Storing Tandem Rigs

[guppieguy]

How do you store your tandem rigs? Or do you rig them up "as-needed"? That seems like a lot of wasted time on the water to me. I've just recently started experimenting with them, but storing them seems to be a hassle.

guppie

 

[dubthethorax]

Once you get fast at them, you can twist them up in under two minutes. I never pre-rig anything until I get to the stream and figure out what will work.

 

[pro4mance]

In the Dynamic Nymphing book there's a photo of rigs stored on foam insulation sections for pipes.

 

[DGC]

I don't fish the same stream frequently so I don't see the benefit of them in my fishing and considerable benefit to not cluttering up my vest with another box.

Just like with nymphing you still have to adjust for water depth, speed, clarity, etc., so making up a new rig every time is both more likely to be apt to the situation and less likely to fail due to wear. That is to say you still have to (or should) adjust the length and X size from the dry, change dry or nymph patterns or both, change how long the tippet to the dry is, etc.

I also know that if I keep a box with tandem rigs, I will regularly pilfer that box for patterns in non-tandem situations, whether wet or dry.

Tippet is cheap unless you use flourocarbon so just make them as you need them.

Just my .02.

 

[Phish_On]

I never keep them tied, nor do I tie them until I get to the stream. There's a lot of variables on what flies I'm gunna use depth ect.

 

[sandfly]

I keep a few in my wet fly wallet in the wool section at front and back.

 

[JeffK]

I coil some up on empty tippet spools. I only use them in the winter when I rig up in the warmth of my living room and then loop - loop the rig in the field. The rest of the year I want to observe a little before rigging up.

The older I get the more important I find checking out the conditions before rigging up are and I'm not in a rush to get into the stream. Watching is not wasted time in my experience, and slowing down gets me in the watching frame of mind.

 

[vcregular]

The leader material will probably rot out on the pre-rigs prior to using them again. Especially at the knots. Best to just rig up as needed (as others have said).

 

[tennjed]

Cliff Box Deuce

 

[Gorosaurus]

I have a patch of foam on my vest that I use to hold flies that I've used for the day. If it's a tandem that I know produces, I'll wrap it around the foam after I've used it for a bit so that I can quickly rig it up later.

If I don't put the flies away at the end of the day (which is often), it'll stay rigged until the foam gets full of too many flies. I'll usually have 2 or 3 rigs on there, as well as any odd number of flies

 

[PennKev]

dubthethorax wrote:
Once you get fast at them, you can twist them up in under two minutes. I never pre-rig anything until I get to the stream and figure out what will work.

+1

If you do try to have pre-rigged tandems, restrict yourself to only what you know for certain you'll use. Trying to have a few of everything is the same as having very little of anything.

 

[Maurice]

That cliff box looks like it'd work. I have a leader wallet (felt pages) that I coil up my droppers and place in there. Really only to save that 9" piece of tippet I guess...anyway, I rarely go back to it to pick a dropper. and it has since become the place where flies go to die. After it fills up I usually end up untangling the mess and throwing all the tippet away and put the flies back in my box.

Silly really.

 

[ryguyfi]

The only time I'd prerig some tandems is if I was in a competition or something. 3 clinch knots isn't too difficult to toss together in a matter of minutes. I typically find a top fly that I'm very comfortable with and change out the bottom one throghout the day.

 

[lestrout]

Orvis used to have a handy sleeve insert in a large green box that can be set up to stow tandem and dropper rigs. I can't find it on their site, but maybe there will be some left over in the stores.

hp
les

 

[ineedsfish]

Storing rigs was a mystery to me to until I guided for Kirks Fly Shop out in Estes Park Colorado this past summer. We used 3 fly rigs and had to have them on hand so you won't waste a clients fishing time tying. A fellow guide that has been there ten years showed me if you cut a piece of flat foam that you get in the craft stores about 6x6 and put small slots in the ends you can wrap the 3 flie rigs on them and put the hooks in the foam. Worked great kept my clients who snagged alot in the water not having them watch my knot tying ability .

 

[springer1]

Watching is not wasted time in my experience

+1