Dry/Dropper Suggestions & Recommendations

[Prospector]

Admittedly, I’m an old school fly fisherman (real traditional). I don’t spend much time trying to learn the newer trendy techniques.

Dry / Dropper is a tactic that seems to have merit but it’s something I have not embraced until about the last 10 days. We are fishing the Catskills this week and through the course of trying to find a solution to a problem I tried it out.

A similar situation arose on Kettle about 10 days ago where the trout seem to have a curiosity about the dry fly but it seemed like the trout really wanted to feed below the surface.

So in both cases I employed dry/dropper with zero success. In theory it sounds great….the trout can grab either the dry or dropper. Sounds like a recipe for doubling your catch but in my case it’s a recipe for catching nothing.

In both cases I ran the dropper on 12” of leader off the bend of the dry fly. I’ve used #20 zebra midge in Kettle and #14 Pheasant Tail nymph (both bead head and no bead) in the Catskills.

I noticed an unweighted PT nymph stays on the surface which seems it would be awesome for trout taking emergers…but no strikes. The weighted PT nymph should make a good target as fish swim upward to check out the dry. Again no takes on either for me. I guess the trout have spoken.

What thoughts and suggestions do you folks have for those of us are curious about the technique?

 

[redietz]

It's entirely situational.

Sometimes the dry/dropper works out great -- for example if you're using the dry mainly as a strike indicator and the fish are feeding on something that isn't moving much, or when you want to use the nymph as an anchor to lift the dry momentarily to bounce it on the water.

Other times, like what it sounds like you're describing, if the fish are feeding on emergers, they're eating something actively moving. If your underwater fly is just following a dead drifted dry, you've defeated its purpose.

It's a good arrow to have in your quiver, but it's not always the best choice.

 

[Sylvaneous]

As the previous writer said, it is situational BUT, in the conditions that I most frequently use a dry/dropper where there is a good chance either will get taken is with terrestrials, (appropriate for this time of year).
I have a foam beetle or baby Chernobyl up top. Not only do they work on their own, but they are larger foam flies and can support a dropper. Then I drop an ant off the back. THere are a lot of instances when you cast a terrestrial to a tight, snaggy spot, and the dropper either snags or requires you to not cast as close as you would like (or should be). So it's not problem-free. Trout seem to have a real, unusual attraction to ants.

 

[pcray1231]

There are really 2 situations where I'll fish a dry dropper.

1. With a floating nymph. As you alluded to, floating nymphs are often very good for emerger situations. This is common with sulphers if they are on emergers. Dun imitation, floating nymph on a dry fly hook a foot or so off of it.

2. Non-persnickety fish, often brookies or at least less rich freestoners, where I'm not sure if the water level/etc. they are going to rise to a dry. In these cases I will use a bushy dry, I like wulffs. And a heavier nymph, maybe even add shot. You aren't fishing it high in the water column, you're nymphing, and just using the dry as the strike indicator. If they start hitting the dry, I'll snip off the dropper. Add it back if you get to deeper water where they may not come up. Etc.

 

[redietz]

As the previous writer said, it is situational BUT, in the conditions that I most frequently use a dry/dropper where there is a good chance either will get taken is with terrestrials, (appropriate for this time of year).

Terrestrials were exactly what I had in mind in the first situation where I said that a dry/dropper works.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

Terrestrials are a great option for your dry, I also use a stimulator or bushy ehc as my dry. I let conditions dictate what I use for a dropper, but I use everything from zebra midges to bhpt, grhe or other generic bedhead nymph. Sometimes I fish a inchworm, ant or an emerger again depending on situation.

I have about equal success tying off the bend or fishing the dry off a short tag.

 

[Zipper]

Does anyone run a dry dropper with a small wet fly as the dropper?

