Two fly rig advice

[afishinado]

Fly Fishing Strategies: Tangle-Free Tandem Rigs

Multi-fly rigs catch trout. But they inevitably tangle more. Here's a group of tips for keeping the tangles and troubles to a minimum.

troutbitten.com

 

[Vtsalmon]

Great article I had to learn most of those tips the hard way . I fished with 1 fly for year’s because of the wasted time untangling and re tying every time I fished 2 flies . Thanks for sharing

 

[PennKev]

Fly Fishing Strategies: Tangle-Free Tandem Rigs

Multi-fly rigs catch trout. But they inevitably tangle more. Here's a group of tips for keeping the tangles and troubles to a minimum.

troutbitten.com

I like the part about knowing when to just cut off a tangle and re-tie.

I'll take that a step further. Fly anglers would do well to get over buying "tippet" and instead just find a good bulk mono or fluoro line and use that. When you have 300yds of tippet material at your disposal, you are a lot less likely to feel the need to conserve material. I've been using P-Line fluoro for virtually all of my subsurface fishing. The 4lb and 6lb sizes are great for nymphing. If I need something, smaller Seaguar has some good options too.

 

[Dr.J 1952]

I glanced through the article. I've been fishing two and three fly rigs for thirty years. I fish my flies in line tied together by the eyes of the hook. I keep my flies about a foot apart. I use five-foot braided butt leaders. My first section of tippet is around five feet, and my first fly is a weighted fly. I'll use, say, a bead head Hare's ear, then another nymph and then a wet fly/emerger, depending on what hatches are going on or knowing the stream. As pointed out in the article, you need to employ a smooth back cast. I take my line in enough to gain control, lift it off the water, let the line straighten up behind me and then lay it out in a straight line. If you need to false cast, keep the same in mind. I get tangles when I'm not paying attention to my cast. I do use a small strike indicator. I agree with Penn Kev on tippet. I have been using spools of fluorocarbon mono for years. Currently, I have been using Berkley Vanish for 3x, 4x and 5x. I still use regular fluro tippet for 6x and 7x. The diameters are close. You get 260 yards for $8(?). I get mine from Bass Pro.

 

[hooker-of-men]

I changed up my dropper system back at the start of the year to go in-line based on advice, I believe, from an afish post. It has been a world of difference. My go-to is a heavy beaded Pats as my top nymph, and then I switch out a bottom nymph to prospect. It has been the best year of nymphing in my personal history. (So, thanks, afish, if that was you!)

Fully, fully agree with your casting points, Dr. J. If you think a tailing loop is fun fishing dries, just give it a spin with multiple flies, a bobber, and some split shot. It really forced me to slow down and cast with intention.

 

[StreamBottom]

I changed up my dropper system back at the start of the year to go in-line based on advice, I believe, from an afish post. It has been a world of difference. My go-to is a heavy beaded Pats as my top nymph, and then I switch out a bottom nymph to prospect. It has been the best year of nymphing in my personal history. (So, thanks, afish, if that was you!)

Fully, fully agree with your casting points, Dr. J. If you think a tailing loop is fun fishing dries, just give it a spin with multiple flies, a bobber, and some split shot. It really forced me to slow down and cast with intention.

HM,
What do you mean by "in-line"?
Is it the tag/dropper?

My Father taught me to nymph fish using the tag / dropper method. (Tag being off a blood knot), Usually three flies while fishing the bigger pocket water streams. ie the West Branch of the Ausable in NY, where I grew up. I've used this method ever since, for better or worse

Definitely need to slow down your cast, no tight loops! Big fat ones that a pickup could drive thru.

Thanks for the article Afish!

 

[hooker-of-men]

Sorry, in-line is maybe not clear at all. I got rid of tags/droppers coming off my tippet. Flies below my top fly are now tied on either to the bend of the hook (if the top fly is a nymph) or at the eye of the hook (if the top fly is a streamer/something I want to put some action into).

Someone here recommended this rig when I was at a particularly frustrated moment of early spring nymphing, and the change paid off for me immediately.

To be clear, this is not what the article recommends. It's more in agreement with what I read Dr. J's rig to be.

 

[StreamBottom]

No worries, thanks for the info
I’ve never tried fishing a second fly off the eye of the first one.

When I fish two small zebra midges or similar I tie the second off the bend of first.

🍻