During my guiding days in the 1990’s, a client who had taken a college entomology course suggested we take a break to conduct a little in-stream research. When we lifted a vegetation mat from the water, large leeches dropped out in surprising numbers. Further investigation of submerged rocks and debris revealed countless gelatinous larval cocoons—each containing a minute, writhing, wormlike infant leech—the progeny of hermaphroditic annelid parents. But I thought; “Do trout and bass actually eat leeches or is it just a fish story?”
My own river leech-fishing enlightenment occurred on the North Branch Susquehanna River near Ulster, PA. I was fishing the ‘Log-Jam’ area just below the Hornbrook County Park when I hooked and netted a good-size smallmouth bass. A stomach sample revealed several undigested leeches, along with the anticipated mix of Callebaetis nymphs, and a crayfish. The sample showed the importance of leeches a smallmouth’s diet, reaffirming the value of leech imitations as part of a well-rounded tackle-box.
One of many North Branch Susquehanna Smallmouth bass who fell to my ESL Jig
Leeches are most active during the morning or evening hours. When you pull an actual leech from the water it shrinks into a small lump less than a quarter inch long. But the same leech, when swimming, may stretch out to four or six inches. What the fish see and feed on are the leeches as they are swimming or drifting, fully extended. A fully extended leech swims with an undulating motion, and their bodies are narrow and slightly flattened with a tapered appearance.
Do these jigs try and imitate anything as natural as a baitfish or a mayfly? Well, NO. JJ's Egg Sucking Leech (ESL) Jig is essentially it's a huge fur pile lashed onto the shank with a brightly colored jig head. It impressionistically mimics a hungry leech attempting to swallow a feverishly swollen fish egg.
M.E. DePalma with a Humpback Salmon caught on a Black JJ's Jigs - Egg Sucking Leech in the Neka River in Alaska.
Furthermore, the fact that our Twin Tiers green and black leeches do not, as far as I can tell, actually eat fish eggs, nor are they even colored a something as gaudy as bright chartreuse or purple. (So, it begs the question of whether any self-respecting angler would want to even be seen casting such a freakish creation under any circumstances.)
Yet, this jig is invariably mentioned on nearly every Steelheader's list of must-have patterns, and for two good reasons: it catches fish like crazy, and it embodies our disdain for all things elegant, delicate, and traditional. Is it effective?
Beyond your wildest dreams!
Just ask Mr. D. DeYoung who caught this Lake Erie hen steelhead on a ESL Jig in October 2010. He is a solid believer of the JJ's ESL Jig... and you should be too!
Just ask Mr. D. DeYoung who caught this Lake Erie hen steelhead on a ESL Jig in October 2010. He is a solid believer of the JJ's ESL Jig... and you should be too!
I have tied jigs and flies for over twenty-five years and I still love it. But as much as I love creating patterns, I love fishing them more. So durability is an important component of one of my patterns. The ESL Jig is almost indestructible. There is nothing to break and the more the fish chew on it... the better it fishes! I can make these jigs small and light enough for finesse float fishing and flyfishing or big enough for heavy dredging with strong steelhead and salmon rods and saltwater surf-casting without compromising durability.
We suggest
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The only way you can get a more realistic Hellgrammite than this... is to use live bait!$4.25
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Shiny, muted, or subdued - but deadly when bass crush baitfish & crayfish.$3.25
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Marabou jigs with smaller sizes for icefishing, crappie, panfish, steelhead, & flyfishing.$0.99
