Rabbit strip advice needed

[ChromeAddict]

1. I have been tying some rabbit strip jigs to use for steelhead this spring, and saw that once I had finished tying them, they look like furballs, not the nice streamlined, conical shape I see other guys tie. What could I be doing wrong?

2. What are some good general colors to use for steelhead jigs?


3. What weight/head shape/brand jigheads do you use to tie your steelhead jigs on? I know I need something without a bait keeper, but I'm not exactly sure what I should be using to tie on.


Thanks for all the help guys, hopefully these jigs will help for steelhead season!

 

[Christopheraaron]

What you're doing wrong isn't really something that you're doing wrong at all. There are 2 kinds of rabbit strips, zonkers and crosscut, zonkers are cut at a straight angle going down the rabbit and so they wrap like a dry fly hackle like you described. Crosscut is cut going down the perpendicular direction from zonkers and the hair slopes off of it, these are meant for wrapping. What you have tied will probably work just fine, it'll just be a little bulkier than most. For steelhead it's usually purple, pink, white, black, same as any lure for them. For jigs you can use a jig with a bait keeper, just take some side cutters and cut the keeper off. Otherwise use the bead and pin method.

 

[Dozer]

Jigheads? Don't cheap out - make sure they've got a quality hook. Honestly, the shape doesn't really matter, I mean there are finer details that different shaped jigs have but steelies don't care ( check out roadsnake90 on youtube - simplest jigs with nothing fancy on them and he absolutely crushes them ).

For jig hooks I use Daiichi ( I add a dumbbell or bead to these ). Chris pretty much summed up the colors.

 

[wlatyn]

Like Chris said...look for crosscut rabbit strips ; much easier for jigs.

 

[ChromeAddict]

Jigheads? Don't cheap out - make sure they've got a quality hook. Honestly, the shape doesn't really matter, I mean there are finer details that different shaped jigs have but steelies don't care ( check out roadsnake90 on youtube - simplest jigs with nothing fancy on them and he absolutely crushes them ).

For jig hooks I use Daiichi ( I add a dumbbell or bead to these ). Chris pretty much summed up the colors.

What size Daiichi jig hooks do you normally use? Would a size 6 work?

 

[wlatyn]

Depends on water conditions...if it is stained and you want a bigger fly, go with at least a #2. Size #4 is a medium-small jig and Size #6 ties a pretty small jig.

 

[Christopheraaron]

Depends on the size of the river too, Wilmot you'd want something pretty small vs the Niagara where you could go huge potentially.

 

[ChromeAddict]

I generally fish smaller tribs, so I think i'll pick up some #6 and #4 jig hooks with 3/16th oz beads and size 1 pins.