By Jeremy Davies

Most fly anglers are aware of balanced leeches and their effectiveness; however, many anglers have trouble balancing them and want another option. Tying a streamer as a straight jig, such as the Jailbreak Jig, has become much more popular over the last few years, as it doesn’t require the fly tier to balance the fly. I have spent a fair amount of time fishing these jig streamers on medium to large rivers in late spring/early summer when the water is a bit murky or stained. I have always had the best success fishing these streamers under an indicator within a couple of feet of the bank. The bright orange Antron stripe and orange bead seem to attract very large trout. I caught a 23-inch brown on this pattern just after runoff, about 8 inches off the bank on a larger river in the Rockies. I also recommend tying this streamer pattern in chartreuse, pink, and yellow.

The Jailbreak Jig

Hook: Ahrex 540 size 8-12 60-degree jig hook
Thread: Uni-Thread 8/0 or 6/0 black
Bead: Orange slotted bead
Body: Black Hareline Dubbing or black chenille
Sides: Fire Orange Antron yarn
Hackle: Black or grizzly saddle hackle
Rib: Gold or copper fine wire
Tail: Black and Fire Orange marabou with Krystal Flash

The SID (yes, it’s named after that sloth in the animated film Ice Age) and the Unholy Diver are meant to dive upon each strip.  They are of course both articulated, so there is some great tail movement and the fly sway to one side or the other after each strip.  The difference between both flies start at the base.  The Unholy Diver is tied onto the multiple shank configuration displayed earlier, while the SID is on a double hook setup.  The next, and most important difference is the use of materials and how this difference highlight how new synthetics have moved this style of fishing forward. The SID is tied using rabbit strips and arctic fox.  The Unholy diver is tied using waterproof craft fur.  Both flies do have a base of chenille, used to prop up the other materials and help provide the illusion of bulk.

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