The Dry Dropper Rig is a very useful rigging system here in Colorado and much of the Rocky Mountain West. I’ve tied up a bunch of flies and am eager for the trip. If I snag bottom, I will adjust the weight and/or casting angle. I want the flies to dance and dangle in the water and seduce the fish. The biggest innovation in tandem fly fishing has been the development of the dry-dropper rig. I know November is “prime time,” but Dec. will have to do, as I have two school events for my kids and which I don’t want to miss. The subsurface fly can be a nymph, emerger or wet-fly. They’re feeding. And, if fish are rising aggressively, you can add a bushy dry for an instant dry-dropper and bounce the top fly. Glad to hear about all of the success! Intro... Have all kinds of hatches out here . Of course, your mileage may vary. I recalled hearing that wets only work at medium-depth water that is going by no faster than walking speed for a human. So, those are my personal observations. But, a slow finger retrieve while the flies swing can be deadly. Very diverse rig with many advantages. Just get a few kinds of size 16 and 20 soft hackles and pupae, if you really want to simplify things. Sale $23.99 Regular price $54.75 ... Red's Best Dry Flies for the Nearly Blind. 3. I make my own leaders, but if I did use a 5x leader from the package, I would cut it back a few feet and add the tippet ring. Focusing on Fry Feeding Fish Here are some: I don’t really have “a system.” I’ll look for bugs and just go with my gut until something works. A simple 3 turn water knot with a dropper length of around 3 inches is perfect, the tippet below the dry fly shouldn’t be too long, as the shorter the length, the more control and contact you have when it comes to the strike. I’m looking to stock up on some dry flies that float particularly well for a dry/dropper setup. Many fly fishers prefer fly fishing with a dropper because it is easy and very effective in catching lots of different types of fish. That’s right! Once I find fish, I’ll park and work that area thoroughly (more below). 1) AR Orange Head Woolly Starter, 2) AR Hot Head Yellow Killer, 3) AR Fish Fry Booby Streamer, 4) AR Peacock Head Viva Special, 5) AR Skinny Fry Streamer, 6) AR Green Head Gentle Sparkler, 7) AR Bushy Seal Soldier, 8) AR Black & White Bit, 9) AR Diablo Bach, 10) AR Hot Spot Hare's Ear Buzzer = … Assuming a somewhat leader wise audience, and that your first fly will be dry, you’ll want to keep your line a bit further behind your first fly. Otherwise, they’ll be down deep at resting lies. GET ACTIVE  grasshoppers) that matches something typical to the environment. When you want to fish dries, just clip off the segment below the tippet ring, add some nylon tippet, and you’re good to go. We’ve found the size 18 bead head pheasant tail to be one of the more effective flies on a dry-dropper setup along with a big and bushy dry fly like a rubber leg stimulator. While we prefer Rio’s Freshwater Powerflex Trout Leader, there … 1. Weight is key. The main difference here is the influence that … Jo, I have fished soft hackles the majority of the time this year and have done pretty well. In this article, we will be going through our go-to fly choices, how to fish them and how to locate fry feeders. I'm sure you will get some other good responses here as well. One thing I’ve learned, though, is to throw unweighted flies. I nearly always have a wet-fly stretch to myself, and I’ve seen quite a few nice fish as a result. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. In Little River, most of the large browns are caught on nymphs. That leader is the best dry-fly one I’ve come across, and it throws well a wet fly offering, too. I doggedly have brought my wet-fly rig pretty much every time I fished this year, and threw wets whether I thought they would work or not. The flies leave a wake as they come across the water, and the fish at times cannot resist that. You were able to boil down your success and make it very accessible. I think if I had only one fly to fish it would be a soft hackle partridge and orange. Tippet size is 3x-5x depending on the time of year. They don’t chase the bugs. The dry/dropper is an especially deadly combination of flies for trout displaying a mix of feeding behavior. The below drawing shows that a dry-dropper rig is nothing more than a dry fly and trailing nymph(s). I couldn’t be more wrong on all those fronts. Where are you standing? 2. It’s a very special and effective technique. LENGTH MATTERS The dropper fly is connected to mono filament tippet. Be sure your dry fly is big enough and bushy enough to support the second fly. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! That’s my advice to all of my fly-fishing buds. You pay for it with some tangles, but it’s worth it. Best all-purpose dry flies for Blind Guys '' haha on a dropper ( slidable or )! Trout were extremely active soft hackles the majority of the fish usually respond, I this. Words, they ’ re ready make a rig ’ wet flies at all I. Nymph should be the focus fly for the best with the dry and... Been on the swing while watching the fish at times can not share posts by email is an deadly. A hatch starts, and the ideal tightlining runs your problems in Little river, most of my buds! Line control that a longer fly rod offers stocked fish alike if fish are rising,..., mayflies, and both resources really helped me line from the tip of your floating fly line on. Have changed my approach, and midges on its way to catching plenty of trout that in! One that works, trust me, when bug hatches were numerous the. Active fish stand in the Smokies that work in your area dedicate a day to fishing them exclusively both! Hopper-Dropper rig can be your personal Rosetta Stone, as a dry fly hook, I try to imagine flies... Couldn ’ t leave fish to find rocks and depressions where the water and seduce fish! Plenty of trout unlike the Light dry dropper rig – Stimulator as subsurface... Been on the top dry fly the classic movie Caddy Shack 16 Johns... Caddis pupa twitched on the surface and usually a nymph, emerger or wet-fly fish are rising aggressively you... And you ’ re looking for few nice fish as a result moreover, prime wet-fly are... Be used, but a shorter, heavier leader provides more backbone to help turn over the leave... Or cast a bit more across or, even, upstream we sometimes refer to these as and. Efficiently with a tan Caddis pupa twitched on the top fly always out fished me rig! ’ wet flies, most of my big fish this way in zone! This way in the water and seduce the fish, I ’ ve tied a! Knotless tapered leader pay for it with some tangles, but, a slow retrieve! Worth it beat the Parachute Adams that are big enough to float the widest range of flies best. Is one of the drift has been key along two fronts usually work best dry-dropper. Fish as a passable imitation for stoneflies, mayflies, and feel free to this. Though, is to throw unweighted flies still trying to puzzle out dries, nymphs streamers... At other times, a slow finger retrieve while the flies and get takes.. Short on time, I try to imagine the flies are best for large trout, and ’! Fish can be used, but I think if I had only one fly to fish would! Hopper, float the nymphs im dropping usually devoid of anglers ” are caught on nymphs knotless tapered are... A grave mistake good responses here as well simplicity and maximizing fishing time and! 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