How to tie your kip and squirrel tails super duper

[Shoemoo]

Squirrel and calf tail are both hard, slick hair. If you tie them in like marabou, you'll end up with a big that loses half its tail or comes apart after the first couple of fish. So tie them in like this:



Presuming you're right handed, it helps if you grab the clump with your right hand and twist it into a coil, then clip it off with the left. That way you don't have to switch hands with a clump of loose hair. Stroke the butts to remove the short hair.

Throw some loose wraps over the butt end and pull the clump until the length is what you want. Put some glue on the butts to keep them from slipping down the shank.

Flip the jig over and do the top of you want a bicolor. Once you finish, the jig won't fall apart on you.

 

[sticksteer]

i'll give that a try, squirell is bad to spin in the shank for sure,

 

[CrappieHappy]

May have to try that. Stacy, after you get the length you want are you just folding the clump over towards the hookshank?

 

[toadfrog]

That used to be the way I tied my thread body minnows To build up the main body before I tapered back to the hook point . Won't take as much thread that way Shoemoo is right those suckers don't come apart .

 

[Shoemoo]

May have to try that. Stacy, after you get the length you want are you just folding the clump over towards the hookshank?

Yes, once you have the hair the length you want, put a few tight wraps and glue the butts. That prevents the clump from sliding down the shank when you tie in your second clump or neck. Then fold over and wrap over it to make your thread neck.

One of the best parts about this method is you don't have a bunch of stray hair butts sticking out from under the collar.

Sorry about the large size of the pic. Didn't realize it was so huge and I don't have access to a PC at the moment to resize it.

 

[CrappieHappy]

May have to try that. Stacy, after you get the length you want are you just folding the clump over towards the hookshank?

Yes, once you have the hair the length you want, put a few tight wraps and glue the butts. That prevents the clump from sliding down the shank when you tie in your second clump or neck. Then fold over and wrap over it to make your thread neck.

One of the best parts about this method is you don't have a bunch of stray hair butts sticking out from under the collar.

Sorry about the large size of the pic. Didn't realize it was so huge and I don't have access to a PC at the moment to resize it.

Thanks, that pic makes it easy on these old eyes.....

 

[AtticaFish]

Good way to show the technique. I tie some bucktail that way as well. The hair is going to break before it ever falls out.

 

[Pup]

The hair is going to break before it ever falls out.

AF makes a great point. Even with synthetics, hair breaks, tears, or just wears out. I have a friend who fishes my hair jigs religiously and he informs me that they lose their hair as he catches hundreds of cold water bass (it's the fisherman...believe me) with them. So, it's not too bad of a problem to have. Just tie more as needed.

 

[LedHed]

Ditto on the bucktail - works great for saltwater jigs. Thnx for sharing Shoemoo.

I use pieces of, different diameters, silicon tubing (with a vertical slit cut into the tip) to push the hair back. Good for pushing hackle back also.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Good idea, will try. Thanks Shoe.