Here in the north the ice is just starting to go out and I am getting ready for some ice-out panfish fishing, ie perch, sunnies, and crappies.
What are your go to flies and the recipes for the flies. We are doing lake type fishing in very cold water, ie just above 32F.
Northwoods
Doing well a bit south of you with soft hackles…slow sinking them usinf WFF line and 6 foot leaders
Also, HEN in size 10 no weight, again slow sunk and stripped in.
Lastly, #10 lil’ BUggers…bead heads, slow stripped.
#10 or 12 chenille bodies with rubber legs and tails work pretty good here in ponds.
Tie on two tails, tie on 4 legs midway up the hook, wrap the chenille up to the head, and let the legs stick out of the chenille. tie off at the head. White, black, olive, and sometimes there is a yellow-black chenille.
Spit on it so it sinks, toss it in, let it sink a little and strip it back slow.
This is gonna sound silly, but they are deadly!..“Honeybugs”!!
www.anglersupplyhouse.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=169&catid= You can also buy the chenille separately…I mention this because cotton chenille is very hard to find, but is ideal as it absorbs water & sinks slowly.
They are extremely simple…simply a chenille wrapped hook…just strip 1/4-1/2" chenille from the thread as a tail. VERY effective & worked for nme yesterday in poor conditions.
Mike
I will second what Mike said here. This is an outstanding fly. It imitates the wax worm/meal worm and other grub type of larvae. When you ty them you may want to coat the bare hook with a little head cement and let it dry before tying on any materials because that wonderful, lumpy chenille is so good at soaking up water it will eventually rust anything other than stainless steel hooks! For a neat variation add a thin soft hackle collar and or a bead head. I also ty some of mine with red thread. This is a deadly fly year round! Also makes an outstanding dropper.