A Round of Bucktails

[Will Wetline]

The rods are in the rack and the vice is on the bench.

 

Here are a couple of photos of recent creations intended for Quabbin Reservoir's  smallmouth next April:

 

 

 

The heads are cast from Do-it's Poison Tail mold. Alloy used is 88% bismuth/12% tin. Powder paint is cured at 300º for 45 minutes. The adhesive backed eyes are further secured with a coat of HARD as NAILS polish. 

 

Thread is UTC 140 denier which most jig tiers consider light. My head cement is unconventional as well: Caliber Super Glue liquid (thin formula). My wrapping procedure is to start at the top and then apply a drop of glue. If I'm heavy handed I absorb the excess with a small piece of paper towel immediately. Next I tie a side and repeat with another drop of glue. The opposite side is next and then the bottom. Finally each side gets four strands of Wapsi Grizzly Accent. The last step is dragging a drop or two of super glue around the completed wrap with a scrap of paper towel. This renders the jig nearly bullet proof but, sadly, not rock proof (which other smallie chasers understand all too well).

 

Here's a testimonial from a 4 lber:

 

 

 

[A-Jay]

Very Nice and Superior ties as usual.

 I love me some red eyes & Wapsi Grizzly Accent.

Like your hook choice - if you don't mind sharing,  what is it ?

And what do you think they weigh ?

Hope it's a fast winter for us both.

A-Jay

 

[Will Wetline]

Thanks, A-Jay.

 

The hooks are what's recommended for the Poison Tail mold, Mustad 91768 NP-BN. These are medium wire and have had an excellent hook up ratio with the 8 lb. copolymer and medium action rod I've been using. 

 

The jigs in the photos came from the 1/4 oz. cavity. The alloy I used is about 85% the weight of lead.

 

Molding, painting and tying will keep me more or less sane until spring.

 

Winter well.

 

WW

[islandbass]

Those look sick (snowboard days, lol). Trust me, it’s a very positive remark. ? kind of like how “bad” meant “good” in the 80s, lol. 

 

Do you tie this pattern with other  colors of bucktail and accent material? Thanks for the instructions. I just might tie a few to keep me sane over the winter. 

[smalljaw67]

You do some fantastic work sir!!!!!

[thinkingredneck]

Consistency like that is hard to achieve.  Beautiful work and good fish!

[YUT18]

Nice work.  I like using the poison tail mold for swim jigs. 

[Will Wetline]

15 hours ago, islandbass said:

Those look sick (snowboard days, lol). Trust me, it’s a very positive remark. ? kind of like how “bad” meant “good” in the 80s, lol. 

 

Do you tie this pattern with other  colors of bucktail and accent material? Thanks for the instructions. I just might tie a few to keep me sane over the winter. 

Yes, I tie several patterns. I have what I call a "staging" bench, a 4' X 2' folding table, on which I spread out my bucktail and flash materials and then just put different colors and materials together until I find patterns I like. Then they go to the tying bench.

 

10 hours ago, thinkingredneck said:

Consistency like that is hard to achieve.  Beautiful work and good fish!

Consistency is what I'm striving for and am finally starting to get. When I first started, a couple hundred jigs ago, I'd look at the closed window with certainty that my vise had the weight to go through it, no problem. I got up and left the room until I cooled down then came back and tried to analyze the particular difficulty. Gradually my ties improved with patience, practice and perseverance - and study. I'd find videos on the Internet that were helpful and I'd review them, some several times. Here are a few I particularly like:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27mwz6JcV64

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5ewaCNSZVk&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efo7gblZj0s

 

By picking up on details in videos you can find solutions to problems which will collectively improve your technique and develop your style. If you work patiently you'll find over time that you'll find a pace that's optimum and your work will proceed smoothly. I'll go so far as to say that jig tying at its best is a meditative activity.

 

Alright then! I've intentionally been this long winded because it's the beginning of the tying season and I know there are fishermen out there who are thinking about getting into the craft and I want them first to understand that some amount of patience and practice lead to very satisfying results.

