i Wrote this several years ago and it’s still what I consider one of the most informative articles ever written on Float n Fly fishing. With George recent success at Dale on the Fly I thought I would post again. I know I would be at Dale right now if I could with FNF rod in hand. Hope you learn something from it
Elnut
Float N Fly from Basic to Advanced
Safety - Winter time is when FNF is the most productive but it can actually be fished any time of the year when fish suspend and clear water is available but again winter is the most productive time of the year. Winter fishing offers several obstacles that fishing in the other times of the year does not offer so I will offer us some basic safety tips first to hopefully keep a few more people safe on the water.
When launching your boat, DO NOT UNHOOK THE FRONT STRAP FROM YOUR BOAT UNTIL YOUR TRAILER IS NEXT TO THE EDGE OF THE WATER. I have seen boats come off the trailer and slide down the ramp because people have fished the day before and their running boards on their trailer got wet when they took out, stayed over night in teen degree temps then unhooked the front strap on their boat before backing down the ramp and the boat has come flying off the trailer and slid down the ramp.
When you launch your boat or take out your boat ease up slowly to the edge and stop and let the water drain out of your trailer and off your boat back into the lake. Don’t just get in once loaded and haul it up the ramp because all the water is now being dumped on the ramp and especially in the morning this will freeze instantly and make a skating rink on the ramp for the next guy. Wear plenty of clothes and gloves to protect yourself.
Get a motor cycle helmet or Fish Headz mask to wear that will keep you face from getting cold but more importantly keep your eyes from watering so you can see where you are driving. There are small propane heaters that you can purchase to use in the boat to help you stay warm but use these at your discretion to be safe. Fish with a buddy if possible, with water temperatures in the upper 40’s and you fully clothed for the cold plus your winter boots will make it very difficult for you to get back into the boat if you fall in the water. Keep several pairs of gloves, extra hats and extra dry clothes in the boat just in case you get wet either from falling in or the elements. You have to be smart and use good judgment because if you fall in the water under winter conditions it is not as easy just to swim to shore for hypothermia will set in very quick and you could drown.
General Information - Float N Fly (FNF) is a technique for catching suspended fish of all species, Smallmouth, Largemouth, KY Spotted Bass, Rainbow Trout, etc. Water temperature is the key for fish to suspend with the idea water temperature for FNF around 48 degrees but it can be very productive fished anytime when the water temperature drops below 53. It requires clear water to be effective for the presentation is very subtle and requires the fish to see the bait in order to strike the bait. No rattles, blades or massive erratic action is used on the technique for it is a finesse technique if there ever was one.
Depth and presentation are two of the most important aspects of this type of fishing. I will change my depth and presentation several times before I start changing colors on my jigs. The fish will feed looking up so keep this in mind when setting your depth for you want your bait just above their depth to have the most success. The fish will not chase a bait very far due to the water temperature being low and the fish metabolism has slowed as well so don’t expect fish to travel great distances to strike the bait. The jig you are presenting is imitating a small shad that also has the same slow metabolism and in some cases when the water temperature has been low for a long period of time the shad may be on the brink of death and will sit and quiver just before death.
Basic Setup - Rods - Generally the FNF is fished with a 9 foot or longer FNF rod that is very similar to an ultra light rod or fly rod. You need the rod length in order to cast a 10 foot plus leader length plus the long rod will help you in fighting a big fish with such a small diameter leader. Personally, a 10 foot rod is my preference which allows me to get the greatest casting distance, which is very handy to not spook the fish with any additional noise from the boat if it gets too close. It also allows me to cast leaders up to 13 feet easily while sitting down. All Pro 10’ rod is my favorite but I also have a 9’ G Loomis and have used a 9’6” Silstar rod as well in the past.
The All Pro is heavier than the other 2 and more physically demanding to cast all day, but I get a much better hookset and land ratio with this rod than either of the other 2. The G Loomis rod is very light and less demanding physically to cast but it is also very “whippy” and harder for me to get a good hookset in the fish. The G Loomis is very easy to cast and great distances can be achieved but to me it is harder to get a good solid hookset. The Lexus Silstar rod is an EXCELLENT rod for the money. For a first rod for someone wanting to see if they would like this type of fishing, I would highly recommend the Silstar due to the price and performance of the rod. The best rod is one with 1/3 of stiff butt for hook setting, 1/3 of decent middle to fight the fish and 1/3 of nice light tip to work the jig properly. When you find this rod, no matter the brand, you will find one that will give you the overall performance you are looking for to float the fly.
