Droppers

acoffman3

Member
Ok so I've noticed that a lot of people fish using tandem rigs or droppers so I was wondering if I could get some advice on them; best way to set it up, which patterns work best, best way to fish it, etc.
 

centerpin fan

Senior Member
I don't FF for trout much, so I don't know a lot of details about how they do it. It's usually a big dry fly with a nymph for the dropper. Charlie Meck is a well-known FF guy who uses this rig a lot. (I think he calls it a "tandem rig".) He's got a book or two out on the subject.

When I use a dropper, it's almost always for bluegill. I use a small popper and tie a small nymph to the bend of the popper hook (popper to dropper is usually about 18".)

Great method for gills.
 

jsullivan03

Senior Member
Ok so I've noticed that a lot of people fish using tandem rigs or droppers so I was wondering if I could get some advice on them; best way to set it up, which patterns work best, best way to fish it, etc.

Centerpin is correct, but I'll add to that. There are 3 main setups I use when using a dropper.
  • Dry/Dropper- this can also be reffered to as a Hopper/Dropper combo. I use this on smaller streams a lot. Use a high floating dry more or less as an indicator with a hook. Drop a nymph far enough off the bend of the dry to drag the bottom.
  • Dry/Dry- I will do this to be able to fish smaller drys that I can't see very well. The lead dry will be larger and once again act as an indicator with a hook. Works well on tailwaters when the fish are keying in on really small bwo's and midges. Another type fly you can use in this situation is an emerger. If you are seeing fish slash topwater, you are throwing the fly that is hatching, but they won't hit it, they are probably taking the emergers.
  • Double Nymph- This I will do in larger water in the wintertime when nymphing is key. You can cover a wider variety of food selection and also more than one water column. Another variation of this is a streamer and a nymph.
As far as fly selection goes, pay attention to the bug life around you. If you see Caddis coming off the water, then your dry should resemble the Caddis you see. If you see BWO's, tie on a larger dry with a small BWO off of it. If you see no dry activity and you are going to nymph, pick up a rock or two and see if you see larvae on them. If not, your standard pheasant tails, soft hackles, and hares ear nymphs will work. If using two nymphs, I like to tie one natural one on and then one really flashy nymph.

Hope this helps. :cheers:
 

WinMag.300

Senior Member
Dropper

I use both methods prescribed. Dry/dropper is usually a noticeable dry that floats high and dry, with a 12-18 inch piece of tippet tied at the hook bend with a smaller nymph to ride. Other method includes a double nymph rig with a larger attractor pattern like a sanjuan, large stone, helgramite, prince, with a very small sz18-20 midge or nymph pattern tied off the hook bend.
 

huntfish

Senior Member
Centerpin is correct, but I'll add to that. There are 3 main setups I use when using a dropper.
  • Dry/Dropper- this can also be reffered to as a Hopper/Dropper combo. I use this on smaller streams a lot. Use a high floating dry more or less as an indicator with a hook. Drop a nymph far enough off the bend of the dry to drag the bottom.
  • Dry/Dry- I will do this to be able to fish smaller drys that I can't see very well. The lead dry will be larger and once again act as an indicator with a hook. Works well on tailwaters when the fish are keying in on really small bwo's and midges. Another type fly you can use in this situation is an emerger. If you are seeing fish slash topwater, you are throwing the fly that is hatching, but they won't hit it, they are probably taking the emergers.
  • Double Nymph- This I will do in larger water in the wintertime when nymphing is key. You can cover a wider variety of food selection and also more than one water column. Another variation of this is a streamer and a nymph.
As far as fly selection goes, pay attention to the bug life around you. If you see Caddis coming off the water, then your dry should resemble the Caddis you see. If you see BWO's, tie on a larger dry with a small BWO off of it. If you see no dry activity and you are going to nymph, pick up a rock or two and see if you see larvae on them. If not, your standard pheasant tails, soft hackles, and hares ear nymphs will work. If using two nymphs, I like to tie one natural one on and then one really flashy nymph.

Hope this helps. :cheers:

In Georgia, not specific...Match the color and size.....I also place weight between the flies rather than on top.....Good Luck..
 

WinMag.300

Senior Member
as well,

I place my weight one small above both flies and one in between, learn to belgian cast!
 

Tightliner

Senior Member
Or......... Dun and emerger. (at least till U figure out which stage they R rising to). Later..........................................................
 

Jarred

Senior Member
Just cause everyone says that your dry is most likely a big indicator don't mean that it is true. If you will use a morning dun or even an elk hair caddis or adams. If fish double rigs a lot!! I have noticed that if you have a smaller fish trying to nip at your dry it will sometimes bring the big ones over to investigate and more than likely they will hit your nymph. There are a bunch of different set ups I like, one of my favorite is a pale morning dun with a prince or pheasant tail dropper, another one would have to be a blue wing olive with a copper john dropper, and the one that use least would have to be a caddis with a pheasant tail dropper. The one in my avatar was caught on a prince dropped off of a pale morning dun in pretty shallow water.
 
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