Jig hooks

[kelso2340]

When tying with jig hooks are most people tying dropper flies or anchor flies? Assuming one of the best aspects of jig hooks is that if rides upside down avoiding snags, how would it benefit to tie this for a dropper style fly? And if your tying them as anchors what styles are you tying? Stones? Caddis? What sizes for anchors? I usually use size 6,8 stones on regular hooks as anchors but just curious to see what others are doing with jig hooks.

 

[SBecker]

kelso2340 wrote:
When tying with jig hooks are most people tying dropper flies or anchor flies? Assuming one of the best aspects of jig hooks is that if rides upside down avoiding snags, how would it benefit to tie this for a dropper style fly? And if your tying them as anchors what styles are you tying? Stones? Caddis? What sizes for anchors? I usually use size 6,8 stones on regular hooks as anchors but just curious to see what others are doing with jig hooks.

I tie most of my nymphs on jig hooks because my droppers can be my anchors at times.

My dedicated anchors on jig hooks are stones and waltz's.

 

[afishinado]

Scud hooks and many other of the curved shanked hooks also ride hook point up when the shank is weighted. No need for special hooks with slotted beads.

I don't look at my flies as "droppers' or "anchors" necessarily. I tie patterns that catch fish for me and often tie a light, medium and heavy version of the fly. I often tie using different colored thread to distinguish between them, which serves as a hotspot in some cases.

Given that many stoneflies grow pretty big, which allows one to tie more weight on it; stoneflies are often used as anchor flies.

If you are not comp FFer, don't forget that adding split shot or weighted putty works well on the dropper or point to get you down to the fish, when necessary.

 

[SBecker]

afishinado wrote

If you are not comp FFer, don't forget that adding split shot or weighted putty works well on the dropper or point to get you down to the fish, when necessary.

Yep! However, if you are trying to direct contact nymph split shot will break that connection. Obviously you don't have to be a comp fishermen to fish the same way.

 

[afishinado]

SBecker wrote:

afishinado wrote

If you are not comp FFer, don't forget that adding split shot or weighted putty works well on the dropper or point to get you down to the fish, when necessary.

Yep! However, if you are trying to direct contact nymph split shot will break that connection. Obviously you don't have to be a comp fishermen to fish the same way.

Not true at all! > split shot on the point instead of anchor fly = identical. Just add a second dropper for a two fly rig if you wish.

Also > SS on the dropper fishes no different than any weighted fly.

SS = easily +/- or taken off to adjust weight to conditions. No need to carry a flies of every weight and size. Can choose flies for fish catching ability rather than weight. Less hangups, often shot gets unstuck or just pulls off. With weeds or slime on the bottom, the anchor fly constantly picks them up, with SS you need not keep picking up and cleaning it off. You can add enough weight to feel the tick, tick on the bottom. With a fly, it's more like tick tick stuck!...break and retie.

 

[Tiogadog]

I have a bunch of jig hooks and flies tied on them. I do not particularly care much for them. Probably more of a personal issue and I here many great fisherman attest to their effectiveness.

Like most things I probably just need to fish them more frequently.

 

[lv2nymph]

I use them for both, I tie smaller ones to fish skinny water and as light droppers.

Here are some tens

Some 14's

I believe jig flies ride or run differently through the drift, I have no way to prove this except for the fact that I tie and fish Whitlock's fox squirrel nymph on regular nymph hooks and jig hooks. I catch many more trout on the jig version than I do the other. Idk, but I've seen a difference...

 

[SBecker]

afishinado wrote:

SBecker wrote:

afishinado wrote

If you are not comp FFer, don't forget that adding split shot or weighted putty works well on the dropper or point to get you down to the fish, when necessary.

Yep! However, if you are trying to direct contact nymph split shot will break that connection. Obviously you don't have to be a comp fishermen to fish the same way.

Not true at all! > split shot on the point instead of anchor fly = identical. Just add a second dropper for a two fly rig if you wish.

Also > SS on the dropper fishes no different than any weighted fly.

SS = easily +/- or taken off to adjust weight to conditions. No need to carry a flies of every weight and size. Can choose flies for fish catching ability rather than weight. Less hangups, often shot gets unstuck or just pulls off. With weeds or slime on the bottom, the anchor fly constantly picks them up, with SS you need not keep picking up and cleaning it off. You can add enough weight to feel the tick, tick on the bottom. With a fly, it's more like tick tick stuck!...break and retie.

Ahh, the old bait rig. Lol Used to fish like this on the Lehigh when I had to use a lot heavier weight spinning minnows or bouncing bait. Would lose the shot, but rarely the hook and bait. Brings back memories.

 

[geebee]

i use jig hooks with tungsten beads on simple stoneflies to get them right down.

i was interested to see recently a western FF placing his split shot right at the knot of the fly, rather than 4-6" up the tippet.

his argument ? - the fish doesn't see it.

 

[AlphaDelta]

Looking for opinions on catching fish on the upper lip. I heard it may damage the fish worse than catching them on the lower lip. I have found that jig hooks will alway hook the fish in the upper lip or through the nose of the fish. Am I doing more damage to the fish than if I used a fish which rode hook down?