Realistic fly tying, is worth trying to do with jigs?

[smalljaw]

First of all I really like this site, I've learned a lot in a short time. As I learn I look for some inspiration on the net and found, by accident, a trend of realistic fly ties. These are more like works of art than something used to fish with, the insects they represent are spot on to the point it looks as if they have been alive and killed with raid, glued on a hook, posed and then coated with a thin layer of epoxy. I want to know if you guys think that making a realistic looking jig like those flies, would be good to use? I'm sure they catch fish but would they work so well that it would make regular tying obsolete? It looks tedious but it also looks like a lot of thread use to make one fly, I couldn't imagine using a spool of thread to do 2 or 3 jigs. Take a look at it and see if you think it could be good for jigs.

 

[SaltyBuckster]

They would be worth doing until you got one hung up and lost it,lol.

 

[LedHed]

Too much time! Would rather be fishing.

 

[Fatman]

Alot of the guys I know on the fly boards only tie them for show. With the labor involved tie something simple that works. If you want hopper legs know fibers on a pheasant tail feather.

They really look good but I sure wouldn't want to lose them.

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

I've heard of some of these tyers spending 400 hours on one creation. Someone has way too much time on their hands. If you can tie something in minutes that catches fish then that's what I'd do. None of my jigs take longer than 5 minutes to tie and I believe they'll catch fish if I don't put it in a tree on my first cast. Regular tying would never become obsolete. I think size,color and presentation are more critical in getting fish to bite,not making an exact artificial duplicate of the real thing.

 

[AtticaFish]

I have spent alot of time on a few individual ties before - start out with gusto thinking i have 'the next great thing' but by the time i finish and look at it i can't bear to even put it in the box that goes to the lake/river with me. They are fun to make but i'd have to go swimming if i hung it where the fishes live. Or become part squirrel if i put it in a tree like JungleJim seems to do.

If you spend a few hours on a single tied jig and find out it IS the next great thing....... i'll take 2.

Would bet 95% of the time i am moving my jigs at a decent pace (depending on target species) so always figure if it is the right color and shape and is acting half way right that the fish won't ever get a good enough view of what it actually is.

 

[quivira kid]

If that is what gets you off, I say go for it. I don't buy into the diehard match-the-hatch mentality, and tend to like to be impressionistic MOST of the time. If if looks like food, most of the time they will eat it. I have had VERY picky wild trout eat my white or pink strike indicator more than once!

 

[hookup]

I have spent hours perfecting a jig that catches river small mouth but not hours tieing it.

 

[jiggerjohn]

I've read that Lefty Kreh, perhaps the leading name among today's fly fisherman, won't use a fly that takes him much longer than 3 minutes to tie! Bob Clouser is the same way with most his famed "weighted flies" : I once asked Bob how he handled the fly elitist remarks that his world famous "deep Minnow" fly was not all that elaborate or realistic-Bob just laughed and said, "Yeah, but I tie what actually WORKS!"

 

[StumpHunter]

I have to agree with all the others. If I'm going to fish with it I don't want to spend hours tying it. I do enjoy working on some smaller flies but it only takes time because my fingers are to big. Nothing wrong with tying em if you enjoy doing the work but I wouldn't want to fish with or lose one.

 

[Winnebago John]

"Realistic fly tying, is worth trying to do with jigs" Well if it wasn't people wouldn't go to great lengths to create a site called Jig Craft. How far you want to take it is all up to you. Have fun and if your guessing its not worth it, its probably not.