Favorite Tandem Rigs

[kelso2340]

Thought this would be a quick fun discussion. Whats everybody's favorite tandem set-up?

 

[jdaddy]

Patriot / weenie = heavy trout.

 

[tadpole1979]

I like to use a prince off my blood knot, a BHFB hares-ear under that with a green caddis pupa off a cinch knot from that. I feel it covers a lot varients. Usually only one of them prove to be effective and then I switch all 3 to that particular one.

 

[MKern]

Caddis Pupa, mayfly imitation (usually a PT), and a midge larva.

The three main food sources in different sizes and colors.

Sometimes I sub the midge larva for a more representative mayfly nymph pattern. Or, depending on the water, a scud or cressbug.


If fishing a dry dropper: some parachute mayfly and a PT or midge larva off the bend.

 

[NateFollmer]

When I'm only running tandem nymphs, it's usually a BH Stonefly nymph on the bottom and a pheasant tail or hare's ear on top. Usually size 16 or 14 and the stonefly is a 14 or 12...

When I run three nymphs (usually in water that's 4 ft. or deeper) I do a Stonefly nymph on bottom, hare's ear in middle and pheasant tail on top...

 

[TUNA]

I normally fish a heavily weighted nymph tied directly to the tippet. I then use 1 or 2 droppers tied of the hook bends. Normally the first fly is something flasy like a Weenie, big Stonefly, or any general attractor. The second fly is usually some type of Caddis Larva or Pupa. The third fly is usually a small size 18-24 Midge or Mayfly imitation. It usually covers the most important food sources, and can be changed to cover different conditions or hatches. During hatches I like Parachutes or Elk and CDC Dries with something tied of the bend as a dropper. If fish are feeding in the surface film I'll put an emerger on, and if they're feeding farther down the water column I'll use a nymph. One of my favorite ways to fish a Midge hatch is with a Parachute Midge, an Emerging Midge, and a Zebra Midge on the bottom. Sometimes it can be hard to cast, but when conditions are right it can be deadly. Lately, I've been experimenting with tandem Streamers and swinging Flies. I caught a few over the weekend using a sink tip and a few smaller Intruder style Spey flies. Nothing beats the take of a big fish hitting your flies on the swing.

 

[pcray1231]

It varies. But I'd say my most common "tandem" rig is a dry-dropper. If you're counting only tandem nymphs or wets, then I often have an "anchor" fly, which is pretty much a ridiculously weighted Walt's Worm, with a more common nymph (hare's ear, PT, etc.) on a dropper above that.

 

[beeber2]

Parachute adams and pheasant tail

 

[dreamsofstreams]

The biggest trout I've ever caught was a 25 1/2 inch Brown from the Yough. I had the skunk on all day and was really starting to get PO'ed. I literally tried everything in my box except a foam beetle and a green weenie.

I put the two together in tandem and...well the rest is history

Typically I will fish a #16PT and a #14HE in tandem if only nymphing.

Adams and PT (non bead head) if Dry/Dropper

 

[mthwsolocam]

For faster waters i have had great success with a wolly bugger on top and a BH Stone or prince on the bottom. For everything else usually a hares ear, or PT 14-16 on top and caddis pupa/larva on the bottom 16-18.

 

[gfen]

The "hopper" will be a Royal Wulff or a Usual. If there's nothing in teh air, the Usual will have a cream wing.

The dropper varies, but always tied to the bend. Pheasant Tail, Hare's Ear or some type of soft hackled wet. If I'm really feeling creative, there may be a size 20 Al's Rat between them.

I've been doing alot of sub surface stuff, lately. Using dropper loops, there'll be an a soft hackled wet (olive flymph, pennell, partridge-peacock, etc), a winged wet (royal coachman, coachman) and then a hare's ear or pheasant tail for the bottom. I've been goig across and down or down and across.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

gfen wrote:
I've been doing alot of sub surface stuff, lately.

Well, well, well......... ;-)

 

[gfen]

A team of three wet flies, classically presented. That is why I wanted that Streamflex initially.

Turns out, the Teeny does it all.

Also, it hasn't exactly been proper dry fly time of year.

 

[Farley]

It depends season for me. In winter is a BH Hares-Ear and a midge off the bend. In spring I fish a dry and dropper, usually trying to match whats around. Late summer I move to hopper or beetle and caddis or PT.
I switch a lot. I usually stay away from the three fly rigs as they get tanlged a lot and can be a big mess everytme I catch a trout.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

what tuna wrote. Exactly, expect I like to substitute the caddis larvae for a softhackle certain times of the day and season

 

[surveyor06]

Gary, welcome to the darkside. You will make a fine nymph fisherman one day

 

[gfen]

surveyor06 wrote:
Gary, welcome to the darkside. You will make a fine nymph fisherman one day

Thankfully, there ample fish on top last night and I didn't need to resort to jig fishing.

 

[Beefheart]

I'm relatively new to fly fishing and am fortunate to have a friend who is an excellent fly fisherman who I go out with pretty regularly. He wants me to set up tandem rigs, but I feel like as I'm learning to cast well it's better for me to just stick with a single fly. Do you guys think that makes sense or should I man up and learn on tandems? My reasoning is that there's more chance for everything getting tangled up and I'd rather spend more time with one fly in the water than two jumbled up in a knot. He was using a patriot dry and, I think, a PT on the bottom last time we went and I did like that setup rather than using an indicator.

We've been fishing small streams north of Pittsburgh mostly if that's important for your answer.

 

[surveyor06]

It really depends on what your doing. If your high sticking, a tandem setup shouldnt be too bad since your not really casting, but more lobbing. If your fishing a dry with a dropper your going to be casting a little more and your going to have to cast a tighter loop. If you start casting with a tailing loop, which alot of new guys (and seasoned guys) do, you could have a mess on your hands. Nothing wrong with a single fly though. Get proficient with that, than move up. Just my two cents

 

[DeweyGreen]

For faster water on the Lehigh I like a wolly bugger on top and a Maddie wet on the bottom.. Sometimes a double Maddie wet top and Bottom..