Making your own lures can be a rewarding experience. I began making my own lures from Fly’s, jigs and spinners to bucktails for all species over 5 years ago. Over the 5 years I have taken over 30 classes and spent time with some of the masters in the sport that make jaw dropping pieces of art that fool fish at an alarming rate. Believe me, I am no artist and can’t even draw a well proportioned stick man… Keeping that in mind, anyone can do this.

To expand on my post in regards to tool, I thought I would share some of the materials that I use to create lures.

1) Bucktails and Deer Body Hair – Theres a tone of great things that you can do with this stuff. You can make jigs, streamers, poppers and many other types of lures with this material.

2) Feathers – There are tons of different types of feathers that can be used for thousands of reason. The feathers in this picture can be used for bodies tails skirts etc for streamers, nymphs, jigs and whatever else your imagination can some up with.

3) Dry Fly Feathers – The barbials on these feathers tend o be stiffer and help lures stay on top of the water. The don’t flutter as much as softer feathers but can create presentations just as deadly. These capes tend to cost a little more, so when you are cutting feathers off the capes, have a plan ready for the feathers.

4) Chenille – These are essentially strings much like a pipe cleaner without the wire. Chenille’s can be used for building fuzzy bodies, heads and again what ever your imagination comes up with.

5) Flash – These strands of flashy material create sparkle in your creations. Be careful with this stuff, you can over due it. I usually find less is more with this stuff. Using it for accents can make a lure deadly. You can use this to spice up jigs, streamers, nymphs and poppers. I use a lot of this in jigs and large streamers for musky and pike.

6) Treads – There are many different types of treads out there from Uni, to flosses, multi strand, single strand etc. They are made of several different materials such as nylon, cotton, Kevlar and the list goes on. For dry flies you may want to use uni thread and for poppers nylon. If your making musky or pike lures, Kevlar would be the ticket. There are several different thicknesses available and all the colours of the rainbow. Try different things out and you will settle into the threads you like to use.

While making lures, keep in mind that you don’t need every tool you see. You only need a few to get started and as your imagination runs wild, you may want to create or buy some more. Keep in mind that making the lures is creative and fun, keep it that way and the experience will be that much better.

Finally I will mention, catching your first fish on a lure you made is an amazing feeling.

If you ever have any question, feel free to reach out and message me. I’m always open to sharing ideas as well.

Yours In Boating

Mike Bowler