Confidence, Suspended Flies, and Cold-Water Bass

Updated and expanded for Gorge Fly Shop's new site, while preserving the original voice, opinions, and warmwater fishing perspective of Greg Darling. Originally posted on our old blog.

Confidence: the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.

It is easy to be lured in by techniques such as big streamers or big topwater, and yet so often success can be minimal at best. It is not that these are not proven techniques. They are. But oftentimes they are not implemented during the optimal season or in the optimal spots.

Combine the wrong technique for the season and/or unproductive water, and you have a setup for failure.

A way to overcome this failure is to build on a technique that one can quickly gain confidence in.

In my warmwater predator hunting adventures, I have come to rely on a technique that not only builds confidence quickly, but on many days I just cannot get enough of the fun that comes with it.

On days when nothing else wants to work, I can depend on Float and Fly. More often than not, it will show me where the fish are and provide important clues to their current feeding mood.

Feeding Mood Matters

I mention “feeding mood” to emphasize the fact that predator fish are not always willing to chase down a streamer or break the surface for a topwater, but that does not mean they will not eat. They might just need a presentation that does not necessarily force a reaction, but instead works by teasing and temptation.

Think of it like this: pick your favorite candy bar. Let’s say it is a Snickers. If I hold a Snickers in front of you long enough, I bet you will take it and eat it. How long that takes will be greatly determined by your desire to give in to temptation. This could vary day to day or even hour to hour.

That is Float and Fly. It is not always about making a fish react. Sometimes it is about hanging something in the zone long enough that the fish finally gives in.

Origins of Float and Fly

Float and Fly has its origins as a gear technique. Crappie anglers rely on this system to get their early-season catch. These old-school guys will tell you that they often run into bass, particularly smallmouth bass, while attempting to catch some silver slabs.

Recently, some fly guys, including myself, started to look at this idea as a fly rod technique. After all, if you look at indicator fishing for trout, outside of the fly, there is not a whole lot of difference.

Or is there?

Personally, I have worked with this technique now for well over a decade. There are some distinct differences compared to trout nymphing, starting with the fly.

The Fly

While many flies hung from an indicator will catch fish, a proper Float and Fly system is usually built around a fly designed to represent a baitfish. Just as important, that fly should be delivered in a horizontal presentation.

This is where jig-style flies shine. A fly tied on a jig hook or jig head can ride more horizontally beneath the float, giving it the look of a small suspended baitfish rather than a traditional nymph hanging vertically below an indicator.

The Solitude Drop Dead Minnow is a good example of this style of fly. It hangs right, fishes right, and gives bass that suspended baitfish look that makes Float and Fly so effective.


Solitude Drop Dead Minnow

Leader

A good leader for Float and Fly is the RIO Bass Leader. It has a strong butt section for turning over both the fly and the float, while the 9-foot length is a practical starting point for the majority of this fishing.

You can adjust from there depending on depth, fly size, water clarity, and how much control you need. The important part is having enough leader strength and turnover to cast the float and fly without the whole rig collapsing into a pile.

Indicator

It is hard to beat the easy usability of an Air-Lock indicator. If you need to adjust depth, loosen the screw, adjust the indicator, and re-tighten.

Thingamabobber-style indicators work just fine too. The key is using a float that is easy to see, easy to adjust, and buoyant enough to suspend the fly without dragging or sinking under its weight.

Fly Line

No special line is absolutely required, but I prefer longer-headed lines for mending ease. Lines with enough head length and turnover power make it easier to cast the float, control the drift, and mend without constantly yanking the fly out of the zone.

Lines such as Scientific Anglers Amplitude Infinity-style tapers or RIO indicator-style lines can work well because they help turn over the rig and manage line on the water.

Fly Rod

Without getting into a book’s worth of rod choices, let’s just say a 6 or 7 weight in at least a 9-foot length is a strong starting point. Adjust as necessary.

Your fishery might be just fine with a 5 weight. One of my favorite rods for this technique has been a 9'6" 5 weight with a full wells grip and fighting butt. That extra length helps with line control, mending, and hook sets, while the fighting butt is nice when a strong smallmouth decides to dig.

Setup Piece	Good Starting Point	Why It Helps
Rod	9' to 9'6" 5-7 weight	Turns over the rig, mends well, and handles bass
Leader	9' bass leader	Strong butt section helps turn over float and fly
Float	Adjustable indicator	Lets you quickly change depth
Fly	Balanced minnow or jig-style baitfish	Suspends horizontally and tempts cold-water bass
Line	Longer-headed floating line	Improves mending and line control

Technique

Start with your fly about 5 to 6 feet below your float. Adjust as necessary.

Seek out your ideal smallmouth holding water. Now, I realize that last statement could prompt an entire article about what smallmouth holding water looks like, but that will have to be for another time. In general, search rocky shoreline areas.

Cast in tight to these areas. Move often, even if only a few feet. When a smallmouth bass takes, it will steadily pull the indicator under, and in most cases even out of sight. There is no reason to get in a hurry on the hook set. As long as the indicator is well under, you should come to a solid set most of the time.

A cool feature of this technique is that the fly is almost always hooked in the upper jaw. It makes for a super clean catch and release and comes with a solid landing ratio.

Clues and Insights

This is not sit-on-a-bucket-while-drinking-PBR type of fishing.

• Keep moving.

Most takedowns are within 10 seconds of the cast. If I really have confidence in a spot, I might soak it for maybe a minute, max.

I tell anglers to fish it like a popper. Cast, let it settle, give it a twitch or two, maybe a pull, and move.

On those days when a bass will not break the surface for a topwater or move for a streamer, they will eat Float and Fly. So have confidence and keep searching. They will show themselves.

River or Stillwater

Bass in general are stillwater creatures. Even if you are fishing a river such as the John Day, most bass will set up on drop-offs, current breaks, and eddies.

Much of this fishing is done in those stillwater spots directly adjacent to currents. You might call them frog water.

Do not hesitate to work Float and Fly down a current seam just as if you are drifting a nymph for trout. But also do not overlook the frog water behind the current seam. That soft, slow, almost-too-dead-looking water can be exactly where bass are sitting, especially when the water is cold or the fish are not in a chasing mood.

Where to Fish Float and Fly Around the Gorge

Local to Gorge Fly Shop is an incredible smallmouth fishery in the Columbia River. While access can be limited, especially without a boat, there are many places that feature quick-dropping, rocky shorelines.

The next couple of months can be prime for smallmouth in close to shore. Focus on structure, rock, depth changes, softer edges, and places where fish can slide shallow without getting too far from deeper holding water.

Float and Fly fits this situation perfectly. It lets you hang a baitfish-style fly in front of fish that may not want to chase but are still willing to eat.

Final Thoughts

Confidence matters. Float and Fly gives you a technique you can believe in because it keeps your fly in front of fish long enough for them to make a decision.

Big streamers and topwater are fun, and when they work, they really work. But when fish are not willing to chase or explode on the surface, Float and Fly can show you where they are and what kind of mood they are in.

Have confidence, keep searching, and do not let the float sit too long unless the spot deserves it. Cast, settle, twitch, pull, move.

They will show themselves.

Greg Darling

"Passion For Fishing Is A Lifelong Pursuit Of Discovery"