Great article from Bob Bohland: Well, the weather hasn’t gotten any better over the last few days, and while long term forecast isn’t showing any promise, my tinkering has increased tenfold. While I have played a lot with different guide configurations with the new micro guides I am putting on my new “Black Cherry” panfish rod, my interest, as of late, has been on different materials for jig and fly tying.
While I have my personal favorites, it is always fun to experiment with new materials. One new material I really like for natural colors is dog fur. Yes, you read that correctly. When I am tying flies or jigs and need some more natural colors, I will clip a bit of hair off of one of my dog’s tails. There is a ridiculous amount of different materials available for tying jigs. But like other aspects of fishing, you can keep it simple or make it as difficult as your experience level dictates.
The terminology in tying your own jigs can be a little goofy (like most fishing subcultures) so here is a quick rundown of some of the more popular materials to get you started:
Kiptail: This is tail hair from a calf, though there are other substitutes that are used. It can be found dyed in a lot of different colors, is relatively inexpensive, is common and is easy to work with. The downside for jigs is that it does not have a lot of movement in water, so if you want a lot of action on your jig, this might not be the material for you. Continue reading….
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