Multiple Flys

[Flyfishing42]

I just watched Wet Fly Fishing with Dave Wolton video. He was using multiple flys on one leader 4-6 flys. Is this a common method? Or is it for certain streams? It seems like it would increase your chances. What is anyones experience and opinions on this?

 

[Swattie87]

I wouldn't say anything more than two flies at a time is "common."

As a beginner, two flies is hard enough to cast and not get tangled up. I wouldn't try anything more than two at a time. I've personally never fished more than two and don't see a significant reason to.

I think a well presented single fly is generally the best bet, and IMO two flies doesn't add much of an advantage for you unless you're not sure where the fish are feeding and you're trying to prospect in two different zones of the water column at once to figure things out...For example a dry/dropper rig, or a rig that features two nymphs...one lighter nymph suspended at mid depth or just off the bottom, and one heavily weighted nymph bouncing off/getting stuck on the rocks. Either way, if I'm getting a bunch more takes on one fly than the other, I'll chop the one that's not getting any action off and just fish a single fly in the right spots. The more flies you add the more they'll all start to create drag against each other, along with making the rig harder to cast properly.

The only legitimate situation where a 4-6 fly rig may be marginally more effective IMO is swinging wets downstream and across the current. I haven't watched the vid you mentioned, but that may have been the technique the presenter was demonstrating. But even then, if swingin' wets is working, the fish are usually going bananas on emergers and one fly will still do the trick pretty well.

I know that huge, multiple fly rigs are sometimes used for snagging, but that's just worse than spincasting or centerpinning round these parts. :-o

 

[troutbert]

For a beginner, I recommend either using 1 fly.

Or, at most, 2 flies.

No more than that. With 3 flies or more, you can really get things tangled up in a horrendous mess.

One thing a beginner should strive for is simplicity. Keep it simple, and avoid complications and frustration.

 

[Dave_W]

Agree with Swattie and T-bert. ^

If you're a beginner, stick to one fly or two max. Anything more than this is unorthodox and will cause you more headaches and tangles than additional fish caught.

 

[nomad_archer]

As a relative beginner I like to run two nymphs at a time under an indicator. I put a heavy nymph on first and tie a smaller one off the bend and leave about 12"-16". I like that setup and didn't find that it was difficult to cast especially when fishing with a tightline technique to the indicator. Sometimes one fly out performs the other. Other times I had about a 50/50 split between the two nymphs.

I just started to swing wets so I dont have a strong opinion but it seems like a 3 fly rig is common in videos. I didnt problems casting multi fly wet rigs but I also try to fish close because it is much easier to control the drift and a swing when I am not contending with multiple currents with 50'-60' of line on the water. I found I was catching fish on 2 of the 3 flys in the rig which was cool.

Really what it comes down two is managing what you can cast and going from there. Theoretically 2 flies presented reasonably well should produce more takes then a single fly rig but that is not always the case. I start with 2 fly nymph rigs and then simplify to one if those aren't working.

There are multiple techniques and ways to fish a nymph or wet feel free to try any of them and experiment. You will find what works for you and what doesn't.

As was said earlier. Keep it simple and add on from there. If you are having a hard time casting, presenting, and catching fish with a single fly rig adding more flies isn't going to help your catch rate. Once you are comfortable casting, making a good presentation and are catching fish on a single fly rig sometimes adding another fly can help. Just master the basics and keep it simple adding more flies to the end of the line.

 

[Flyfishing42]

I only ever used multiple lures when fishing for mackerel in salt water or heron for bait for salt water stripers. I think ill keep it simple and stay with one fly for now. Thanks for all the replies.

 

[MKern]

I thought three flies was the max anyway.

I like two for two different insects and depths.

 

[redietz]

MKern wrote:
I thought three flies was the max anyway.

In Maryland, you're only allowed two.

However, three is the traditional number for wets: one just under the surface, one in the film, and one bouncing on the surface. (It's how you fished surface rising fish before dry flies.)

W.C. Stewart (of Stewart's Black Spider fame, and author of The Practical Angler) fished as many ten at a time.

I almost never fish just one fly at a time. Not only do you give the fish a pick, but sometimes a team works better than either fly individually. If you get a chance to nymph where you can see the flies sometime, try a combination of a pink San Juan Worm and a small (18-20) pheasant tail. You'll be amazed at how often a fish will swim several feet to investigate the SJW, decide it's nothing to eat, then see the PT and grab it. Obviously, the SJW by itself wouldn't have taken the fish, since it refused it, and the fish wouldn't have moved to small PT, but together they'll take a lot of fish.

Figuring out which flies work together as team adds a whole new dimension to fly selection. Today, I was fishing a bright yellow soft hackle that I sometimes use during sulfur time, and a drab gray soft hackle, and the team worked pretty well. A nymph and a streamer can be a great combo, too. The fish you're targeting wants to keep the other fish (your streamer) from grabbing food, and will hammer the nymph even it it wasn't previously interested.

Even with dries, I'll often fish a large fly that I can see just above small ant or midge. And why burden yourself with a strike indicator that doesn't have hook in it?

As others have pointed out, however, if you're new to the sport, get your casting down before you attempt multiple flies. They're not that much harder, but they can be frustrating when you're just starting out.

 

[wbranch]

As others have mentioned as a novice I would suggest using just one fly to minimize frustration and the likely loss of lots of flies. Besides the more flies you attach to the leader the greater likelihood of not getting them all to straighten out behind you on the back cast and getting a gimongous tangle of flies, tippet and split shot. Besides adding even just one dropper increases the chance of foul hooking fish.

When I nymph I typically run a big fly at the top and a smaller, #14 - #16 at the bottom. When I fish Tricos I have a heck of a time seeing a #22 - #24 dry fly so I first tie on a #16 EHC on a piece of 5X and then add a piece of 6X about 3' long to the bend of the hook of the larger fly and add the Trico to the 6X. I don't even try to follow the Trico. I just watch the indicator fly and when it goes under I strike. Sometimes I have fish take the larger fly.