Fle Fly Restoration Project

These will probably be the only lures of my dad's that I end up with ..... Lots of memories with my family and those old little jigs.


The originals were in such bad shape, I had to put them in the vise and use my electric fillet knife to remove the old material/glue.


Much to my surprise, the 16th had a black coat of paint under the red coat and also had red thread under a layer of chartreuse thread. These jigs came from my father (who never tied jigs), so I KNOW this came from the factory the way I found it.


The outcome:

16th and 32nd in the original "can't-miss" pattern. This size tail is the exact length of the originals and the colors are a dead-ringer match for the initial materials used to create this killer jig.

Was a lot of fun restoring them and sure brought back some memories.... Will sharpen the hooks on them and fish them as soon as the wind allows. No telling how many fish they've caught. Good stuff.



disclaimer: These baits are my own, no money being made off of the Fle Fly brand, just a LONG-time supporter of the old school jigs.

That color killed when I was a kid, nice work sir!

Thanks! Can't wait to fish 'em on a decent bite.

A real good job, don't know where the weighted hooks can be found do you?

No sir, Larry. I know of molds that have 45° angles but they're all used with round heads, not the flat heads (like the original Fle Fly).

Well done Sir!

Jerry, I'm thinking a guy could take some #4 Eagle Claw 2190's and carefully pinch a 1/16oz split shot right at the angle below the eye and come pretty close.

The 1623 would probably work better but it only comes in 1/0 & 3/0

Nice job Jerry! Love the colors too.

As for the round head vs the flat head, you know a pair of pliers with no teeth will make a round head flat, right?

Skip

@Pepop - I've found some nice 45° hooks and molds but it's still not the oval shaped head I'm looking for.

@Skip - I sometimes use regular pliers and make waffle-textured pillheads (like the flat pill heads you're referring to).



Shape of Fle Fly:


Notice, the old Fle Fly head is completely oval, no flattened surfaces.

Pepop, I think that would work and get about the same fall if not the same look. Don't forget to check out the fly hooks if time I have seen them going up to size 4. The fle fly may be a cross itself. Just be careful that the weight on the hook has the ride of what ever you want on the jig.

Nice work Jerry !!!

Oh okay oval head shape, I have some samples of a head kind of like that I believe. I will look and see!

Skip

I've been looking for a angled hook and roundhead mold, Jacob's Baits has a mold kind of like that but not what I've been looking for....

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/flipping-jig-hooks/

http://www.basspro.com/DoIt-Shake-It-Head-Jig-Mold/product/90060/

@have-rod .... it's a 60­° angle we're after. Many molds I find could be modified to work (like the Shake-it mold above), but I'm trying to find someone already pouring the heads, I'm not interested in pouring.

Thanks so much Jerry, so 60­° is what I need... I pour my own leadheads so maybe I can find a lighter wire hook at that angle....

Ok this is what Jacob has http://stores.jacobsbaits.com/1-8-oz-round-head-jig-mold-for-60-degree-hooks-8-cavity/ but at 70 bucks maybe I can mod my own.... Since you just want the heads do you think Fle-fly could sell you some?

Fle Fly is lead free now..... I think...

Fle Fly Restoration Project [Re: Jerry T.]
have_rod_reel_travel
I think 45 degree would be better and more like a fle fly as it is a swim or pull jig. The reason for the oval type head is to get more weight in front of the hook eye. This brings the tail of the jig up to 90 degrees are better. Its the best set up for the 90 degrees hand tied jigs as a jig will not fish with the tail hanging down. That is the reason they came out with the minnow type head to do this job. But The people wanted it with a collar for fishing plastic so now the only way the mold comes is with collar.

Daiichi D1730 Stonefly Nymph Fly Tying Hooks---could be close

The more I look, any of the Stonefly Nymph Hooks would do the job, but getting a mold would be a custom thing I believe.