 

[Marc Fryt]

A dry-dropper can be a great way to prospect water to clue you into what the trout are feeding on. But, beyond just changing the fly patterns we should also change up the rig if we are not getting strikes. There are several ways to rig up a dry-dropper rig and to modify it. Work on switching things up such as:

• Hang the weighted nymph on a longer piece of tippet (try 18, 20, or 24" instead of 12").
• Hang the weighted nymph on thinner tippet (like 6x) to ensure it gets down into the water column. Next time you see your dry-dropper float by take a look for where the nymph is suspended. If it is only tied to 12" of 4x, chances are it is only a few inches under the surface if it is drifting in moderate current.
• Tie the dry fly on using a triple surgeon's knot.This will give you a dropper tag for the dry fly which improves its natural drift on the water rather than being pulled around by the nymph.

Some other quick tips with dry-droppers:

• You definitely can use a wet fly, emerger, or another dry fly (like a small size 20 dry). Just estimate where the second fly is in relation to the large dry fly. If you see a rise near the large dry fly gently set the hook, if you feel nothing lower the rod tip and keep drifting.
• Land your flies into the same seam of water. Watch the end of your cast to see if the nymph lands in the same seam that the dry fly landed in. If the flies land in two different currents then we will hamper the drift with both flies which really reduces the effectiveness of the dry-dropper.
• To really get the dropper deep, use a large attractor dry fly (one that has a lot of foam/hair/hackle) to suspend a heavy nymph underneath (something with a 3.0-3.8mm tungsten bead) with thin tippet (5-6x).

Beyond that, I typed up an article with further information about using dry-droppers if you wanted to check it out: What is a Dry-Dropper Rig, and Why Is It an Effective Fly Fishing Technique? Also, here is an article on 3 Ways to Rig a Dry-Dropper.

 

[redietz]

Does anyone run a dry dropper with a small wet fly as the dropper?

Yep. I often fish a wet ant below a dry ant. A Renegade with Partridge and Orange below it is another favorite combo of mine.

 

[redietz]

• Tie the dry fly on using a triple surgeon's knot.This will give you a dropper tag for the dry fly which improves its natural drift on the water rather than being pulled around by the nymph.

Even better, use the dry as the point fly and hang the sunken fly to the tag of the knot (I prefer a blood knot for this.) You'll get better hook ups on both flies, and slight modification in tension in the leader will raise and lower the sunken fly. I've had a few days where this is the only thing I could get to work.

 

[Dave_W]

Does anyone run a dry dropper with a small wet fly as the dropper?

Yes - works very well.

 

[Swattie87]

Dry dropper can work very well. I most often use it in smaller to mid-size streams with a mixed population of Brookies/Browns, or streams that are all, or mostly all Browns. For Brookies, outside of Winter, you don’t need to go subsurface to catch them, and the dropper just ends up in the way and hinders casting, and it’s not worth the hassle. But when Browns are involved, the dropper can be very useful given their general reluctance to feed on the surface, outside of a hatch scenario.

I generally run one of two set-ups:

1. For higher water I like a really big dry that can float a decent sized nymph or mop style green weenie type fly, often with some weight to it. This usually means a hopper, or something else with foam in it for the dry. In this setup I’m not really trying or expecting to catch much on the dry, but I want it buoyant and not sinking from the weight of the dropper or high, rough water all the time. I’ll usually tie the dropper off deeper in this scenario, maybe 16-24” below the dry.

2. In low, clear water. Here, I’ll use a smaller, but still fairly buoyant dry. Size 12/14 Wulff, Humpy, Stimulator or Parachute Adams type stuff. I’ll then tie a much smaller nymph, size 18ish, off that, and I’ll tie it closer to the dry, maybe 8-10” from the dry. Here, stealth is more important in your presentation and you want to go lighter. Fish will probably be looking up though in the low water, and you won’t need to dredge bottom to get them to take the nymph.

It’s funny though, in mixed population streams in scenario #2, I find I catch nearly all Brookies on the dry, and Browns on the dropper. Illustrates their feeding preferences and the effectiveness of the dropper for Browns.

