No one can deny that jigs catch fish. When tied in the appropriate size and color, jigs have the potential to hook fish most everywhere, and at some point, probably have! Jig hooks have been finding their way in the hands many fly tyers looking for more action from large saltwater flies to discreet freshwater flies. Jig hooks have even been incorporated into tiny nymph patterns for trout! The advantage is undeniable (just ask our own J.E.B Hall), but why are they so effective?
It’s simple, the basic construction of a jig places the eye of the hook ‘off center’ from the ‘keel’ of the hook. This has two huge advantages. First, this allows the hook point to ride up, which has several clear advantages. Second, and this is where the magic is, any movement of the fly whether with the rod tip or fly line, causes the fly to move significantly in two directions – the obvious lateral direction through the water column, AND in a vertical ‘jigging’ motion (pun intended). Struggling prey, whether an injured baitfish or free drifting nymph, rarely moves in a straight line alone. Thus, jigs represent this motion extremely well.
Well, our friends over at HMH have come up with an exciting new method of tying jig flies, on tubes! We love the benefits of tube flies, and would never argue against the effectiveness of jigs. In other words, we think this is brilliant! In the coming weeks, we will be tying our share of jig tubes for the coming Alaska season, and we think you should too. For full tying instructions on how to tie jig-style tube flies, hit the link to check out HMH’s Fly Tyers Blog.
Leave a Reply