Turner Jones micro jigs

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.

From a marketing point of view, that fabled durability of the Jones jig is kinda a negative, I'd think.

I have not used it, but I see a down feather sold in catalogs as "chickabou"  that might be suitable  for a sparser tie. (apparently comes with hen saddle, so could be called hen hackle?)  I might look for less webby type down to help the sparse look as well.

The 10X is not that much off  to my eye. It does look like a different hook and is a bit fuller in the skirt. Awaiting the lake test results.

7 hours ago, tjm said:

I have not used it, but I see a down feather sold in catalogs as "chickabou"  that might be suitable  for a sparser tie. (apparently comes with hen saddle, so could be called hen hackle?)  I might look for less webby type down to help the sparse look as well.

The 10X is not that much off  to my eye. It does look like a different hook and is a bit fuller in the skirt. Awaiting the lake test results.

Well back to the drawing board. My jig weighed in at 1/10,000 of an ounce lighter than the Turner 256 and did not catch fish. Not a one.  Nothing!  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

well Duane you better start selling some.  Let's name it the Dinky Doty jig.....I'll take a dozen to try this coming week.   

Got a few more weeks before I'm down to pick up Marty and I's order!  I'm thinking a drab head, red neck and some ginger hackle will do just fine.  I had some tiny deer hair jigs in all silver that were great under a float, but sadly those are all gone ( lost my last one in AZ in a tree...) and were given to me by a guy fishing down there.  Caught a ton of fish on them. 

Stopped by Hargove's fly shop this afternoon and tried to recreate with a 1/120 oz jig off the peg and materials laying about. The Heat shrink tubing was wrong. They use it to plastic weld loops in fly lines for customers who like a loop connection. No bite to the hook shank with that heat shrink. It would slide after shrunk, think I need the Aircraft grade waterproof tube with the glue layer inside to stick it to the shank. Thinking saddle hackle butts with a few barbs of webby saddle hackle fine barbs for the feathers. Left over Wooly Bugger feather butts mostly. Thinking 2 feathers. Fun project so far. No success yet but this puzzle has a solution.

Yes, it needs to be the adhesive shrink tubing and it also would need to shrink down to near the hook shank diameter. Very likely what you used did not shrink small enough. There are some variety packs on Amazon, since  the size needed is unknown they might be the best starting point. 

https://www.amazon.com/Ginsco-270Pcs-Shrink-Adhesive-Tubing/dp/B073R69KNB/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1528536557&sr=8-3&keywords=red+1%2F8"+adhesive+shrink+tubing

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6EFUKR?aaxitk=6Mr7UYIzQy7XDbe4gv.ZiA&pd_rd_i=B01N6EFUKR&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3930100107420870094&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-top-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_i=red+1%2F8"+adhesive+shrink+tubing&hsa_cr_id=8031087150401

To get a two feather effect and make fiber distribution easier, try clipping the stem so the tip of the feather falls out leaving a V or Y of fibers attached to a stem butt that will draw them through the tubing collar. A small piece of foil could hold the fibers in place behind the collar and shield them from the heat at the same time. Use an Indian hen neck hackle and clip the stem just where the webby stuff starts (or use the butts from flymph ties) I think  cut the collar length and work it onto the hook from the point, then pulling the stem all the way through the collar before shrinking will make it easier to distribute the flues and adjust their length. It might pay to look at one of Jones' jigs to see if he use the hen neck dull side out or shiny side out, I would guess he had the stem on top of the hook and dull side up. Chose the hackle from the base of the hen neck to get a broader feather with longer flues. This gets the slightly webby but still springy  fibers needed and it is hen hackle. I think  less is more  in this case...

The 10X (Dinky Doty) jig round 2 has received a few modifications. Being that prototype #1 was 1/10,000 of an ounce under weight, I had to add more mass.  Added a few hundred wraps of thread to try and build the body up some more and a couple of daps of permanent marker for the eyes.  That’s hard to do with a 10 cup coffe buzz going! Couldn’t get that sucker to hold still.

Maybe these guys will catch a fish under these desperate times of the dwindling supply of the Turner, indestructible, must have, can’t catch a fish with out, nothing comes even close, 256 (which is a lie), half micro jig.

If the silly trout don't eat those D10X take em to creek, that'd be a long ear killer.

On 6/8/2018 at 10:59 AM, Phil Lilley said:

 

Side by Side.

Before this thread, if I saw these two side by side in a bin, I’d pick the one on the right every time. Just looks like it’d have a better action. 

After reading this thread, I think I’d still pick the one on the right. 😄