Here is a fly design I've been playing around with. It is basically just a Puglisi-Style unweighted Shad, except that I made a 'head' from 2 ml foam. It floats 'head-up' like a shad feeding at the surface. I tried it this morning and caught 4 Stripers, 2 white bass, 1 yellow bass and 1 black bass, all in a little over an hour at the tailraces. This one is tied with silver on top, chartruese on the bottom with a red head. It seems to work.

This one is a bit chewed up, but I wanted to show how well it holds up after 8 vicious strikes. It's still in good shape.


Floating Head Shad



Hook: Cabelas Model 40 Streamer, sz. 4
Thread: Danville 6/0 , black
Body: Enricos Sea Fibers, Silver on top, Chartruese on the bottom.
Head: 2 ml foam, red-cut roughly in mthe shape of a small heart, and folded over the top
Eyes: Prismatic stick-on

It is tied in the Hi-Tie method. Tie in a small doubled up clump of hair on the bottom, move forward and tie a similar portion on top, then move forward again and do another batch of hair on the bottom, and so on to the head. You only need about 4 sparse layers. Then you just comb it out and trim it to shape, attach the head and eyes, and you're done. I don't even Whip Finish anymore. I just coat the string for about 4-6" with Super Glue, or Hard as Hull, wrap it and let it dry. It will never come loose! Zap-A-Gap works well, also.

Semper absentia piscatio
(Always out fishing)