Learn how to attach a lure skirt using thread or glue.
Glen Booth
You can attach a lure skirt using thread or glue. Some crews prefer to slide a skirt over the lure head, but in this tutorial we demonstrate how to attach a skirt by placing it right onto the back of the lure or collar. To get started you'll need a lure head, two skirts, waxed rigging thread, scissors, razor blade and glue. Story and photos by Glen Booth
Cut the top off the skirt, starting well above the neck. Leave yourself some room to play with on the skirt, as the head section of the skirt will be doubled over when it is tied on.
Turn the cut end of the skirt inside out. If the skirt is a tight fit when you go to slide it on the lure collar, an alternative to chemical lubricants and something that's always to hand is good old saliva. Dipping the skirt in a cup of just boiled water will also soften it up.
Roll the skirt onto the first collar on the back of the lure, ensuring that any back shading, stripes and the like incorporated into the skirt design line up with the top of the lure head.
Keep working the skirt forward until it sits flush with the back of the lure head.
When the skirt is correctly positioned, fold it forward or inside-out, and back over the head of the lure.
Cut a two-foot section of waxed thread to begin attaching the skirt to the lure.
Leave a four-inch tail of floss which you will use to tie the floss. Bind the floss tightly to the collar by going around the lure head three times. For smaller lures, split the waxed thread lengthways to reduce bulk.
Form a loop with the tail end of the thread, and then wrap over the loop three more times.
Place the tag end in the loop and pull through.
You can trim the tags off short, but if you leave them half an inch long, it is easier to unpick the floss in the event that the skirt needs to be changed in a hurry.
Carefully run the razor blade around the collar to remove the excess skirt material.
Make sure the second lure collar is free of any material so you can attach the under skirt.
Repeat the process to attach the under skirt, by cutting the tip off the skirt and attaching it to the lure head with the waxed thread.
When you have the under skirt attached, you can fold the skirts back over the lure collar to cover the waxed thread.
Roll the skirts down, trim to the required length if need be and the lure head is now ready to be outfitted with a single or double
Changing just one or both skirts can resurrect an old or out-of-favor lure, getting you excited about the lure's prospects. Having confidence in a lure is a major part of its success, as they don't catch anything sitting in the tackle drawer.
You can also attach a skirt using glue instead of waxed thread. When gluing, we aren't folding the skirt over to tie it in position, so we don't need to cut the skirt as high up on the head.
Immerse the head of the skirt in hot water to soften it up so you can work it onto the lure collar, or try some saliva to help you slide the skirt into place. Push the skirt up to the first collar.
Fold the skirt forward slightly to expose a bit of the lure collar.
Run a small bead of glue around the first collar, then on the second collar.
Slide the under skirt on and fold the top skirt down.
Allow the glue to dry and it's ready to fish. The only drawback with using glue is that trying to remove the skirts might damage them beyond repair, but Tarzan's Grip as used here gives a secure bond without compromising strength. It won't wash off, but it can still be peeled away easily enough.
