Tandem flies

[MotoLappa]

I was wondering how common it is to fish tandem flies? I have done it before, but not sure how common it is. Also, is there any restrictions doing so on catch and release streams?

 

[Fishidiot]

Fishing tandem flies is very common. This is esp true with wet flies and nymphs (most of the time when I'm nymphing I have 2 flies). While some folks fish streamers in tandem, this is much less common. For beginners, the main challenge with fishing flies tandem is the greater tendency to get tangled. As for their legality, flies on fly fishing streams must be single hook flies but as far as I'm aware there is no restriction on how many flies one can use.

 

[njk3395]

I think the rule is 3 total hooks on one line.. Idk if that applies to fly fishing or not

 

[afishinado]

Up to 3 flies/hooks is legal.

From the FBC site:

RODS, LINES, AND HOOKS – An angler may use a maximum of two lines fished either by rod or hand when fishing for gamefish, baitfish or both. It is unlawful for a person to fish with more than two fishing rods at a time. [color=CC0000]No more than three hooks shall be attached to a line used in fishing (one hook having two or three points is considered a “single hook”). [/color]All rods, lines, and hooks shall be under the immediate control of the person using them.

link to source: http://fishandboat.com/fishpub/summary/equipment.html

 

[afishinado]

Multi-fly rigs are commonly used for FFing. I also recommend a beginner use only one fly as Fishidiot posted, because of tangles.

Here are some common multi-fly rigs in the link below:

http://stevenojai.tripod.com/nymph.htm

Good luck.

 

[pcray1231]

I do it fairly commonly in several situations.

1. I'm nymphing and I have no plans on changing. I'll typically fish 2 nymphs with a czech style rig (as per Afish's link).

2. I'm primarily nymphing, but I need an indicator for this water, and there is some reasonable hope for hits on a dry fly. I'll fish a dry-dropper.

3. Wets, though I rarely wet fly fish, one of my things I want to do more of this year.

But I'll typically only fish 1 fly with dries, obviously, or also when I'm nymphing but expecting that I could switch to dries soon (as I will often have a dry fly leader on and am too lazy to do much in the way of adjustmenting).

 

[MotoLappa]

What kind of knot should be used at the hook bend? I want to try fishing a dry as a indicator.

 

[njk3395]

Improved Clinch, what you use to tie your fly on with.

 

[ryguyfi]

Here's a thought that just came to mind that this thread induced... how does the top tandem fly drift down the stream with the different tie in positions?(eye or bend) Depending on what flies you are using, ie weighted nymphs, wets/dries, does that effect whether the fly floats down head first or tail first? What are your thoughts or observations?

 

[afishinado]

ryguyfi wrote:
Here's a thought that just came to mind that this thread induced... how does the top tandem fly drift down the stream with the different tie in positions?(eye or bend) Depending on what flies you are using, ie weighted nymphs, wets/dries, does that effect whether the fly floats down head first or tail first? What are your thoughts or observations?

With parachute flies, I find the dropper tends to slip down along the hook bend and the dry doesn't float properly (it falls over on its side). I like tying to the eye or using a different type of MF dry in that case. Stimmies (Stimulators) or EHCs (Elk hair Caddis) are good dries for tying on droppers. I do prefer to tie my dropper from the eye when possible.

 

[ryguyfi]

I think that depending on the current, whether underneath is faster than surface, or vise versa that if you're fishing dry dropper tying to the eye would make it float head first no matter what. If tying to the bend it might flip on you (don't know if that makes a difference to the fish).


*yes I know I'm going a big too in depth for the "beginner" forum, but it interested me*

 

[afishinado]

ryguyfi wrote:
I think that depending on the current, whether underneath is faster than surface, or vise versa that if you're fishing dry dropper tying to the eye would make it float head first no matter what. If tying to the bend it might flip on you (don't know if that makes a difference to the fish).


*yes I know I'm going a big too in depth for the "beginner" forum, but it interested me*

Because of the friction of the water against the bottom, the speed of the current is fastest at the surface, almost without exception.

When tying a dropper to the eye of a parachute fly, it is supported on the water very well when tied to the eye since the hackle, which supports the fly on the water and keeps it floating, is in the front of the fly. As I said, a parachute fly flips on it's side when inevitably the dropper line slides down the hook bend. It's a real pain, and my experience is that fish often ignore the fly floating this way.

You can only support so much weight with any dry fly, regardless of where you tie the dropper. At some point, when too much weight is added to the dropper, the fly will begin to sink.

A dry/dropper rig is not really a deep, down and dirty rig for fishing nymphs. It is great for nymphing shallow runs or presenting your fly in the upper or mid level of the water column when the fish are up there feeding.

When you see fish up in the water column, a dropper off a dry is a great way to these catch fish. Think of this, when you see a few rises on the water, most times for every rising fish you see, there are 5 or maybe even 10 fish below that you don't see. "Hedging your bet" by adding a dropper to your dry often will result in many more fish caught than using only a dry fly to cover (cast to) rising fish. Dry fly afishinados may cringe, but if you want to catch fish......

 

[ryguyfi]

My thoughts about current were fishing the faster water with a back eddy. Sometimes the current on the bottom may be faster than the surface and if the dropper is tied on the bend then it would turn the fly backwards..... but don't think that all natural flies float head first downstream.

I rarely fish a dry dropper, but know I should more often. I really need to get into some more wets and emergers than I have in prior years also... a new year is upon us!

 

[gfen]

I've taken to trying the dry/dropper thing more often at the end of last year. I can't argue with the simple theory that the dry is nothing more than an indicator, albeit one with a hook in it, so who cares what behaviour it exhibits because its still more useful than a gob of yarn.

 

[afishinado]

gfen wrote:
I've taken to trying the dry/dropper thing more often at the end of last year. I can't argue with the simple theory that the dry is nothing more than an indicator, albeit one with a hook in it, so who cares what behaviour it exhibits because its still more useful than a gob of yarn.

Gfen,

I fished yesterday and there was a sparse hatch of olives and occasional rises. I used a dry / dropper, and with the dry I picked up maybe 25% of my fish, and the trailing nymph picked up the rest. They do hit the dry as well as the dropper. At times, the dry is what they focus on. In that case, I will fish with a dry only.