Making Hair Jigs

[WI_Angler1989]

Hey, guys! 

 

I'm looking to try my hand at making some hair jigs myself and need so advice. What kind of hair is a good starting point for cold water river smallies? Any advice is welcome, but good suppliers to look into are most welcome! 

I've done a good amount of reading on "how-to's" and such but I don't really want to go get generic brick and mortar hair. I like supporting good, quality companies more.

 

Thanks in advance! 

[IndianaFinesse]

I've never tied a hair jig before, but bucktail is the way to go for cold water.

[smalljaw67]

I use a lot of different material but when the water goes into the low 40s down to freezing I use bucktail. I sent you a PM with information on where I get my hair from and the brands that I like to use, I'd also recommend flat waxed nylon thread. I don't know how big or small you want to make your jigs but I use 210 denier for just about everything but if you end up with heavy collars on smaller jigs you may want to drop down to 140 denier.

[IgotWood]

I just recently started tying a few hair jigs, however, I have been fly tying for many years. Bucktail and marabou are pretty easy materials to start with. You can add some crystal flash, or flashabou to add a little bit of character to them. Another very nice material is arctic fox. It comes in hundreds of colors, it's soft, easy to tie, and it looks incredible in the water. Check out Waters West, in Port Angeles, WA...they have great hairs, feathers, etc. Bear's Den in MA is another great shop to check out. They sell quality materials, and they carry just about everything a fly tyer could need.

[MickD]

One of the reasons bucktail and maribou are so often recommended, I believe, is that natural fibers/feathers reflect UV.  Bucktail is also very reasonably priced.  I buy a lot of my fly tying stuff from J. Stockard.  Great selection, fast service.  When I read articles on hair jigs, with images, it appears that the jigs are pretty simple, not overdone with color and flash. Do an internet search for "hair jig images."  If you don't already know how to do the whip finish knot, search also for Utubes for doing it without the tool. Once you get it down, very simple.

[dopey]

There are so many materials to use - from craft fur to naturals,  any type zonker strip or cut hair and tied in.

 

Black, brown, grizzly and polar bear, rabbit, arctic fox, sable, mink, possum, squirrel are a lot of what I use for cold water jigs.  If you want to try the arctic fox tail and get a bunch of different colors go to Waters West and get some assorted color piece bags 

http://waterswest.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=28_282_30&products_id=951

Bright Selection


Earth Tone Selection

 

Dyed rabbit hides are getting cheaper - I got mine on ebay from a lady switching from real fur to fake fur for her teddy bears. 

 

Moscow Hide and fur for fur pieces http://www.hideandfur.com/inventory/7875.html

[Brayberry]

I get all my fur, from Hunting.  

[ScottK91]

Get on YouTube and watch some of smalljaw's videos. He is very informative and ties some pretty sweet looking jigs!! I have learned a lot from watching his videos. And also and great guy to talk to if you ever get the chance to meet him!! 

[RoLo]

I'm afraid I can't help you with material providers, which is often the single biggest stumbling block.

In any case, maybe the data below can offer some food for thought:

 

BUCKTAIL HAIR

Among animal hairs commonly used for dressing, only the tail hair from whitetail deer and polar bear is "hollow".

As such, these 2 hairs offer the most buoyancy and best bellowing action (marabou of course isn't hair).

 

MARABOU

Originally from a marabou stork, marabou today is usually from turkeys.

In any case, the myriad of trapped air chambers give marabou dressing equal or better breathing action

as deer hair and bear hair

.

CRAFT HAIR

'Craft hair' is a synthetic material used as hair for toy dolls. Craft hair is not hydrophobic

like animal hair, but is hydroscopic and tends to wick water. Although the action of synthetic bucktail (craft hair) is excellent, it lacks the same buoyancy and pulsation of natural bucktail hair.

