pictured below are tied with white bucktail.  I have tried to maintain the original doll fly's simplicity in this version.  A small, highly visible bait fish imitation is the goal with this one.  

I started by pouring a 1/8 oz walleye head jig with recessed eyes poured on a size 1 Matzuo sickle bend hook. I really like this hook because it is a cheap nickel-plated hook with a very thin diameter and sharp point that bends open easily for snags.  

I then powder painted the jig heads fluorescent yellow and baked them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  I find on the lighter jigs (1/8 oz and below), I can powder paint reasonably well without using my fluid bed.

This jig is tied with a sparse amount of white bucktail.  I wanted the length of the bucktail to be slightly less than twice the length of the hook shank.

For eyes, I decided against holographic stick on eyes for this jig.  Instead I opted for white and black acrylic paint which I feel gives the jig a more classy look.  The jigs then got a coat of devcon 2-ton epoxy to seal both the head and the wrap.

By the next morning, the epoxy had dried to a glassy finish.  Again, the finished fly is very simple.  A small, highly visible minnow imitation that smallmouth can track down from a far.

A few pictures...

Here are a few pictures of smallmouth I have caught over the past couple of years.  While I don't think I will use this blog to post my outings, you can find my fishing reports in the forum section of the website www.smalljaw.com.  I would definitely check it out if you ever plan to make a trip to Dale Hollow lake.

The focus of this blog...

For some time now I have wanted to start a blog detailing the hair jig patterns I tie for chasing smallmouth bass on Dale Hollow Lake.  Tying has truly become a passion of mine over the past several years and is perhaps the most gratifying aspect of my angling experience.  I have found that there is simply nothing better than catching fish on my own creations.  While there are plenty of websites dedicated to tying for fly fisherman, few exist for anglers who fish hair jigs on conventional tackle.  By sharing my ideas on this blog I hope to help add to the limited information out there as well as inspire others to try their hand at this rewarding hobby.