RIO's Hogan Brokeback Shad

Float n Fly fishing for cold weather/water bass is nothing new in the conventional world – adapting it to the fly rod – which in most peoples opinion is a superior tool to Float n Fly Fish – is new. I have been lucky to fish around and hang with the god father of float n fly fishing Ryan Williams – between him and Chuck Ragan I have learned everything I know about catching bass in the winter and early spring months on Northern California reservoirs. Most of these fish are eating small shad, wakasagi minnows, or other forage fish during the winter and presenting a fly on a dead or incredibly slow presentation is the key to catching fish at this time – As Chuck says everything in cold water slows down, the bait, the target fish, and us. The broke back shad was develop with some of newest and most innovative tying materials around that I was luck enough to get from Spawn Fly Fish. I started messing with the shanks and heads to give small baitfish a bit more movement while under the float or dropping down rock walls on sinking lines Blane Chocklett game changer style. The classic white/Chartreuse/Kelly blue color combo is a go to shad/bait fish pattern and with the trim broke back style of fly the movement on this pattern while under a float or stripped slow is amazing… I have even tightline nymphed this fly for big fish eating browns on a few rivers.