Best fly to use as a dropper

[Toomanyhobbies]

Ive started using a dropper set up and as luck would have it I hooked up a 2 jumps later the fish now has my dropper fly and new Nymph in his mouth. I was given the top fly from a guy who works at the local fly shop I get stuff at out of his personal fly box. I hate that I lost it but want to make a few. Just wondering what everyone else uses as the floating fly.

 

[krott243]

For steelhead, fishing a dry dropper is my favorite way to fish them. I usually run a sz 8-12 stimulator, dunk it in some flyagra and your good to go. Trout generally varies, I often try to fish a pattern that is hatching and usually will up the size of the fly a bit bigger than what is actually coming off. If I can get away with it not sinking on me, I will just fish the correct size of the hatching pattern.

 

[HopBack]

I use a dry dropper set up quite frequently and find that a 14 or 16 caddis works really well and floats for a long period of time. I still get quite a lot of hits on the top as well. How are you tying on your nymph? The best way that I have found is to tie your tippet is directly to the bend on the dry fly. I rarely get any tangles. Another thing you might want to try is increasing your tippet size to about 4x for increased line strength and less memory in the line which should also help reduce tangles.

 

[SteveG]

14-16 elk hair caddis, or a stimulator

 

[Toomanyhobbies]

Thanks guys. I usually tie off the sinking fly to the eye of the floater, Ive only had 1 tangle so far as that was because of a gust of wind I think. The floating fly I was given was a deer or elk hair looking thing, Im going to call the shop today and be sure and this week make up a bunch. I just think it's an amazing difference between the fly hitting the water versus a thingamabobber, Ive noticed fish still scatter once in a while with a fly but nothing like when a bobber hits the water. Thanks again.

 

[SteveG]

Another option I like for really broken water is a water balloon that you blow up with a tiny bit of air. You tie it onto your leader/tippet with an overhand knot. It lands gently, and supports a ton of weight if you need to get deep. Also, it doesn't kink your leader.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

Caddis on top and Zebra Midge on bottom. OR a #14 Griffiths Gnat and some kind of emerger below depending on what is hatching.

 

[Chaz]

Any highly visible fly, a lot of folks use attractor patterns.

 

[fisherboy3]

If theres big bugs around, a stimulator as the top, and pheasant tail on the bottom. If theres caddis, an elk hair for the top, and caddis pupa for the bottom.

 

[AFISHN]

Steve G's advice on the ballon is really worth noting,ESPECIALLY IF YOU FISH REALLY BIG NYMPHS.
Heritage Angler showed me this ballon technique about 5 years ago and it really pays offs when fishing with larger n heavy nymphs AND/OR when there are leaves on the water and it's tough to see your indicator whether dry fly or regular indicator

 

[raftman]

I'm gonna go with a caddis or stimulator on top and, at least on brookie streams, a chartreuse copper john.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

In the Fall I generally use a size 12 caddis with a prince nymph dropped. For the tippet between the dry and dropper though, go one lighter than what you have your dry fly tied with (if your dry is tied on 4x, then use 5x for the dropper). The reason is, if you get caught up, snagged, whatever, and have to break off, you're more likely to break off between the dry and dropper, and you'll save yourself the headache of losing 2 flies.

 

[trout_stalker]

I'd like to hear some thoughts on how long to make the dropper.

 

[djs12354]

A bright stimi or caddis pattern tied with bright hair.

Or I just use a indicator.

 

[Coughlin]

Trout_Stalker,
I like to have about 8-12 inches between lead fly and dropper, depending, of course on water depth and current speed. I don't have a preference for the floater as long as it floats, but a zebra midge is my first go to and either a pheasant tail or hare's ear beaded soft hackle depending on what bugs I'm seeing comes next. I also like a zebra as the point fly and a beaded pheasant tail or Hare's ear as the dropper for a full underwater tandem.

I have learned the hard way that the trick is to cast an open loop to avoid tangles. Actually, all I ever do is let the fly tighten out downstream (with a count of ten that lots of times allows a fish to take the fly dancing in the current) and then flip the line upstream for the next drift. False casting with a dropper rig =
more time messing with hopelessly tangled tippet than flies in the water.

 

[bialeckij]

I usually use a #12 stimulator with about 8 inches of 5x tipper in between flies

 

[afishinado]

For a dry dropper rig, the dropper length can be 18" to maybe 36". With an 18" dropper, you can expect your nymph to ride about a foot below the surface - great for shallow runs and pocket water. For a little deeper water, you can increase the dropper up to 36". You can go a bit longer than 36" but casting becomes more difficult.

Two notes, with a short dropper, you often end up foul hooking fish when they hit the dry, that's why I don't use a dropper less than 18".

Also, a dry dropper rig is not a deep nymphing rig since the dropper nymph has to be fairly light in weight and the dropper length is fairly short.

For a down and dirty nymphing rig with a dropper I usually space the flies 20" +/- apart. This spacing also prevents snagging the fish and allows the flies to drift naturally. I most often fish two flies - one on the dropper and one on the point, but at times fish three flies - two on droppers and one on the point.

I use weighted flies and tie patterns with different weights for my nymphing rigs. I will use split shot at times, and often stack them on the point and tie an overhand knot on the end so they don't slide off. I add or subtract shot until I get consistent contact with
the bottom.

Advantages of this rig are the flies drift in front of the fish first, the rig is infinitely adjustable without changing flies, the split shot is less likely to snag on the bottom than a point fly (if you do get snagged, you often end up pulling the shot off the line and not losing your flies) and finally the bottom moss or gunk ends up attached to the the shot rather than on the flies.

I rarely use an indy. Most times I use a sighter which consists of a few dabs of strike putty on the leader and tippet knots. You can use a section of bright colored mono just above the tippet as your sighter. A sighter system allows me to control the depth of the drift by adjusting my casts and casting without having to move an indicator up and down. I do use an indy where longer casts and mends are needed to get a good drift.

Final note, longer rods are best for nymphing. They make mending easier and allow me to hold the line and leader off the water at a greater distance. A 9' rod works, a 10' rod works better.

 

[Toomanyhobbies]

Thanks for all the ideas and info. The top fly he gave me was an Elk hair caddis. I used a float gel (not Flyagria) but works well. Last week I tried a new to me area and actually got 2 on the top fly! It's a caddis looking fly, has a lot of orange/tan, size 6 or 8 hook, it's a good size fly but works very well apparently. One of the fly's is trashed now after about 8 fish taking it, the foam is ripped, missing a bunch of elk hair,lol. As far as length between the two flies, Ive been doing roughly 24" but as least as 14"ish when in lower water and doing well. I use a rubber legged nymph with bead head. So far that set up has landed about 10 fish in about 10 hrs of fishing.