Dry dropper line twist

[Andrwhite610]

I have been fishing dry dropper most of this spring without facing this issue until recently..

I fish it on my 8’-6” 5 WT and 7’-6” 3 WT. I use 7’-6” 4x rio leaders with a tippet ring to maybe 24” of 5x mono. I usually use a stimulator dry and tie 18”-24” of floro 5x off the bend down to a single small nymph. Latley on both setups The tippet above the dry to the leader has started to get serious twist in it. If I don’t check it often, it begins to twist up eventually leading to a mess. On one occasion I removed everything off the line and let maybe 30’ of line go down stream of me to see if that would help. Re rigging with all new leader and tippet helps but eventually the issue returns. I do believe this is also causing damage to my tippet/leader.

I’m not sure how I didn’t face this issue through March and April and now suddenly it’s something I have to manage. Is this common in dry dropper fishing? Could I have changed something in my cast that’s now causing this? Hope to get some info on this. I thought my days of line twist would only be on a spinning rod not a fly rod.🤷‍♂️ Thanks!

 

[KeviR]

I have found that a funky dry fly is the usual cause of line twist. Is there one particular fly you have been using for this setup lately? Maybe try a different fly of the same type, or a different type altogether. Also, I have started using size 16 (very small) swivels in my nymph rigs lately, not that I was having twist issues, just something different to try. They would probably help with this situation. Tied is about a foot or more above the dry fly. They are very small, so I doubt they would significantly sink the leader. Or add a small ball of floating strike putty near the swivel to float it.

 

[PennKev]

How large of a stimulator are you using? A big dry will twist up 5x much worse than say 3x.

If you are thinking the fish will eat a stimulator, you probably don't need to go as light as 5x above the dry anyway. 3x is my go to with bushier dry flies on a dry/drop rig. Then 4x from dry fly to nymph.

 

[Andrwhite610]

I’m using a large Stimulator not sure what size. I use it basically as an indicator that I can see and floats well. Sometimes it gets a hit. I will try 4x now maybe that will also help with some break offs I’ve had occasionally with larger fish. When does the twist happen, during casting? I’m casting it up stream and letting it drift down and past me then I lift off the water pretty clean and repeat. I don’t notice any twisting in that span of time.

 

[coyoterahn]

Yes it happens during casting. A heavier tippet should help.

 

[redietz]

How large of a stimulator are you using? A big dry will twist up 5x much worse than say 3x.

If you are thinking the fish will eat a stimulator, you probably don't need to go as light as 5x above the dry anyway. 3x is my go to with bushier dry flies on a dry/drop rig. Then 4x from dry fly to nymph.

Agreed. 5x is way too light to cast a Stimi without twisting. From personal experience, it's too light even for a size 14 Renegade.

 

[Andrwhite610]

Agreed. 5x is way too light to cast a Stimi without twisting. From personal experience, it's too light even for a size 14 Renegade.

This info is helpful thanks guys. Guess I will try some 4x.

 

[Mrangler]

My go to dry for dry/dropper is a parachute. I stay with 4x most of the year.. parachutes the way they are designed are more low profile. I’d like think make a difference.

 

[Swattie87]

Try ditching the tippet ring too. Tie your dry direct to the end of the leader, then drop your nymph off the dry as normal. When the leader gets too short, tie on a new piece of 4x.

A 4x leader should be fine to avoid line twist with a dry, unless you’re tossing a Green Drake or something huge. Tippet rings are fine for nymph rigs where you’re half lobbing the cast anyway, but screw up the classic turnover you’re looking for for dries.

If you are using a really big Stimulator, like size 8 or bigger, yeah, go up to 3x for the dry, and 4x or 5x for the dropper. I find a size 12 or even 14 Stimulator is plenty big to float a reasonable (size 14 or 16) BH nymph though. 4x to the dry and 5x to the dropper is probably the most common set up I run. With 3x to 4x being used with bigger flies and/or heavier off color water as warranted.

 

[redietz]

A 4x leader should be fine to avoid line twist with a dry, unless you’re tossing a Green Drake or something huge. Tippet rings are fine for nymph rigs where you’re half lobbing the cast anyway, but screw up the classic turnover you’re looking for for dries.

I've never had a problem a tippet ring when fishing dries, or seen anyone else have a problem. I suppose you could if you went from 2x on one side to 7x on the other, but there's no hinging effect on any reasonable match of tippet sizes.

OTOH, they're usually as much bother to use as simply using a knot.

 

[wildtrout2]

I've never had a problem a tippet ring when fishing dries, or seen anyone else have a problem.

Me neither. I use a TR constantly and fish dry flies (sometimes with a dropper) almost exclusively without any kind of issue, ever.

Edit: I use 5X tippet exclusively.

 

[PennKev]

Tippet rings aren't the issue. It's a matter of tippet diameter vs size/shape of the dry fly.

3x is your friend. If the fly is big enough to cause twist problems, 3x is not going to effect the number of takes you get, but only improve the twist situation. Less twist, fewer lost flies.

Eastern fisherman are infatuated with using light tippet. There's no need. 4x is my light tippet these days. I'm sure if I said how many fish I catch and how small of flies I use on 4x, many would refuse to believe me. As long as I can get 4x through the eye, I rarely go smaller.

 

[Andrwhite610]

Thanks people. I believe the size stimulator I’m using is maybe 14 or 16. Gonna give the 4x a go in the morning.

 

[chinacat]

Anything lighter than 4x to the dry is too small, and 4x is often too light - Shorten the leader, too. Run 6-7' to the dry with 2x or 3x, 4x or 5x to the dropper. Personally, I wouldn't bother with 4x to the dry. Think of the physics of thin tippet turning a big dry fly - energy transfers more easily through denser materials. I fish dry dropper rigs all summer out west and often fish 2x to the dry because I'm lazy and just want a shorter leader without adjusting proportions. 3x is ideal.

And I'm in agreement with @PennKev - I don't get the infatuation with super light tippet. Fish the largest tippet that the fly can accommodate. Focus on presentation and or depth and not tippet size.