Fishing Forum

I started tying some old tackle into various jigs and bugs as well as tied some buggy looking ice flies. Does anyone here tie their own ice flies? Any pointers on what insect or larvae works under the ice? 
Here’s a few photos of a few I’ve tied 

If you are trying to "match the hatch" then almost any small critter in brown, green or black will work.  Add a bit of meal worm or wax worm for scent.  If there are small baitfish in the area, then a small jigging spoon will usually get some attention.  

I have been tying flies for several decades and that carried over into my making a lot of different "bitty bites" for ice fishing.  I haven't found much that won't work...at one time or another.  But my findings are that glow and/or bright colors often work best because the fish can see them better in the low light conditions under ice and snow.  Here are a few different things I have used successfully over the years.  The little "bait bugs"...made with either chenille bodies or "PBJs" (painted body jigs) have always worked well.

    

      

I tied some balanced leech jigs last year and caught cutthroats at Strawberry on them. Basically black with a hint of red or purple seemed to work for me.  I like the way they hang in the water.  Fished them below a blue/silver Kastmaster as an attractor.  The biggest fish I caught was missing an eye, so maybe only really good for partially blind fish...

Super helpful visuals and ideas. And I’m grateful for the tip on catching one eyes out of strawberry lmao. I’ll have to empty out a trout stomach or two to get an idea of what’s on the menu and try to mimic what ever horror I find in there. I had a pineview crappie last year regurgitate a wad of 3/4” bugs I’d never seen or knew existed in 60’ of water.