Float N Fly Jig

Float N Fly Jig, White/Olive/Chartreuse

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Tying Instructions

1.Place a slotted Tungsten Bead to the jig hook and attach the hook to the vise. I find that 3/16″ beads will fit sizes 4-8. You can drop down to a 5/32″ bead if you want it to be lighter.

2. Wrap some .015″ leadfree wire behind the bead and slide the wire into the cavity of the bead. This will firm the bead placement.

3. Attach the thread to the hook shank behind the bead and securely wrap the leadfree wire to the shank.

4. Clip 3-4 strands of Krystalflash and secure the middle of the strands to the top of the hook shank behind the bead. Pull the strands, there will be 6-8 of them, over the top of the hook shank and bind the strands to the bend of the hook.

5. Attach a piece of Holo Flashabou or tinsel to the bend of the hook.

6. Wrap the tinsel forward to just behind the bead. Secure and trim off the tag end.

7. Clip a segment of craft hair and remove some of the shorter underfur. Trim up the tips somewhat for an even length. The length of the hair should be about 1.5-2.0″.

8.Trim off the tag end of the craft fur and secure with tight thread wraps behind the bead.

 

9. Next, attach a second segment of craft fur doing the same cleaning procudures and secure this segment on top of the first. Notice that the length is adjusted to be slightly less than the first to give a tapered appearance.

10.Trim off the tag end and secure with thread wraps.

11. Turn the hook over and secure a smaller segment of Olive Craft fur. This being the same length as the first white segment, about 1.5-2.0 inches long. Trim off the tag and secure.

12. Next, clip off some bucktail hair keeping the tips even. Attach this segment just above the Olive craft fur with the same length of material.

 

13.Clip off the tag ends of the bucktail and secure with thread wraps. Turn the hook back over and wrap a tight collar behind the bead hiding any of the ends of the craft fur and bucktail.

 

14. Apply a Whip Finish.

15. Place some UV Clear Fly Finish, Thin to the threaded collar.

16. Harden the finish with a UV lamp

17. A durable Float N Fly Hair jig. You can paint on eyes if you feel this will be more effective. But, the silhouette and coloration will be there to represent the dead baitfish.

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	Daiichi 4660 #4-8
Thread	Red Veevus 10/0
Head	3/16
Weight	0.015 Leadfree wire
Underbody	Large Veevus Holo Black tinsel
Tail	Pearl Krystalflash
Collar	Red Veevus 10/0 with Loons UV Fly Finish Flow
Body	White Craft Fur, Olive Craft Fur, and Chartreuse Bucktail

Ryan Williams

Float N Fly

Float N Fly jigs go back to the early 1980’s. They were used with conventional gear within the southern smallmouth waters such as Cumberland Lake and Dale Hollow. Bass fisherman, Charlie Nickols, is considered to be the one who brought the technique to the forefront and helped to perfect the technique.

Sierran Guides

Sometime after 2010, the technique made it’s way to our bass lakes in the Sierra. Guides Hogan Brown, Ryan Williams, and Chuck Ragan refined the patterns and the rigs to our Sierran lakes and the technique has become quite popular during the Winter and early Spring months. Basically, it’s a dead minnow drift that is presented to the bass at the proper depth controlled by a floating indicator.

Pond Smelt

This is similar to midging but on a bigger scale. The “minnow” is usually a Japanese Pond Smelt which was introduced to these lakes in the 1970’s as a food source. The Japanese name for the smelt is “Wakasugi”. Ryan Williams markets a Williams Wakasugi Minnow on his website, North Valley Fly Fishing. Most of the patterns utilize craft fur and bucktail for the body. The craft fur has a nice undulating effect within the water column that will trigger a response from the bass. Some patterns will utilize Mallard Flank for the body, similar to a Hornberg pattern.

Float N Fly Hair Jig, Olive/Gray/Chartreuse

Hook	Daiichi 4660 #4-8
Thread	Red Veevus 10/0
Head	3/16
Weight	0.015 Leadfree wire
Underbody	Large Veevus Holo Black tinsel
Tail	Pearl Krystalflash
Collar	Red Veevus 10/0 with Loons UV Fly Finish Flow
Body	Olive Craft Fur, Gray Craft Fur, and Chartreuse Bucktail

Float N Fly Hair Jig, Blue/White/Chartreuse

Hook	Daiichi 4660 #4-8
Thread	Red Veevus 10/0
Head	3/16
Weight	0.015 Leadfree wire
Underbody	Large Veevus Holo Black tinsel
Tail	Pearl Krystalflash
Collar	Red Veevus 10/0 with Loons UV Fly Finish Flow
Body	Blue Bucktail, White Craft Fur, and Chartreuse Bucktail

Float N Fly Duck Jig, Gray/Chartreuse

Hook	Daiichi 4660 #4-8
Thread	Red Veevus 10/0
Head	3/16
Weight	0.015 Leadfree wire
Overbody	Mallard Flank
Overwing	Pearl Krystalflash
Collar	Red Veevus 10/0 with Loons UV Fly Finish Flow
Body	Gray Craft Fur, and Chartreuse Bucktail