How do you guys lock down your last wrap on the body?? Do you use some special knot or glue?

I have been playing around and found some really neat yarn at big lots.. I can get the body started and get all the wraps to fill it out, but cant figure out how to lock down the last wrap without gluing or putting knots in the body to make it look retarded!!

I use a hand whip finish with a drop of jig head cement. There's some decent videos on this site:

http://www.flyfisherman.com/ftb/jbwhip/

thank ya outlaw!

I use a Rotating Whip Finisher, Matarelli Style to make my finish. The regular type will not work well on jig heads, but the Matarelli will do a great job. I also use a Bodkin to put a very small drop of head cement to make sure it stays put.

This site and video is much, much better to learn with than the way the video from Bass Pro shows. The guy on the BPS tying video goes much too fast to figure out how he's doing it. Great site!

I nearly pulled my hair out trying to get the technique down from the BPS video too. It was just too fast and not illustrated very well.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words but a good video is worth a gazillion right?

That sucks...just ordered the jig tying kit from BPS half an hour ago!!

That video clip really help me out on my ties. thanks

Naggler, The kit is good and the video is a good way to get the basics where you can start tying your jigs. The final tie off is very critical and the site Josey Wales posted makes it easier than the video. You did OK by ordering the kit. If you stay with the tying, you'll improvise on the basic jigs the video teaches and learn to tie a jig that's unique to you. I think you'll enjoy it, I sure do.

Naggler,

I ordered the BPS jig tying kit and it was one of the better purchases I made a couple of years ago. I don't understand "It was just too fast". It's a video, back it up as many times as you need to. That's what I did. I don't use that whip thingy nor cement and my jigs are solid. Like Sandwich Maker said, you'll improvise from the basics.

I have always used a whip finish. Everyone can get as fancy as they want to with the bobkin, and the head cement, but i just use a little dab of super glue. Two for a dollar and the tip works great for small/percision applications.

Also have to say to each his or her own, but I finally got away from the $20 vise and got a Rotary vise (DanVise Classic Vise $79.99) And love the way I can turn it to view all sides of the jig as I tie. It had made my life easier without question.

As far as I know it's about the cheapest true Rotary vise you can buy.

Two finishing knots are worthy of mentioning. You can either complete your jig with a Whip Finish or by completing a series of Half-hitches.

I've tied flies for trout since 1982. If you are choosing a mechanical Whip Finisher to complete your jig, I'd suggest a Materelli type Whip Finisher over the old Thompson style. The Thompson style is suited for finishing heads on flies more so than finishing off jigs due to the design of the tool.

Learning to complete the Whip Finish by hand is valuable in that you don't require a tool (you've already been born with a hand and fingers)to finish the tie off procedure. It also allows you to save time which is especially important if you tie large quantities of jigs for friends or commercial customers, instead of hunting down your tool or taking the time to pick it up and lay it down each and every time.

Learning the Whip Finish has the added advantage in that you do not really need to add a cement on top of your tie off wraps. A solid whip finish will outlast the life of your jig in the majority of cases.

Jeff

fishinClyde,

I rewound the tape hundreds of times it seems and it still played back at the same speed everytime no matter how many times I rewound it. Perhaps a better way to describe the BPS video is not that Lefty goes "too fast" but that it has poor "cinematography", poor lighting, poor camera angles etc during the whip finish demonstration. And lets face it, old Lefty doesn't exactly orate like a polished scholar.

The rest of the video is fine and as you said all you need are the basics which is what the video delivers and from that, everyone will develop their own style and technique. I love my BPS kit. Its what I tie all of my jigs with.

Man you guys are way to technical. Put a couple of half hitches and a drop of glue and go tie another, because you are going to lose it in the first brushpile you can find anyway.