Mini-Jigs

[treehooker]

Has anyone ever tried using mini-jigs on a fly rod, and how did they work for you?

[Farmy Joe]

Are you talking about the buggit?

[Housy Dave]

These are the ones I think you're talking about

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=3157&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

They work VERY well. Great for any kind of pond fishing. Most people fish them underneath a strike indicator.

I was doing some pond fishing this past week out of a boat since all the rivers were blown out. I tied a similar thing on a small hook with just a puff of maribou and chenile. I was catching just about every kind of fish (trout, perch, panfish, etc.) It's a fun way to fish.

[treehooker]

They may be called buggits, too. I've never heard that term before.

The link that Dave provided shows exactly what I meant. Guess your experience in stillwater shows how well they work, although I was kinda hoping someone might have tried them in moving water, as I've heard they can be fished in rivers with success. Unfortunately, I don't have a boat. I bought some 1/64 oz jigheads (79 cents a pack ) and dressed them, but haven't tied one on the see how it casts. I'm thinking I'm not going to have alot of success trying to pitch this with my 5 weight line from a pond bank, though. Guess its time to break down and buy a new 7 weight line.

[Housy Dave]

I've been casting them ok with a 5 weight. The jig with the small indicator is not so bad, I just chuck it out there. The weight seems comparable to your average beadhead wooly bugger.

It never ocurred to me to fish it in moving water...I'm sure they would catch something.

The jig is better suited for fishing vertically, which is mostly why I like it for pond fishing.

[Farmy Joe]

I've heard people do well with brookies and wild browns with those buggits.
http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=489834

[Todd K]

Page 62 of the new Fly Tyer Magazine... The Jig Fish

[treehooker]

Yes, the buggit is a ball head jig, I see...looks like a marabou tail with a dubbed or chenille body and some strands of flashabou/ crystal flash. Very simple. And the link you put up Joe shows they work even in small streams.

But, Dave, I'm a little puzzled about fishing them under a strike indicator. At first I was thinking you meant just hanging them like a bait off a bobber, but that would defeat the purpose of the jig...so you must mean that the purpose of the indicator is to suspend the jig off the bottom, but that you would still work it like a jig, yes?

I'm going to try the Roaring Brook TMA tomorrow, because its supposed to be windy and a sheltered location seems advisable. I think I'll give them a try, especially with the water still so high. Maybe cast up and work them down on a tight line....well, we'll see.

Geez...I haven't subscribed to Fly Tyer since 1984. Time to renew that subscription, I guess.

[Housy Dave]

That's right, the indicator suspends the jig. It is like hanging bait off a bobber. That's why it's so much fun! :lol:

I usually like to give it a few little twitches just to give it a little more movement. I does move around quite a bit by itself. The maribou naturally flutters in the water, and usually the wind blows the flyline on the surface, which also moves the fly. If you used a regular fly under the indicator it would eventually end up hanging vertically. Sometimes if I don't have those jigs, I try to put a bead head on the fly, or put lead wire near the front of the fly (make it similar to a jig in other words). It works in a pinch, but the jigs are easier. The jig is always horizontal in the water.

With the ones from bass pro, I usually add a little head cement to the wraps just to keep it from coming apart. I guess for $2.99 a dozen you can't expect that much.

[treehooker]

You were right, they cast just fine with a 5 wt.