What is it?

[Pup]

What is the thread/material used to make the bodies of the jigs pictured?



The maker is deceased. My initial thought is upholstery thread, but...

 

[oldfox]

A small dia. yarn? Mohair or Alpaca?

 

[CrappieHappy]

yarn....

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

My guess would be GUDEBROD nylon rod winding thread in size C or possibly larger. It was very popular with tyers years ago and came in 4 oz. spools. I have 2 or 3 colors if you are looking for some. I inherited it from a tyer years ago and don't use it. I have no idea how many yards are on a 4 oz spool but it's a lot. I just found a green spool. This stuff may have been used with a tying machine.

 

[Fatman]

X2 with Happy looks like yarn with thread wrapped over it

 

[redear]

I would dismantle one of them and see if you could unwrap some of it, would give us a much better look at it, then someone would know for sure, my eyes aren't that great but it looks like it wraps kinda flat like yarn.

 

[Pup]

I don't have the jigs in hand, so I thought I'd ask for everyone's best guesses. I received excellent replies, so thanks to everyone.



Tied my own version with some embroidery "thread" made of stranded cotton. I suspect it'll be sent away soon for some field testing.

 

[Fatman]

I have a yarn/chenille type material, let me post a pic of it tonight it kind of looks like your tie at the bottom.

 

[StumpHunter]

I worked in a cotton mill while in high school and cotton scraps is what I thought of when I seen those jigs. The body looks like the same material as the tail and was wrapped or palmered then tied off.

 

[Ron Don]

Whatever it is.... Pup your tie is much better!!!

 

[toadfrog]

It's a carpet yarn Used to get end spool trimmings when i was a kid . Mom worked there a short while .

 

[Fatman]

Okay I found it and one other material and tied one of each. The bottom one is Poly yarn the top one is Metallic Thread

Here's what I have left of both

 

[redear]

that poly yarn looks real close to me.

 

[smalljaw]

What the body is made from is exactly what Fatman has, it is poly yarn. The jigs made by Spellman were really popular back in the day especially around Michigan and Toledo Bend. I read an article from In-Fisherman about the history of the marabou jig and then doing a little bit of looking it turns out that there wasn't much if any chenille material when there were being made, it was simply tinsel and yarn and after a few more articles I found one that mentioned poly yarn as one of the original materials that led to moder chenilles.

 

[Pup]

Wow. Thanks for all of your replies. That's some interesting info, especially about the poly yarn.

And... thanks RD. It's good to know that my jig looks better than those.

Painted and tied a few up using whatever gray stuff I had around. Plan to tie more for field testing after a visit to the fly shop for supplies.

 

[Fatman]

Pup - They look good!!!!!!!

 

[Pup]

Thanks FM.

 

[StumpHunter]

Very good looking jigs

 

[Pup]

Thanks SH.