Meet the Not a Ned, a fly pattern designed specifically for one job: fooling bottom-hugging bass that are keyed in on gobies. Inspired by the popular Ned rig from the conventional tackle world, this fly takes a different approach. Instead of standing upright, it swims horizontally and snakes through rocky structure just like a real goby would. The result is a heavy, inverted pattern that stays in the strike zone, avoids snagging, and shows fish something they haven’t seen before.

This pattern has proven especially effective across the Great Lakes and Lake Simcoe systems, where gobies make up a major part of the forage base and fish often refuse mid-column streamers. In the video, we tie two versions of the Not a Ned and then break down how to fish it, including gear selection, fly lines, leaders, and presentation techniques to keep the fly crawling along the bottom where these fish are feeding. If you’re looking for a unique, high-confidence pattern for rocky water, this one deserves a spot in your box. This fly also produces extremely well in other bass fisheries too as it imitates a whole host of different bottom dwelling food sources.

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