Nymph to bend or eye of hook

[trout_stalker]

I was reading up on fishing Al's Rat here. I noticed many of you guys like to fish an anchor nymph with the Rat, or other small fly, trailing it. Here's my question. Do you tie the trailer to the bend or eye of the anchor fly and why? Personally, I use the eye.

 

[Fishidiot]

Either one works fine.

I usually tie to the eye if I'm fishing flies that only drift. On the other hand, if I'm fishing a tandem in which I intend to swing or retrieve the flies, then I'll tie to the bend as this keeps the forward fly straight in the water.

 

[gochs]

I'll repeat a phrase that I've heard a few times, "If you're supposed to tie line to the bend of the hook, there'd be an eye there."

I follow this. I haven't done any research, but I feel it improves hookups (Or should I say it prevents missed hook sets?), and it's less knots to make. For a three fly setup, I tie two clinch knots and a davy knot on the bottom fly. If I were to tie off the bend of the hook, it would be five knots in total.

 

[trout_stalker]

I usually tie to the eye if I'm fishing flies that only drift. On the other hand, if I'm fishing a tandem in which I intend to swing or retrieve the flies, then I'll tie to the bend as this keeps the forward fly straight in the water.

Understood.

 

[afishinado]

I've fished a lot with a second fly tied to the eye, the bend and a dropper. I have no doubt when using a dropper(s) I get more hits on the fly, and hook and land more fish.

 

[gfen]

I have more confidence in off-the-bend than I do other methods. Using dropper loops always seems to lead me to tangles, and off the eye just looks sort of not enticing.

While I'm of the thought that off the bend might yield occasional mishooks due to the line being there and fouling upo the fish eating the fly, I'm willing to look beyond that for the mental pleasure of having it look better and fish with less issues.

I guess like so many things, YMMV.

 

[jdaddy]

gfen wrote:

I have more confidence in off-the-bend than I do other methods. Using dropper loops always seems to lead me to tangles, and off the eye just looks sort of not enticing.

While I'm of the thought that off the bend might yield occasional mishooks due to the line being there and fouling upo the fish eating the fly, I'm willing to look beyond that for the mental pleasure of having it look better and fish with less issues.

I guess like so many things, YMMV.

We are talking about nymphing here. That is where your coachman is under the water. Dig?

 

[gfen]

yes, they come in a "wet" variety as well as dry!

 

[Twofly]

I use all 3( droppers, off the eye and off the bend)For indi fishing I usually tye in line off the eye or the bend. For High stick or Euro nymphing with no indicator I tye the smaller fly off of a 5-6" dropper about 18-24" from the heavier point fly. Its all about what you have the most confidence in. When indi fishing I would say I have more confidence at the moment in off of the eye.
I started using those mini tippet rings between the butt section and tippet and I like them alot. It makes tying on new tippet section much faster and easier.

 

[greenghost]

I usually tie to the eye for one simple reason; tying to the bend hinders setting the hook when a fish takes the indicator fly.

I used to tie to the bend all the time. But I noticed a substantial drop in hook ups on the indicator fly takes. At first, I couldn't figure out why. Then I tried tying the dropper to the eye of the hook. And the problem seemed to disappear.

The only thing I could think of is this: When a fish rises and then opens its mouth to take the dry, its nose pushes the leader coming off the fly. Probably not very much. But enough to make a difference in the hook-up ratio.

 

[Chaz]

Either, but I prefer it dropper at the bend. As far as using a two fly set, Al didn't use one when fishing the Rat, but I've tied it off the bend of a crane fly and done well.

 

[BrookieBuster101]

I always tie my droppers off of the leader. I feel like the dropper off of the bend can often reduce positive hook sets.

 

[JohnnyUtah]

eye, its what there for.