Before we get started, I would like to say a few words about fishing with jigs. If there is only one fishing technique, you master in your lifetime make it fishing a jig. Jigs are by far the most consistent method of taking fish. There are two important aspects of fishing a jig. First, how you fish it. You can hop it, twitch it, swim it, crawl it, or use variations thereof, but there is no wrong way to fish it. On any given day, the fish will let you know how they want it. All you need to do is experiment with retrieves and depths until you find out which produces best. The second is confidence. Actually, confidence is the most important part of the equation. However, the only way to build up confidence is to fish jigs – and catch fish. Without the catching there will be no confidence. Confidence and experience: the Ying and the yang of jig fishing.

 Lets take a look at the materials you will need to tie the black leech. You can pick up all of the items at your local Gander Mountain or, Jann’s Netcraft (P.O. Box 89, Maumee, OH. 43537-0089, on the web at: http://www.jannsnetcraft.com., or you can purchase the materials directly from me. Your business will be greatly appreciated! To start out, purchase round jigheads in three different sizes: 1/16, 1/8, & 1/4 oz. Buy heads that are already painted black I recommend they be powder-painted. Powder will standup to the constant abuse that jigs take banging into rocks. You will need two spools of thread. Flat waxed black nylon and a size D, nylon rod wrapping (Gudebrod) thread. I suggest brown or green, the contrast to the black rabbit strips will make it easier to see what you are doing. Purchase both crosscut and regular pre-cut rabbit strips. After you have gained experience tying, and made the decision to continue to do so, you may want to purchase whole rabbit skins, and cut your own strips. You will save even more on the cost per jig by doing so. The last five items may already be in your home. If you are married or live with a significant other, chances are that there is some clear fingernail polish and a decent scissors somewhere in the house. You probably have an exacto or utility knife in your household toolbox. If so, take the blade out of it, it will be easier to work with. If not, then a trip to the nearest discount store (Wal-Mart, Fleet Farm, or K-Mart) is in order. Set a small glass of water off to one side. This will be used to wet the hair, allowing it to lie down. A piece of Styrofoam to stick the jigs into while they dry – two coats of clear fingernail polish over the thread will see to it that the thread does not ever grow weak or unravel - will complete our list. Once you have accumulated the necessary materials, its time to find a work area.

 The most important features in your workspace will be an uncluttered table, a comfortable chair, and adequate lighting. Be sure the height between table and chair is comfortable for working. In the new millenium, this is called ergonomics. Whatever you call it, just be sure it works for you. In addition to good over-head lighting you will want an adjustable gooseneck lamp of some sort – if you are under fifty and do not wear glasses you may be able to do without the lamp. Next to your chair is a good place to have a wastebasket; put it on the side that is most comfortable. If you are right handed, place it, and most of your other tools and supplies on the right. Your work area should be a place where you can leave all materials and works in progress out on the tabletop, knowing they will not be disturbed. Be sure to cut and tie a loop of the size D thread before beginning to tie the black leech.

 Before you pick up the jig and begin, look at the photo of the jig in the process of being tied. Notice: how it is held, the direction of the crosscut rabbit hair, – it falls to the left - and how the thread is wrapped around the little finger. Now pick up the jighead in your left hand, holding the hook (point down) between thumb and forefinger. Position the spool of size D wrapping thread on its side, thread coming over the top, towards you. Putting the spool inside a small container will keep it from running around the tabletop, or falling to the floor. Now pick up the thread near its end in your right hand and lay it between the shank of the hook and the thumb of your left hand. Before you begin wrapping, you will want to know how to get tension on the thread without it slipping through your fingers. It is quite simple. Just wrap the thread twice around the forefinger and use the pad of your thumb to apply the desired amount of pressure. With the thread pinched firmly between thumb and hook, begin winding some wraps along the shank of the hook. You can fold in the tag end of the thread and wrap over it, or trim it off with the scissors. Lay down a solid base of thread along the shank making sure that you put quite a bit of tension on the thread. To get a good idea of just how much tension the thread will bear, you might want to intentionally stress it to its breaking point. After you do this a couple of times you’ll be able to better gauge just how much tension you can use.  Once you have a foundation of thread built up – approximately four layers – the next step will be the addition of a precut piece of straight rabbit strip. The length of this strip is up to you. To begin with I recommend using a piece two and a half too three inches.

