Ice Flies

It was just another routine trip to the local Cabela’s in search of collecting more gadgets and gizmos that would be sure to “change the game” on my next fishing trip. An all too familiar feeling for most fisherman. When I noticed something that looked... different... than the rest of the brightly colored and hand-painted tungsten ice jigs. The VMC Bullfly.

VMC Bullfly

In a marketplace of heavy metal (literally) jigs with hard, enameled coatings. The Bullfly was a bit more natural looking, or I suppose as natural as artificially bright yellow and pink feathers can be. But it piqued my interest nonetheless and I found myself walking out with a few colorways and an injection of confidence that I found the next best thing that will help me out fish my buddies.

That confidence wasn’t entirely ill-conceived. The “Ice Flies” did work. And given they were roughly the same price as standard jigs, they were even worth it. So, in an oversaturated market that vies to catch the fisherman's eye more than the fish, what makes the ice fly thing worth investing my time as a tackle-maker in?

Simply put, I can do things with feather, hair, thread and tinsel, that cast jig head makers cannot do. Basically, I’m painting with an entirely new medium. Where they are constricted to mold shapes and paint. I have an unlimited supply of unique materials and methods of affixing them that lends to endless combinations.

ACT Best Sellers

With these endless combinations, I believe there is the next best thing somewhere out there. My storefront is an example of that. Each pattern has been through multiple phases of prototyping until I got the proportions and intended vibe correct. Then it’s just up to the customer to find their silver bullet among them and head to the lake with the same confidence I felt walking out of Cabela’s. Sometimes confidence is all you need to fish better and make an otherwise slow day, one to remember. 

-Aaron