Lions Collar Hair Jig

[smalljaw]

With the weather getting colder it means it will soon be hair jig season and I've been getting ready. We've been catching them the last couple of weeks on finesse jigs and one that has been particularly good has been my lions collar jig so I decided to make a few hair jigs in the same style. I have a video on you tube on how I tie the silicone version and that will give you an idea of how to do this one, not much different except I'm using hair and Sally Hansen's instead of super glue. This is a 1/8oz football head painted green pumpkin but you can't see it in the picture, it is poured with a size #1 Owner 5304 deep throat jig hook. The body of the jig is dark olive buck tail and then the collar is green pumpkin fine round rubber and it is all tied with Danville 210 denier flat waxed nylon in black. The lions collar does a few things, it slows the fall of the jig and creates a Sculpin type profile and it also helps the jig stay upright when worked along the bottom. This jig works well with small chunk style trailers and the reason for the hook is that it is a very strong hook without it being really heavy wire so you can throw it with 15 pound braid without fear of bending the hook out. At the same time is isn't too heavy but plenty sharp so that you can get a good hook set with even 6lb mono or fluorocarbon but I prefer to fish it on 8lb line myself.

[Muskygary]

I like it! Do you cut the collar down before or after tying? I'm guessing it would be easier to handle about two inches long and then cut it down to the proper length. Of course you could always use bucktail instead of the rubber?

[Apdriver]

Very nice jig and great instructional video on YouTube for how to tie this and many jigs that will just catch fish. Thanks for sharing your techniques and expertise.

[FishingRaptor]

Smalljaw, great work! When I get the chance,(3 kids keep me busy)I'll post a jig I tie with bucktail.  Great looking jig!

[MO QWACK]

Looks like an awesome sculpin pattern!! Very very nice

[Fatman]

Very nice SJ

[efishnc]

I like the jig... I'm a little surprised to see a weed guard employed.  Where are you fishing in cold water that weeds are still a problem, or does the guard help keep it from getting snagged?

[WALLEYE WACKER]

Great looking jig.

[smalljaw]

Thanks guys, I've done similar patterns by spinning deer hair around the collar but the deer hair is soft and doesn't offer the same resistance in the water as the fine rubber does. I tie it in first then stretch and cut the strands loose, I have tied it with loose strands but that takes even longer. The weed guard isn't really for weeds, it helps with limbs and light brush too but the main reason is it helps keep the jig from getting wedged in between rocks. The places I throw these are rock flats adjacent to wintering holes, the fish will leave the hole to go feed on these flats and there is a lot of chunk rock close together and that creates little gaps that can cause the jig to become wedged and if you over top to free it you end up ruining the spot so we break off snags but the weed guard really helps keep the snags down to a minimum. Later on in the fall or early winter, if we still have liquid water, I'll fish minnow profile buck tail patterns in the hole itself and those won't have a weed guard.

[Muskygary]

Just saw your youtube video on tying this. Very good instructions, as are all your video. Thanks a lot, great jig!