 

SOLID HAIR DRESSINGS

>> Squirrel Tail        Very fine, restless hair but not hollow. Slippery to tie (very popular with crappie buffs)

>> Foxtail               Arctic fox is the most common species of fox used for foxtail hair

>> Coontail             Roadkills offer the cheapest source of coontail hair  ;-)

>> Rabbit Hair         Rabbit makes the best long streamers (e.g. Bunny strips for pike)

>> Kip Tail              From the tail of a calf

 

Roger

 

 

 

 

 

[smalljaw67]

4 hours ago, RoLo said:

I'm afraid I can't help you with material providers, which is often the single biggest stumbling block.

In any case, maybe the data below can offer some food for thought:

 

BUCKTAIL HAIR

Among animal hairs commonly used for dressing, only the tail hair from whitetail deer and polar bear is "hollow".

As such, these 2 hairs offer the most buoyancy and best bellowing action (marabou of course isn't hair).

 

MARABOU

Originally from a marabou stork, marabou today is usually from turkeys.

In any case, the myriad of trapped air chambers give marabou dressing equal or better breathing action

as deer hair and bear hair

.

CRAFT HAIR

'Craft hair' is a synthetic material used as hair for toy dolls. Craft hair is not hydrophobic

like animal hair, but is hydroscopic and tends to wick water. Although the action of synthetic bucktail (craft hair) is excellent, it lacks the same buoyancy and pulsation of natural bucktail hair.

 

SOLID HAIR DRESSINGS

>> Squirrel Tail        Very fine, restless hair but not hollow. Slippery to tie (very popular with crappie buffs)

>> Foxtail               Arctic fox is the most common species of fox used for foxtail hair

>> Coontail             Roadkills offer the cheapest source of coontail hair  ;-)

>> Rabbit Hair         Rabbit makes the best long streamers (e.g. Bunny strips for pike)

>> Kip Tail              From the tail of a calf

 

Roger

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most people believe bucktail is hollow, only a small portion of hair at the bottom of the tail is hollow. Deer belly hair is hollow, and bucktail has very little action, it is only the tips of the hair that really move. The main reason bucktail is loved as a hair jig is because no matter how you tie it, when it is in the water it creates a perfect minnow profile. Bucktail will move when fished aggressively but it isn't as fluid as other materials, craft fur and marabou tend to have a breathing or pulsing type action as the material tends to flare out when stopped. I just wanted to put that out there as it is a common misconception.

[RoLo]

7 hours ago, smalljaw67 said:

 

Most people believe bucktail is hollow, only a small portion of hair at the bottom of the tail is hollow. Deer belly hair is hollow, and bucktail has very little action, it is only the tips of the hair that really move. The main reason bucktail is loved as a hair jig is because no matter how you tie it, when it is in the water it creates a perfect minnow profile. Bucktail will move when fished aggressively but it isn't as fluid as other materials, craft fur and marabou tend to have a breathing or pulsing type action as the material tends to flare out when stopped. I just wanted to put that out there as it is a common misconception.

 

 

Actually, locating the hollowest hairs is quite involved:

 

1)

Deer produce two pelts every year, a reddish summer pelage and a grayish winter pelage.

Not surprisingly, the winter pelt contains stouter, hollower hairs than the summer pelt.  

 

2)

The most hollow hairs by far are found on the deer's body, while the tail consists largely of solid hairs 

                                 

3)                                                                                                                                      

Anglers are usually attracted to the bright-white silky hairs on the underside of a deer's tail, but those are mostly solid hairs (but still have their place). The white underside of a deer's tail serves as a warning flag which a deer in flight waves back & forth. Most of the hollow tail hairs are found among the brown and gray hairs on the upperside of the tail, hair that's more closely associated with the body of the deer where insulation is vital.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In short, the hollow tail hairs that offer the most flare and breathing tend to be brownish and grayish in color with a crinkly texture (not silky smooth). The best tail hairs are 2 to  3" long with a strong taper (carrot-shaped). However, any kinked hairs with broken tips should be discarded.

 

Roger

 

[MikeWright]

I have a foot or 2 of my finances hair I can cut for you, premium American brown. She might be upset but for a price I might muster the courage up