Basic Setup - Line, Swivels, Bobbers, Jigs, Fish Dope - You will need 8lb Braided Line as your main line. These super lines allow you to get 8lb test with 2lb diameter and allows you to make long cast. It also floats on top of the water that allows you to work the bobber properly without working against a sinking main line. You will need 6lb Flourocarbon most of the time or 4lb Flourocarbon when the fishing gets really tough for the leader. The flourocarbon line sinks to help get the jig down to the proper depth plus with its reflective design to UV rays makes it nearly invisible under water versus other types of line.
A #4 3-way swivel is also needed, I prefer Black over Brass color just to eliminate any reflection that might happen from the sun hitting the brass as it is worked for the swivel will be sitting on top of the water just under the bobber. The bobber is very important part of the equation. The best bobber to use for maximum results is a Styrofoam FNF center weighted bobber. This bobber is designed with the weight in the middle of the bobber just above center. After you make your cast the bobber will lay on its side as the jig sinks and once the jig is totally suspended below the bobber this additional weight is just enough to make the bobber stand upright in a normal position. The bobber will tell you not only when a fish has struck and pulls it under but many other things as well. For example if you make a cast into water that is of less depth than your leader the jig will sit on bottom but since it will not be fully extended under the bobber it will continue to lay on its side. This will also happen if your jig gets hung up on some grass, rock, timber or any other obstacle that is below the bobber that will not allow the jig to fully reach its maximum depth under the bobber. Another thing the bobber will tell you is when a fish has taken in the jig on the fall. Keep the amount of time it should take for your jig to reach its depth in your head. For example if it takes 6 seconds after the jig hit’s the water for the bobber to turn upright and 10-12 seconds have passed and you are for sure you are in open water with nothing to stop the fall of the jig then there is a good chance a fish has taken in the jig on the fall and is sitting there so it is time to set the hook. All of the above examples of what the FNF bobber can tell you can not be found using a pear shaped plastic bobber or bottom weighted bobber. The jigs that are used are 1/16 and 1/32 ounce FNF hair jigs.
These jigs are made out of all kinds of material from Duck Feather, Craft Hair, Bear Hair, Elk Hair and other types of game hair. Duck Feather and Craft Hair are the most common and come in a variety of colors. The final piece of the puzzle is a petroleum based attractor called Fish Dope. It comes in several scents with Garlic being the most common. This Dope can be applied to the jigs to add scent but also can be added to help mat down the hair of the jigs to help eliminate additional movement in the hairs. The rule of thumb for me is Fish Dope the head of the jigs only early in the season when the fish are a bit more active but none on the jig hairs, Fish Dope later in the season all over the jig to stiffen the hairs and help deaden the action of the bait as the bait will get more sluggish the longer the water stays cold and continues to drop in temperature.
How to get started - Once you have your rod rigged up it is now time to start fishing. I usually start out with a leader of 10’ deep and adjust from there depending on conditions. The cast is the first step and is very easy to accomplish once you get the hang of it. Start with your rod in front of you and your line in the water, raise the rod straight up over your shoulder to where your rod is now pointing backwards and wait until you hear the jig hit the water behind you, once you hear it, immediately bring the rod back forward and the cast is complete. This cast can be done one handed or two depending on which way you like. It may take a cast or two to get use to it but once mastered you will do it with your eyes closed and not even think of it. Once the bobber hit’s the water let the jig fall and wait for the bobber to stand straight up then let it sit for a few seconds. The way I work my jig is that I will very easily twitch my wrist, which in turns makes the rod tip to flex back and forth and by keeping a tight line will in turn work the bobber and jig.
I am CONSTANTLY reeling in my line to keep maximum tension on the jig. It may be at a snails pace but still I am always reeling. With the line out, the 10’ leader and a 10’ rod you have a lot of chance for slack to get in your line which is deadly to any hookset but especially deadly to the FNF. The retrieve can be altered faster, slower or more of a pause between works just to see what the fish want for that particular day. Depth and presentation are so much more important than jig color. Change your depth and presentation before you start tying on every jig color in your box. The bite will come in a couple of ways. One bite which is my favorite bite is when the bobber SLOWLY sinks under. Usually this is a big fish for the 5+ lb fish travel around by themselves and don’t have to worry about competition from other fish for the bait so they can just **** in the jig and swim off with it at your leisure. Another bite is the competition bite when the bobber goes sideways and under at a high rate of speed. These usually are the fish around 3 pounds and under that travel in groups and there could be 4 or 5 fish all trying to reach your bait first to get it.
