Veteran ice fishermen have long known that scuds (or freshwater shrimp) are a favorite food for big panfish and trout under the ice. The ‘Gill Shrimp ice fly is a close imitation of a scud, enticing finicky slab bluegills, crappies, and trout with life-like marabou that breathes convincingly imitating the many legs of a scud. These flies often turn negative fish that reject the baited jig into biters, a situation common with finicky cold-front panfish. Pair them with a larger tungsten fly or jig to help get it down fast.
- Hook: #10-14 nymph or curved scud
- Thread: 8/0 UNI
- Eyes: Black Bead-Chain
- Underbody: 5-7 wraps of .015 lead-free wire
- Tail: Natural gray chickbou or marabou and silver flashabou
- Rib: X-fine silver wire
- Body: Natural gray chickabou or marabou and gray UV Ice Dub in a dubbing loop, wrapped to eyes
- Legs: X-small centipede
Note: The described pattern is for a gray ‘Gill Shrimp, however other colors also work exceptionally. To change the color, just match the tail and body (i.e. for a brown one, use brown marabou and dubbing.