JUNGLE JIM 1

Thanks for the kind words. Got to get more hooks but need to try these first soon. Once we catch a break in the weather I plan on camping at one of the trout parks during the week and give them a shot.

Avoiding the heat and getting bored so stopped at Hargrove's for some supplies yesterday. I picked up some barbless jig fly hooks in a #16. Tied a half dozen bead heads since I hadn't tied a fly in years using marabou and peacock herl rope I made. Managed to get a few of the hooks to fit a couple of my jig molds with only minor modifications so poured, painted and tied up a half dozen. Just kept it simple with grizzly marabou, peacock and micro chenille. The 1/100 oz. head looks huge on these hooks. The chub head is 1/80th. Thrilled to be able to pour jigs on these little hooks.

Thanks for the report. Probably camp for a day or two down there once it gets cooler. What size head and hook are you using on your micros? Been tying lot's of small jigs down to a #16 jig fly hook. 1/100 head looks huge with these, had to do some modifications for the hooks to fit.

These are some that are sitting on the desk.

I have hundreds of these little jigs already tied and want to pass some on for others to try. I will mail a half dozen to the first five people who want to try them. Just need address and will put a stamp on an envelope and get them in the mail. They will be on size 8-12 hooks, 1/64 or smaller heads.

If he wants to make more I'd send him more heads. I have more than I thought I did. Have plenty of little jigs on #10-!2 sickle hooks if you want to try some. Can throw them on spinning or the fly rod. If you want to tie your own I can send some painted heads.

Started with the fly rod and the little BH and caught one on the first cast. Caught a dozen in the first half hour before switching to ultralight rod. Grass was wet and muddy from the rain and area slopes down to the water. My feet slid out from under me and ended up partly in the lake, both legs in with my rear at the water's edge. Probably funny but nobody around but lake muck didn't smell very good. Flies must have liked the smell and started biting my legs better than the fish. Caught two bigger female gills close to 9" on a shrimp pattern tied on a 1/200 shad dart head. 0 Redear but over 30 gills total, don't know where the Redear went.

Since I know where some fish are now I pulled the 3wt. out of the closet and tied an olive BH on . Hope to post pics tomorrow of it attached to some of my finny friends. Those topwaters look cool, very nice job on those.

I got the letter, might be too nice for me to use. Grizzly marabou has been my go to materials for the last couple of months with tiny jigs. I'll lose two then tie ten more.

With the warmer than normal temps these last couple months the local ponds have been tough with Redear hard to locate. Finally found some numbers of decent bluegill and redear up to 11". Gills have been outnumbering the redear about 4-1. but larger size makes up for it. Last couple of times down have caught 40 + in a few hours. I think fish in third picture might be a gillcracker, bigger than any of the gills I've been catching. Kitty cats seem to like little jigs too.

I've been checked four times this year. Three times at a city lake and once in the county. Women in pairs in the city and one lone guy in the county. I guess since I looked like a character from the show Duck Dynasty with that beard I had. Shaved it off and haven't been checked since. One said they are out there but you don't see them.

Bluegills spawn up to several times per year so it's possible they have already spawned. Those are really nice gills. Used to go to California for gills like that and bluegill tacos.

Wasn't sure what size they were but know they have a #14 jig hook which I've never been able to find. That little jig will catch fish. Grizzly bou is the way to go on these little jigs with me, catch almost anything with them. I'd like to see you tie a midge on a couple. I'm happy if I can get my little jigs under 3/4".

I hope he takes a couple rods with him up there. Plenty of places to fish up there. There have been several local kids from around here that are playing in the NHL right now so it could happen. Best of luck to him.

They are certainly feeding well, top fish looks like a pre spawn fish it's so fat. I really need a couple of those. Congrats !!

I bought a long sleeve Huk shirt and hoodie in the Yeti color yesterday so I should be set for now. My oldest grandaughter is 15 and will fish all day with me, the rest will last a couple hours. Grandson is six and will fish for an hour. Then it's time to throw rocks or whatever else a six year old can think of.

I have three daughters and grandaughters that fish, started them all early and it paid off. I like the Huk gear as well. I wear it more than anything else. Need to find some summer colors, the darker ones are too hot to wear right now.

Those little baits will catch anything, that's an interesting color. The head looks bigger than 1/125. Might paint up a few little ones in that color.

There is a ton of work that went into these between pouring, painting and the eyes are incredible on jigs that small. And that's just the heads. Each tiny jig is a work of art.

I agree that second fish is a hybrid. They are in some of the ponds I fish.

Really nice article. I have some of these painted heads, unsure of the weight. One of the smaller sizes, guessing #14 hook. I tie a few on occasion but won't ever be able to tie anything like the originals. Might play with some after reading article. Might have a couple originals somewhere. I caught plenty with them too.

Both lakes are easy to get to, fish were caught a couple minutes from my truck. Started fishing in the afternoon more this year during cold water period and it seems to be working.

I don't fish plastics with the craft hair, no need for it. Was casting it out, letting it settle to the bottom and a couple slow turns on the handle and let it settle to the bottom again.

What happened to spring? Seems we jumped right into summer. This little lake had bass, crappie, redear and bluegill spawning at the same time. Only bedding fish now are bluegill. Quite a few of the bedding redear were caught and kept, evidence being their heads floating around the lake. Didn't like seeing that but more food now for the survivors to get bigger. Weeds like coontail are growing like crazy now so fish are going to be hard to catch now.

Still one more than I've ever caught, congrats.