Dry-Dropper Concept Hook

TheDuke44

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The loop wraps the shank, taking the force off of the loop, preventing the hook from straightening. FYI - this is NOT a real hook and is just solder, but what are your thoughts on the concept?

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IMHO - It will add weight to the dry, the angle it floats will be altered and it will probably screw up the float in general.

It also necessitates either tying all dries with that hook style (just in case you want to add a dropper) or some designated "dropper dries" with & without that hook.

I'm a "from the bend" dropper person because I'm lazy and it works just fine for me.

If I want get fancy, I may do a dropper from a knot tag but not too often because I prefer my droppers to be one size heavier than my tippet and I'm not about learning some Troutsmitten Super Duper Tactical Technical Dropper Technique that requires learning a new knot...

YMMV
 
Nah
 
I really don't see the need. Why not just whip finish a small loop of tippet material to the bend if you don't want to just tie your dropper to the bend? Your fly wouldn't be tail heavy that way.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂
 
I'm fairly certain I could live the rest of my life just tying the dropper to the bend in the hook, but I know full well if I saw those in a fly shop, I'd buy a dozen -- or maybe even 50 -- because it looks like a cool idea. Yeah, it might affect the way the fly sits on the water and I'm sure my problem with getting the dropper leader wrapped around the dryfly hook and preventing hooksets will continue. But fishing tackle is designed to catch fishermen, not fish. Please post when it goes to market.
 
I really don't see the need. Why not just whip finish a small loop of tippet material to the bend if you don't want to just tie your dropper to the bend? Your fly wouldn't be tail heavy that way.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂
^^^
This is likely to work slightly better than tying to the bend or a blood knot tag. I've seen mono loops added to the front end of the hook to allow an easy tie to the leader when there isn't enough light to feed the tippet through the tiny opening. Never saw one added to the back end.
The OP concept may work but would add some tail weight and may drown the floater (as others have already said).
 
^^^
This is likely to work slightly better than tying to the bend or a blood knot tag. I've seen mono loops added to the front end of the hook to allow an easy tie to the leader when there isn't enough light to feed the tippet through the tiny opening. Never saw one added to the back end.
The OP concept may work but would add some tail weight and may drown the floater (as others have already said).

About a zillion years ago I retrieved a nicely tied EWC from a tree branch on a creek I fish in PA with a short heavy mono loop protruding at the back end.

I still have the fly and always wondered about the purpose for the loop. Maybe it was someone else's version of a purpose built "dropper dry?"

In the meantime, I never tried tying a dropper to the loop but maybe I will...

BTW - If you think you lost this fly, PM me with the color, size and creek where you lost it along with $5.00 for postage. 😎
 
I’ve been on the lookout for a 2nd Sage Musky….but
people tend to confuse *rare w/ no longer in production and price them accordingly (the few rare times I’ve seen them)…
 
Been there - done that - I called them “trailer hitch” for nymphs - and just a 3X mono loop for dries - they work but weren’t accepted by the community locally or worldwide when I was on the S3mperfl! Staff
 

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About a zillion years ago I retrieved a nicely tied EWC from a tree branch on a creek I fish in PA with a short heavy mono loop protruding at the back end.

I still have the fly and always wondered about the purpose for the loop.
Maybe the loop was tied on for snag proofing and slid to the back... When the loop snagged on something.🤷‍♂️
 
Nice construct for mental play consideration.
That build looks as though it has lots of potential applications, but dry dropper doesn't seem to be among the top.

The mono loop tail for dry was used commonly when dries became more and more widely used as "indicators". It made casting feel easier with the indicator being inline.
The Royal Wulff was common for being an indicator, pre-white and orange tops, etc.

However, your image and question feels good at this time for giving it attention and for providing some recreational, mind-flowing stimulation for potential fly construction considerations.

It's better than news.

(For example:

-Maybe the ring/loop could be holding the eye of another hook. Put the point into the eye of the other hook and slide it down and snap it through.

And the length of shank could be used for additional weight and the whole thing be used for making some kind of front section.

Maybe sticking the point on some cork ball?

Maybe the loop could be a way to insert a "stick" of floating material to look like spinner wings?
And then tie a dropper to the same loop? Nah. That would probably better with mono.)



As far as being an actual "hook" design, it doesn't seem to fare well.
For example, the downward pressure onto the point will move the point away from the shaft. If that were to happen the point slips out of the fish.
The pinch in the shaft at the top of the loop does seem to provide a block and might keep the top of the curl from sliding, but it's not the best physics for being a hook.

Otherwise, it does somewhat resemble the build of a single hook clip and also the clip on a swivel.

But thanks for the thoughts!
 
I tie some with a mono loop and others with mono and a tiny tippet ring.
 
I like the inventiveness. Also, I saw this on reddit too.

I will still prefer tying off a tag, or off the hook eye. When I have a barbed hook I crimp it and never have had an issue with line slipping off.

I agree that the extra metal will make the hook ride much different in the water. The tighter radius of bends and overlaps would also hold water and might rust easier unless it was dried well.
 
Unfortunately I have had a problem with the dropper slipping of a barbless hook. IMHO it’s less of a problem with dry fly hooks with the barb crimped down.
 
Unfortunately I have had a problem with the dropper slipping of a barbless hook. IMHO it’s less of a problem with dry fly hooks with the barb crimped down.

It is a bit of a PIA, but a trick I use when fishing bait to keep stuff ON the hook is to bite off a small piece of a soft plastic grub and slide it over the point & barb.

IF you carry Loon UV Knot Sense for emergencies like I do, possibly a little dot on the hook below the dropper knot or ON the dropper knot may resolve the issue with barbless hooks.
 
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