Experimental and Opinions Acceptable

[Micanopy]

Feathers......a lot to learn about feathers. Seems the ones I have on hand are not exactly what is useful. Maybe someone can point me to a good supplier of useful feathers.

Attachment 403001

BTW- I discovered something very important about UV resin. I got some in my eye and it burned like gasoline. A drop must have been on the table to[ and got on my finger, then I wiped at my eye. Ouch.

I gifted an entire box of jigs so now I have room to make more. Oh joy.

My UV light lacks the power to cure the resin properly. I am thinking about getting something else. The Sun finishes the cure perfectly, but I need to have something to halt the droplets from falling off. Something quick.

[MCG1]

Fly Tying: UV Resins and applications - Discussion - YouTube
Gunnar talks about a reasonably priced UV light in this video.

[skiptomylu]

Feathers......a lot to learn about feathers. Seems the ones I have on hand are not exactly what is useful. Maybe someone can point me to a good supplier of useful feathers.

BTW- I discovered something very important about UV resin. I got some in my eye and it burned like gasoline. A drop must have been on the table to[ and got on my finger, then I wiped at my eye. Ouch.

I gifted an entire box of jigs so now I have room to make more. Oh joy.

My UV light lacks the power to cure the resin properly. I am thinking about getting something else. The Sun finishes the cure perfectly, but I need to have something to halt the droplets from falling off. Something quick.

I have had several cure lights and for me the only ones that work really well is the strongest ones and they are always the most costly ones. I found the ones about $40 worked well.

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[Micanopy]

For variety, the soft plastics sure have a lot to be offered.

Figured out how to best thread them onto the hook. Yup, don’t monkey around, instead with purpose and fear of nothing go for a quick insertion. All one single smooth move. Yes you will waste some baits getting the hang of it, but once you get the move figured out, it’s quick and easy and dead perfect. I got a few right as you can see.

Of course broke out the UV resin to see what would a drop of that do for me. I added it between head and body and let it kind of sit there. It would run around and with the smaller ones I used a toothpick to ensure circumnavigation. The full cure hasn’t happened yet, but a pull sure seems to indicate it is stuck in place. Nothing worse than a plastic bait that slides down the hook, ruining the entire presentation, only you don’t know it.

Next trip I plan to long line six rods out the back. I really need to start using two jig setups, so I will. First try with two jigs I had disaster training and so I have stayed with one jig per pole since. I think now I understand a little more about how things go. I can pull two jigs on a pair of rods out the back and see if that extra jig matters.

So let’s just see here. We have all the choices for size, shape and color of jigs, multiple combinations of coloring, and now throw in the combinations from two jigs. There simply isn’t going to be enough time to figure all this out.

[DockShootinJack]

You have been busy making some great looking jigs

[DrNip]

Here is UV light I have. It is powerful and at $10 is a bargain. You will dang near blind you so be careful. It will set up the UV pretty good but will still be slightly tacky so I still place mine under the sun for 30 minutes or so to get full cure. It comes from Hong Kong.

Ultra Bright 395nM UV Pen Light Flashlight Curing UV Resin Fly Tying Blacklight | eBay


If I were to get more into UV I would have a UV light station of some sort that I could hang jigs under for 30 minutes.

[Micanopy]

Yes thank you very much.


A long time member of that fishing club I am trying to join told me straight up.....they ain’t called crappie.....them is specks or the others are gonna vote against you.

[DrNip]

Haha must be where your at. Called crappie around where I come from.

What is this club you speak of that you’re trying to join that you must call them specks? Or is it like the fight club and 1st rule us you don’t talk about the fight club? Lol

[Micanopy]

It is a group of ancient old men that like to get together and eat an early dinner of fried fish down at the lake. They take turns cooking and cleaning and every so often actually go fishing. I look to be the youngest by far, so I will be needed for chores and such going forward. That is the only thing I can think of for some of them wanting me to join. Anyways, traditions die hard with old men, you know that, and yankees are the only ones that call them crappie. Folks round here they are known as specks. Their fathers and grandfathers called them specks and they want me to call them specks, too. So.....

Attachment 403064

I like this one because it looks like something would want to eat it.

Attachment 403066

This one offers the profile of a Shad with that drooping belly. I figure to expound on this idea more later. Maybe move the rubber legs more forward to start the sweep earlier. Maybe fewer rubber legs. Shorten the legs. Anyways, I think there is some room to work with this idea. Maybe add a small blade in the rear. As I use smaller jigs things get more difficult to fit a bunch of stuff onto the platform. That is a size #1 hook and that is about as small as I really want to go for now.

I have decided that I like black hooks as the red ones stand out too much. Not like a fish is gonna see a red hook and say to himself- “Hey that minnow is injured. Look at that bloody hook he is dragging around.” Black is so much better in that it kind of fades into the background. I am still trying to sort out my hook sizes and find a good match of head size to hook size. Right now I am going with #1 hook size and letting the head sizes vary. I have supplies still to be used up, but once I settle in on a size or two, I will want to get high quality hooks.

I also need feathers, but not quite ready to move away from rubber legs and spinners just yet.



Kind of like when you move and you are living out of suitcases and boxes and such......my jig tying life is a bag here, bag over there type of affair. Same same with my rigging. I keep changing what I am doing. Researched a little about two jigs on one leader and pretty much everyone does what I figured already. Loop knot for top jig, leave long tag end, loop knot at end of tag for second jig, top jig equal or lighter than bottom jig. I actually like my jigs to be able to spin around the leader, but for trolling behind the boat that just hasn’t worked out. I will try what everybody else does and see how it goes.

I have discovered that after curing with the UV light there remains a film of resin. Yesterday I rubbed my eye again and it did burn. I had washed my hands well, but picking up residual amounts from touching resinated items and from surfaces where resin touched. After Sun baking no issues, but my light is definitely needing replaced. I read that the finger nail boxes are too cramped to try to slip in and out of. A box would work but I just want to hit it long enough for it to freeze in place, wherever I have directed it, and then allow the Sun to finish it off. I don’t think a box can match the Sun’s power. It is a chemical reaction that is occurring and the Sun allows for a complete reaction with nothing left in reserve. The resin is not super hard once cured either. It can be trimmed with scissors. I am considering getting a different brand of resin, a nice Japanese made product. I suspect it will smell terrible but cure better and maybe not be as caustic to get in eyes and such.

Anyways, I need to place some orders. I hope you have enjoyed my thread here.

[Micanopy]

This was first picture

This second