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flyty1

Finish knot to teach beginners on a jig head

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I am putting together a lesson on tying jig heads (mostly for spin/baitcaster fisherman). I want to demonstrate how easy this is and it occured to me that a whip finish may be too intimidating for someone just starting out. The single or double half hitch would be ideal- but a pen barrel isn't going to work over a bulbus jig head. Does anyone have an easy way to demonstrate a hand done half hitch? An instructional video would be preferred...Thanks Guys

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Is this lesson going to be in person or on line? If in person, I imagine most fishermen would be able to figure out a half hitch pretty well and it wouldn't take long to help out the few that can't.

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Teach the whip finish. It's the best knot for the job and worth learning. A half hitch is just a single wrap whip finish.

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I'm with Mike, especially if it's in person. I tie a lot of buck tail jigs for saltwater and find hand whipping by far the best way for me to tie them off. I learned like lost from tying flies first, but jig tyers who don't fly fish would greatly appreciate such a useful knot that is often only known to fly fishers

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The whip finish is not a difficult knot to tie or explain. Just call it a snell knot so they won't be intimidated by the name.

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Thank you for all of the input. I am planning on a small demonstration/class in person and using a video should the students want to see the finish again when they are at home in front of the vise. I could do a combination hand & tool produced whip finish and let the students choose if they want to buy the tool or not. I am not so concerned about the in person session - it is always nice to have the additional reference available when the students are at home flying solo.

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...but a half-hitch is so basic. You just make a loop and slip it over the eye of the hook. Do that 3 times and pull it tight. Add a drop of glue and it'll last the lifetime of the fly.

 

Since your raised this, I've started paying attention to how I do a half-hitch, to see if there is some trick to how I do it. Basically, I make a loop on the tip of my index finger, pinch it with my thumb, slip it over the eye of the hook (and usually a bead) and pull it tight. It's just too simple to need a video....

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I replied to this Sunday using my tablet but I don't see my post. I use a whip finish but use a scrap thread loop which finishes the collar giving a neater appearance than just a hand whip. I have a few YouTube videos but this one shows the process

Good luck with the class.

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Thanks JayWirth...I guess I am so focused on fly tying that I had forgotten all about the whip finsh you suggest...it has been a long time since I wrapped a rod guide! I think your method is the winner and I can send the students home with a video for tying the whole jig (not just the finish knot)...Thanks again

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Im not understanding the difficulty in teaching a whip finish. The method jaywirth shows is certainly an option but I think it's the worst of the choices (no offense jaywirth). The traditional whip finish can be taught in minutes and is quicker and easier then the guide wrapping method.

 

When I was in the army they always had giant models of things like guns that they used to teach with. They were very effective and better then a video, or worse, a PowerPoint presentation. I think a large easily made jig model could be used to explain a whip finish which once seen is easily understood and remembered. If I was in the class I would want to learn the whip finish. Just my two cents.

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I taught my youngest kids (twins) how to tie a whip finish by hand, with no tool, when they are about 9 or 10 years old and did so by showing them how to tie a jig.

 

But, frankly, it may be easier to teach that to kids than adults.sad.png

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No offense taken Poop. I agree that a tier should learn many different techniques, including how to tie off with a whip finish using both hands & tools; this will serve the tier well when faced with different situations. As a boy of 12 I was first taught how to properly whip finish by hand after wrapping hook shanks for streamers; once mastered I was taught how to tie jigs. The whip finish in the video is how I have been tying off a jig collar the past 38 years. The technique in my example shows how to finish the collar ending with a handsome cone shape and cutting the tag close to the jig head adding to a clean profile. Many tiers / fishermen are not concerned with the look of a jig collar and are mainly concerned with the durability and function of the lure - As fly tiers I doubt most of us look at a fly and not have the mental proportion chart flash in our minds (length of tail, wing length, head size, etc...). I just happen to also have the mental size chart picture in my head every time I look at a jig.

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Hi flyty1,

All suggestions in this thread are good. If you want something really simple we'll share a trick Dave Whitlock shared with us several years ago. Once the jig (or fly) is ready to "tie off" just put a drop of super glue on about an inch of the thread close to the last wraps on the hook and take 2 or 3 more turns around the hook. Allow the glue to dry for about 30 seconds, then trim the thread from the hook. Take care & ...

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