Edit: In both scenarios I tie the dropper off the bend of the dry, with one size smaller tippet to the dropper. Generally 3x to the dry, and 4x to the dropper for scenario 1, and 4x to the dry and 5x to the dropper for scenario 2.

 

[pcray1231]

I tend to tie my dropper off the eye of the dry. Free's up the hook on the dry a little better. When I used to tie off the bend, I found I missed a lot of fish on the dry. I think the line got in the way...

 

[afishinado]

I've been tying the dry on a dropper with the sinking fly tied on the point. I have had much success both fooling and hooking fish with that dry/dropper rig. When nymphing I often just clip off the top nymph and replace it with a dry fly. I can easily go back to two nymphs without much fussing around.

 

[shakey]

Does anyone run a dry dropper with a small wet fly as the dropper?

Yes, I use a wet like a Stewart spider , wet ant, soft hackle etc

 

[redietz]

• Tie the dry fly on using a triple surgeon's knot.This will give you a dropper tag for the dry fly which improves its natural drift on the water rather than being pulled around by the nymph.

Even better, use the dry as the point fly and hang the sunken fly to the tag of the knot (I prefer a blood knot for this.) You'll get better hook ups on both flies, and slight modification in tension in the leader will raise and lower the sunken fly. I've had a few days where this is the only thing I could get to work.

 

[jifigz]

I'll go against the grain here a bit. There are VERY RARELY times that I will use a dry dropper. There are a few streams I can think of where they work well, but otherwise I'm more inclined to nymph or fish a dry. If nymphing on a smaller stream, I like to use an indicator that is very easily and speedily changed for depth. I find I will catch more fish by thoroughly and properly sinking that nymph fast and fishing it at the proper depth. I HATE having a set amount of tippet and for the dropper and in some areas you want the nymph running deeper and in others you want it much shallower to avoid snags. I just find the system overly annoying and I don't want to change tippet lengths and tie knots all day.

 

[Bamboozle]

Does anyone run a dry dropper with a small wet fly as the dropper?

My favorite fly on the dropper is a small (size 16 or 18) Snipe & Purple or Starling & Purple that I tie with purple wire instead of Pearsall's.

 

[pcray1231]

I'll go against the grain here a bit. There are VERY RARELY times that I will use a dry dropper. There are a few streams I can think of where they work well, but otherwise I'm more inclined to nymph or fish a dry. If nymphing on a smaller stream, I like to use an indicator that is very easily and speedily changed for depth. I find I will catch more fish by thoroughly and properly sinking that nymph fast and fishing it at the proper depth. I HATE having a set amount of tippet and for the dropper and in some areas you want the nymph running deeper and in others you want it much shallower to avoid snags. I just find the system overly annoying and I don't want to change tippet lengths and tie knots all day.

You can do that with a dry dropper, no problem. When I nymph, I typically am indi/float free, unless it's big water and I gotta fish farther away.

With a dry dropper, if you gotta get deeper you just sink the dry without a second thought and tight line it. Now it's a wet/dropper.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

At the risk of repeating other thoughts here, there are two situations when I think dry-dropper first:

1. When multiple species are hatching, esp. with bigger and smaller flies at the same time. Example: Cahills and small olives: #14 Cahill dry (ie. triggerpoint comparadun) and #18 or smaller dropper (can be anything from tung. bead nymph to emerger). I've has many fish hit a tung. bead nymph as I was picking up to cast, Leisinring lift-style.

2. Blue lining for natives, esp. early in the year when they may not be as likely to hit a dry. Pretty much dealer's choice on fly selection.

Lately, I've been leaning towards minimizing complexity by limiting the number of flies I cast. Dry-dropper usually isn't too hard to turn over if the dropper is weighted a bit. Big, fluffy dry/ small dry can be a challenge because the big fly takes much of the energy out of the cast. YMMV.