Flies, Jigs, Both

[Frenchman]

There seems to be a push from small groups to go "No Bait" and use ice flies.  What is everyone's take on Flies under the ice?  I plan on using a few flies this year but I will have a standard jig tied onto another rod with a can of spikes in the pocket.

[Swift]

A Pheasant Tail Nymph tied on a flytying 1/64 or 1/80 oz jig head with the shaft bent down has worked since the 70s. Rarely use them anymore but carry a few. Scud patterns used in and around the weeds can be lethal. Plastics are easier and less prone to icing up so I've drifted nearly exclusively that way. Still tie for the flyrod in the summer, 'gills love Peacock Herl in any pattern

[Van_Cleaver]

I probably should use more flies since I tie a lot for trout. Been fishing plastics a lot more with good effect, and it's easy enough to rig a dropper. Try tying a Wooly Bugger on a small gold jig head; I like black with a little Krystal flash in the tail.

[bullpine]

I plan to use some flies this year as I had a hot tip on them.  The tip was to tie them to a short 4 inch leader just below your Swedish Pimple.  That should work just fine and get the fly to the fish.  They said 9 out of 10 fish come to the fly - walleyes too!

[jigginfireman]

I have tied my own tungsten bead head flies. I have had mixed luck with them. It seems that they need to be really hungry in order to bite.

I wish there was a way to get information back from crashed websites. Back in the day you used to pay for membership for the Ice Teams to access the forums. There the Michigan guys had so much information on a technique/rig they used called the Michigan rig. This was a normal jig with a dry fly tied approx. 1' above the jig. They had perfected this rig. So much information was listed on there and I remember a little. They liked to use a small black dry fly with a small leader attached to the fly. This would look like a insect just floating in the water. So the use of flies is nothing new, but with new tactics comes a new era. So try new stuff. You never know what you may be onto. Tight lines.

[Swift]

Michigan rig will still work, just drifted away from it for some reason. Was of common usage back in the 60s when I started. Usually tied Peacock Herled wet fly types for them, something about peacock herl and 'gills that's hard to dismiss. Tellicos, micro buggers and simple tailed body wraps were consistent catchers. Think, maybe, the advent of high quality electronics brought it to a halt. We know the precise depth these days, no need to cover the water column like that anymore

[SKUNK-MASTER]

drop shot rig....but with a hook on bottom........lot of ways to vary it .....top fly tied with palomar knot   leaving long tag end, or  top fly tied with loop knot....bottom can be anything.....gill pill, kastmaster, bro bug....another fly....bugger etc.

[panfishman13]

i usually use a small spoon like the smallest northland forage minnow on the bottom. up high i'll make a surgeons loop with either a size 14 scud fly or a san juan worm. both are killer for panfish and trout, and the occasional bass as well.