The last bite is when the fish takes in the jig on the initial fall. It is very important to keep a mental note of how long it should take for your bobber to stand up after it hit’s the water for if it takes too long then either your jig has hung on something on the fall or a fish has taken it in on the fall. Personally, when I know I am in water deep enough and there is no way my jig should be hung on anything I am swinging for the fences because hooksets are free. You are trying to get a very small hook into the roof of the fishes mouth which is the hardest part to get a hook in to begin with. The way the jig is sitting in the water, 99.99% of all bites will be ambush bites from behind so you have to have a nice hard hookset to bury it into the roof of the mouth of the fish. Of all the fish I have ever caught on the fly, only 1 was hooked in the upper lip and 1 was hooked in the lower lip (have no clue about this one) but all the other 100’s and 100’s were hooked in the roof of the mouth. My hooksets are high and hard, just imagine you have your 7’ flipping stick with 80lb braid and you are trying to set the hook and drag an 8lb Largemouth out of the buck brush at Ky Lake in the spring. This exact high and hard hookset is what I use and I don’t let the bobber run for a while, the second it goes under, I am setting the hook.
Fighting and Landing the fish - You can’t horse the fish into the boat. You will be amazed at how hard a 3lb Brownfish will fight and pull with the FNF setup. Use your drag or back reel to perfection in order to get the fish to the net. Personally, I have my drag set extremely tight so that my initial swing for the fences to set the hook does not allow any slippage at all then I will immediately loosen it up for the fight. Whatever you prefer is your choice but this is what I do. Once you get the fish to the boat it is not that easy to get them into the net for landing. I take my rod and hold it high over my right shoulder with the rod in my right hand and extend backwards leading the fish into the awaiting net. I also step down into the middle of my boat to do this for it will put you that much closer to the water and make it easier to net the fish. Remember to practice catch and release whenever necessary to keep the fish population to where you and I can enjoy catching them again tomorrow.
Miscellaneous Information - When it is high blue skies then the fish will hold a little deeper and when it is overcast or extremely cloudy they will move a little more shallower. High blue skies and all of the jigs that I tie on will have some Pink in them versus when overcast or cloudy my jigs will always have a bit of chartreuse in them. Earlier in the season the fish will be more aggressive than later in the season. You can get away with more movement in your jig early but later in the year make sure you use less movement in your presentation and Fish Dope the hair on your jig to cut down on the action. When the air temperature is below freezing then the eyes in your rod will freeze up as will the line on your reel. Dip the rod in the water and the eyes will clear out.
I sit down when I FNF fish and use a Coleman Sportcat heater under my seat to help keep me warmer plus also the heat radiating up from the heater will help keep the ice off the reel. The more ice on the reel will not allow you to get maximum casting distance. When fish are holding on bluff walls then try a sidearm cast. When you master this cast both the jig and bobber will land next to the bluff and the jig will fall extremely close to the bluff. On your overhand cast most of the times the jig will land beyond the bobber and fall down towards the bobber. The sidearm cast will come in very handy the later in the year. In late February the water is the coldest and has been cold for the longest. When you get a few above normal temperature days late in the year, the bluffs and black shale rock areas will heat up and some days you will find the fish absolutely stacked in these areas trying to take advantage of the water being a few degrees warmer.
Anyone that is wanting to get into FNF fishing can find all the supplies needed at very reasonable prices at the One Stop in Celina Tennessee or Punisher Lures.com. They have a variety of rods from the basic to top of the line, locally hand tied jigs, FNF Bobbers called Bob’s Bobbers, Swivels, line, Fish Dope and even craft hair and other supplies if you decide to tie your own jigs. For those in Central Kentucky you can also find the same hand tied Punisher Lure jigs, Bob’s Bobbers, Fish Dope, material to tie your own jigs, as well as rods (during the FNF season) at Backwaters in Lexington at their new location on New Circle Road across from Sam’s Club. Stop in and see Steve and the family at the One Stop or John and the guys at Backwaters and surely they will help you all they can to get you started out right. Hope this helps answer some questions from beginner to advanced and basically it is like any other type of fishing, time on the water is the best experience and don’t be afraid to try something new if “traditional” methods are not producing.
by Elwood Lumpkins