[MT204]

Just getting started in tying, love this pattern may have to "borrow" it.

Thanks.

[RB 77]

Outstanding work! Those would be absolutely deadly in our salt water bays out this way for spotties...

[Bent]

Thanks for sharing this, those jigs look tremendous!

[Will Wetline]

On 11/2/2017 at 4:43 AM, islandbass said:

Do you tie this pattern with other  colors of bucktail and accent material? 

A few more pics for you:

 

 

Bucktail, flash material, and a grizzly saddle spread out on a table. I'll look this over inspired by a cup of strong coffee and mix and match what appeals to me. I'm an advocate of TLAR ("That looks about right . . .") design principles. Of course, I've been looking at other tiers' work for years. In time, you develop a sense of proportion for the various parts of a jig and you just know what looks right.

 

 

The Hard As Nails topcoat over the eyes has dried overnight and these heads are ready for the vise. This final finish adheres beautifully to the powder paint. Those eyeballs can't be budged by a fingernail.

 

 

You may have seen this photo before but in case you haven't, here are the tools and head cement, Loctite super glue brush-on, which first came to my attention from one of smalljaw67's videos. (Thank you, smalljaw.) I like it and use it carefully throughout the wrapping procedure and then as a finish coat. If you're wondering about the X-acto knife . . . My inner perfectionist would be in an uproar if I didn't trim the hair that had crept up the back of the head while tying. This last step is done after the super glue has cured.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Darren.]

@Will Wetline, fantastic ties. I started tying bucktails

for striper fishing this past (late) fall. I can tie a great

weed guard, but I've tied maybe one good bucktail.

 

Can't get a good, clean tie at the jig head. Always have

bucktail peeking through. A work in progress, but you

give me hope!!  

[Paul Roberts]

Oooooo!

[KCFinesse]

I really like how those poison heads look. Excellent work at the vise to boot!

-Jared

[islandbass]

Very nice work and thanks for the picture with the material. Thanks too for the tips. That really helps. 

[king fisher]

Great work.  Have you tried using EP fibers, or other similar artificial hair?  I started tying jigs for saltwater a couple months ago.  I used to tie flies, so I'm not exactly a beginner.  My favorite salt water jig has a combination of Yak hair, and Steve Farra's Flash blend.  I just started making smaller jigs  I plan on using for small mouth.  Just curiouis if anyone has tried any other material than bucktail.  Also have been experimenting with bunny strips to add action.  Anyone use bunny?

[Will Wetline]

King Fisher, I've looked over all sorts of fancy stuff in catalogs and on websites but my short term goal is to get more efficient tying a fairly basic bucktail jig. I have worked a bit with some of the synthetic hair materials in the past but prefer what nature produces.

 

I have tied a few football jigs with bunny strips for tails and will be tying hackle behind bucktail as well.

 

There's nothing original about what I'm doing but, being a perfectionist, I pay close attention to balance, color combinations and the quality of craftsmanship. The fish don't require this fussiness but I enjoy it.

 

To close this reply, if you want to see a variety of materials put to good use look up smalljaw on YouTube.

[TnRiver46]

On 1/28/2018 at 7:28 PM, Darren. said:

@Will Wetline, fantastic ties. I started tying bucktails

for striper fishing this past (late) fall. I can tie a great

weed guard, but I've tied maybe one good bucktail.

 

Can't get a good, clean tie at the jig head. Always have

bucktail peeking through. A work in progress, but you

give me hope!!  

Just keep wrapping the thread!!! That should at least cover up the peeking through part. Dab o glue helps too

[Darren.]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Just keep wrapping the thread!!! That should at least cover up the peeking through part. Dab o glue helps too

Yeah, I try!! I'm not really liking the thread I bought 

for it. Don't think it is a coated thread like I use for 

tying weed guards.

 

I'm not near my tying stuff right now, so can't tell you

what it is, but was recommended to me by a guy who

ties bucktails...