doll fly

[78mudbug]

does anyone have a pic of a original doll fly like the old ones.my dad says thets what people used to call some sort of crappie jig.they must have been like the marabou jigs cause thats what he calls them.but there not the same as way back when i dont think

[Fatman]

Well the picture aint all that great but it shows the original card and some of the original doll flys. In order to make something similar today you'd have to find some LEGAL polar bair hair!!


Fishing for History: The History of Fishing and Fishing Tackle: Elmer "Doll" Thompson Passes Away

Fatman

[78mudbug]

thats cool thanks for the info

[Fatman]

Not a problem

[poppop]

thats how I remember them....always bought red and white.

[toothpick]

I used a Doll Fly that was a maribou jig with a piece of pork rind or similar thin strip attached beneath the maibou and extending about a half inch past the end of the maribou. When retrieved, the strip would move like a twister tail. I haven't seen those in several years. They were pretty effective. I had several in my tackle box that was stolen. GRRR!

[shipahoy41]

The oriiiginal inventor of the "Doll Fly" was Elmer O. "Doll" Thompson. Thompson began making Doll Flies in 1952 and soon turned his hobby into a lucrative business, Thompson Fishing Tackle Company. The Doll Fly that made Thompson famous was not a fly at all, but a jig. What made the Doll Fly different was a skirt made of polar bear hair.





Here is the article link I found. The Doll Fly: A Lasting Legacy | Outdoor Life

[Buckeye Mike]

Use to use them many moons ago, back in the 60 ies. And caught MANY crappie on that jig. My favorite size was like a 1/64 oz. and all white in color.

LOVED THAT JIG.

[Buckeye Mike]

Here is a pic of some kip tail jigs i tied a couple of years back, to resemble the Doll Fly.

[skeetbum]

I have a few of the originals in my box and they just look different than any others. The polar bear hair doesn't flow together as tight as maribou, but it does move pretty easily. Hair jigs just don't have the fluff. Jigged one around a bridge last year and caught a catfish with a head about a fist and a half wide on 4lb. Great fun. Mr Thompson died just last year, a true loss to our sport.