FF with a chilly twist

[perch]

Here's the thing.
I have another chance to go ice fishing in northern Minnesota this year .
I went last year and basicly got skunked. None of us had a clue as to what to really do.
The fellow that lives there is a good guy but not what you'd call a guide.
I want to put a bit of a twist on it.
I want to fish with flies.
Last year I put the question out "What kind of flies would work through the ice in Minnesota"?
The response was some what underwhelming .
I can get advice about what to use for "bait" (ick) and would truley like to avoid "bait" (ick) if at all possible.
I have experienced desperation before.
As time goes on person a person starts to get all kinds of wierd ideas.
Use a worm (Oh gawd!) , or spear a little minnow with a hook (gasp) , maybe smear some sort of little grubby sort of thing onto a hook suspended below a sinker ( Sinker? ,A Sinker of all things?).
I am relying on the good and decent people of this forum to come to my aid and come up with some sugjestions as to what I can tie up (and I tie slow so keep that in mind) for this trip.
I only will be there fishing for two days and I sure want it to be better than last year as far as the fishing goes.
I will be at a place called "Gull Lake" . Its the lake where the local Jaycee's put on a walleye contest.
Its a massive event.Fortunatly we will be there the week before the event.
I hope to make their catch smaller by a few walleye limits.
Thanks ,
Perch (the undaunted)


p.s I will be in Mn in late Jan. if that is a factor in considering sugjestions. p

[rainbowchaser]

I would try a marabou clouser with a bit of extra flash in a sizes six to two. Fish it the same way other people will be fishing a jigging spoon(though they will have tipped them with a half a minnow). Drop it down to about six inches off of the bottom or the weed bed and let it sit. Raise it a foot every few minutes and let it fall again. the fish will spit the bare fly very quickly which is the reason for tipping with a bit of bait. You will have to keep a close eye on the line and set the hook quickly if it moves in the hole. Good luck!

[J Castwell]

Why does he want you guys to use flies?

[MontanaMoose]

Hello perch, during my ice fishing career I was still spinning...nope, never used a tip-up. What I used was little cleos in gold color, dropping them to the bottom in deep water I'd charted in the 'not frozen' months. I would jig in three lift patterns, varying the times between lifts and drops etc. Most strikes came on the drop and the weight of the trout would be felt on the next lift, then I'd lift a little harder, setting the treble hooks.

I never used a fly but if I did and if I were going for trout I'd use something about the size of a #4 wooley worm in black with a short folded red yarn tail behind a gold tag. Hope you get ideas from this !

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

[dudley]

I icefish with flies with limited success (it ain't like using bait)
I can fish right in my neighborhood so driving off somewhere to buy bait is not very attractive to me.
For flies I try to copy the 'ice fleas' that are sold for jigging for trout and pan fish
These are meant to simulate midge larva that rise and fall in the water column, so it's not too difficult to find or create some good patterns
I like my flies to be 'flashy' and have some wiggly, hackle type action to attract attention.
Then it's just a matter of finding the right jigging action to use to fish them with

I probably should add that I tie up a leader with three or so of these flies as droppers that I attach to the line of the jigging rod with a loop to a snap swivel
For the point fly and as the jig weight I use a marabou Clouser

[soloman]

Aren't you going to be a long ways away from the hole with a flyrod???

How do you back cast in one of those shacks???

I would tie up some tiny lead head jigs with maribu tails and chenile or punch yarn bodies.

[perch]

Folkes, you've sure given me some very good ideas and options.
JC, it's "my" thought to fish with flies, not our hosts.
Kidding and dramatics aside, I am not horribly adverse to "bait" , its just that I really get a kick out of using flies , especiallly ones that I have tied , for whatever Im fishing for. Hence my desire to fish with flies through the ice. I will fish with flies. Also figure that a couple of leach patterns will be in the mix too.
If I ever figure how to work a computer Ill put up some pictures.
Thankyou very much for the input.

[WarrenP]

Perch,

As I read this post, I kept thinking about a a San Juan worm with a bead. I also like the suggestion for using a mini jig head much like a crappie jig. Good post...

[Scooter]

Perch, I understand what you are saying. I did try the same thing and the fact was I was catching little or nothing with fly only. And this is up in Lake Simcoe Ontario, a lake that is teeming with willing to bite Yellow Perch. I still use flies I've tied, but willl tip them with a minnow or a Power Grub. The flies I've had the most luck with are small (10-12) beadchain eye clousers, red, white and chartruese and the most excellent Crappie Candy. The "Hot fly" of Lake Simcoe is called a "Simcoe Bug". I will post a picture when I can. The fly is heavy, which eliminates having to use split shot (which the perch will sometimes bite!). A heavy fly gets you down quick, which you need to do when a school is underneath and the bite is on. Also this fly is effective without being tipped with any sort of bait.
Here's the recipe:
1. Use a size 6-8 standard baitholder hook. You can use a more expensive nymph hook, but it ain't necessary. Plus for this fly you need something with a wide hook gape.
2. Wrap a pinch-on sinker around the hook shank. Not a split shot, but the long thin sinkers with "wings" that wrap around your line. One of these:
3. Build up a red thread wrap from the bend to where the sinker stops tapering.
4. Wrap chartruse material around the body (can be thread, floss, chenille or yarn).
5. Wrap a red thread head around the front taper of the sinker to just behind the eye.
6. Apply several coats of head cement (or Sally Hanson Hard As Nails, or whatever you prefer).
Not sure what this fly represents, but it's effective, easy to tie and very durable. Fish it with sharp raises, slow fall, slow raise, slow fall, you know vary your presentation till you figure out how they like it.
Hopes this helps, Tom.

[nighthawk]

When I go ice fishing it is for food. When I go ice fishing for food I use the most effective thing there is. That is live bait. It has been mentioned here that tipping your flies with bait such as a maggot, wax worm, minnow and etc... is effective. That is very true.

If you are ice fishing you will be jigging the fly. The suggestion of using hooks with a jig head on them is very good. Remember that the fish metabolism is very slow while the ice is on. They are hungry but you will have to find where they are suspended and then jig vertically through the strike zone. The fish aren't going to expend the energy to get your fly unless you put it right there for them and it is flashy enough to entice them. You need lots of flashing action with the fly so marabou and rabbit fur with crystal flash are a must. My favorite colors are red, chartreuse and white. If you don't want to use jig heads then use "lead" wire on the hook shank, bead heads, dumbbell eyes, split shot or whatnot as your weight.

Tie some of these flies:

http://www.redrockadventure.com/fish...hing_flies.htm

Good luck and let us know ow you fair with this. It will be interesting to see how you do.