 After you fish these jigs for awhile you may want to experiment with various lengths. Lay the strip – hair down, facing the shank – along the shank of the hook. About one quarter to one third of an inch of the strip should be on the shank. Now, using a fair amount of tension, wrap thread around the rabbit strip and shank of the hook. As you are wrapping, keep an eye on the alignment of the rabbit strip. Very often, the tension will cause the strip to slide off center; you can adjust it before there are to many wraps. The next step will be to lay a pre-cut loop of thread along the shank and wrap over it six to eight times. Now, keeping tension on the thread you will need to cut it. Be sure that you have about four inches of thread, because you will now have to run the thread through the loop. With tension still on the thread, pull the loop under the thread, and cut it at its exit point.

 Next, grab the flat waxed nylon and begin a tightly wrapped layer over the thread that is holding the rabbit strip along the shank of the hook. Fold in the tag end of the thread or trim with scissors. You should finish up, back near the hook bend. Now let go of the thread or wrap it around the pinky finger of the left hand, while you pick up the crosscut rabbit strip in your right hand. Lay the strip on the tabletop in front of you, its end near the edge, hair flowing to your left. The length of the strip should be wholly on the table, perpendicular to the edge. Take the end of the crosscut rabbit strip in the right hand and slide it up on top of the jig near the rear of the hook. You can now pinch it between the thumb of the left hand and shank of the jig hook. This will hold it in place while you begin to wrap over its end six too eight times. Be sure to put a lot of pressure in these wraps, they will be holding this end of the jig together. Continue wrapping along the shank – put quite a few tight wraps along the shank - up to the back of the jig head. Put eight or nine wraps there and then pinch the head of the jig between the thumb and forefinger of your right hand. At the same time, you can let go of the jig with your left hand. The crosscut rabbit will now be hanging down in front of you. You can begin wrapping the crosscut rabbit with your left hand. Just wrap it up and over, if you need to let go of it to complete the wrapping, that’s alright, you can pull it tight when you have completed wrapping right behind the head. Once you are about half way along the shank, you can switch the jig back to its original position in the left hand.

 Let the thread hang loose: all those previous wraps will maintain enough pressure to hold everything together. Continue wrapping with your right hand. You will notice that with each wrap the hanging thread will get in your way. You can either let go of the rabbit strip to complete the rotation, or transfer the strip to in between the pinky and ring finger of your left hand. For best results position the strip between the pad of your ring finger and the top of the pinky, while you bring the right hand around the thread. Pickup the rabbit strip again and continue wrapping until you reach the back of the jig head. Now pull down on the rabbit with your right hand, while doing this transfer the strip again too between the pinky and ring finger of your left hand, this sounds more complicated than it really is. The tension is not critical and a little trial and error will produce better results each time.

 You will now have to move the flat waxed thread in your right hand across and under the crosscut strip in your left hand. Once this is done, start to wrap a collar about one eighth of an inch behind the head of the jig. Each time you wrap you will have to move the crosscut strip out of the way. After wrapping three or four times you can find the spot where the crosscut meets the jighead and cut it with a razorblade. Place the blade over the rabbit strip - making sure you are not going to cut the thread at the same time – and rock it back and forth until the rabbit is completely severed. Secure the threads tension and continue wrapping a few more turns.

 You will notice some rabbit hair is sticking out in all directions, even over the head of the jig. Dip your fingers in some water and smooth this hair back over the collar and wrap over it. Continue wrapping the collar evenly and proportional. We are now ready to finish the jig. If all has gone according to plan, you will still be holding the jig, like a vice in your left hand – hook between thumb and forefinger. Lay the same loop you used earlier across the collar and wrap over it six too eight times. Before you cut the thread, lay the middle finger of your left hand over the top of the collar and exert downward pressure. By maintaining finger pressure, the built up tension on the collar will not be lost. Now cut the flat waxed thread, making sure you have enough too run through the loop. Its better too error on the side of excess too begin with. Run the thread through the loop and pull it under the wrapped collar. Trim excess even with the collar, using the exacto or utility blade.

 Viola! The black leech is finished, and a star is born. Well maybe not a star, but I guarantee that you will outshine your fishing partner next time out. All that is left to do is coat the collar with clear fingernail polish. Once you tie a few of these rabbit hair jigs you are going to find that you will start to deviate from the instructions as written. This is to be expected and I encourage you to find other nuances in technique. By doing so, you will become more comfortable and efficient. Just as there are numerous ways to fish a jig, there is also more than one way to tie a jig. If you have further questions on tying or where to buy materials, you can call me at: (920) 722-0799 Photo of completed jig: The finished black rabbit hair jig. The most realistic leech imitator of them all, plastics do not even come close.