Ice Fly Fishing

[Rob Greer]

I had some flies made for me by a Nebraska Fish and Game Association member who has been drawn to the dark side of fly fishing. You know who you are and I know who is to blame!! Anyway, I wanted these flies to try and help me concentrate on learning how to jig and jigging patterns according to a fish's attitude/mood. Yea, I could attach a waxy and "wammo!" probably have a fish but I'm different I guess. It's been a blast learning these flies. I get so involved I forget time, location, direction... I have no idea where I am when I look up, just fixated on the vex and the fish patterns. I found that fish can really be picky but you can usually find what they want. They just want things a certain way at a certain time in a certain sequence. It's amazing. I am an absolute amateur at this but I think if you take the time and experiment you will learn some very good skills for those days that the fish are not jumping on your hook. I have managed to catch gills and crappie on the flies. I added a red bead for 2 reasons. #1 Vex/Marcum signature. #2 to create sound during rapid jigging. The flies have a tungsten bead head so they slam the bead during rapid jigging. I have called in fish when none are to be found so I think the sound thing might work. I've tested 2 flies and both were successful without bait of any kind. It's fun and a change of pace for me. I've had incredible luck this ice season so slowing down the action and experimenting is a real treat that may pay off for years to come.

[Kiana Fitzpatrick]

Sounds interesting to say the least....I have no idea about FLY fishing let alone ICE fly fishing...LOL sounds intriguing though.....and at least you are catching them, while I'm in TN dreaming about catching them!!!!

[Bruce Yinger]

Rob..
There is a group of icefishing guys from Jackson (Brooklyn) Michigan that call themselves tightliners...they utilize hi-vis golden stren line and tie a scud pattern fly on a one inch leader about 12 inches above the typical ice jig.. the gills hit one or the other....

[John Sheehan]

You got my attention! Gonna try this ! Slow sinker I guess ...the bead not only atracts but gets it down a little quicker. Ever try it with a bb shot and no bead?

[Jeremy R. Mayo]

This is kinda funny cause I did the same thing with some of Alex G's flies today that he sent me. Said he couldnt use them cause of the ice so he wanted me to try a couple. I headed to the boat launch today and when I pulled up there were some people kinda close to my hole. Now im pretty good with a fly rod but i didnt wanna take any chances on a gust comin thru and me takin off somebodys hat on a quick retrieve. I had already tied a couple on to see if the balance was rite. How I needed to adjust my technique for flingin these handtied boogers bein all ive ever thrown was a poppin bug. Back to the launch story! I just decided to take and stick em on my b&m bream buster add a split shot and try jiggin it. Turns out it worked. HAHA! Now I have to go back and tell him they work great but He coulda been done used em on the iced over lake!

Good times