Dropper Problems

[warwoman angler]

If anyone was out at JB last weekend - I was the idiot who kept tangling his line and spent more time retying dropper tippet than actually fishing.

I took advice from a post I read here last week and tied a BH pheasant tail dropper onto a stimulator. However, I couldn't keep the dropper down, so I weighted it with 1 splitshot (don't know what size). I think it was too heavy - it kept popping the water on the back cast & 'floppng' out very unnaturally as I laid the line down. I tried using larger nymphs but couldn't get any to stay down without splitshot (and I only had one size). The weight on the end seemed to make the dropper line tangle up with both my leader/tippet and fly line all day, usually on the backcast. I'm not a pro at casting by any means, but I can hold my own usually.

I don't know if anyone else has had these problems, but any advice would be appreciated (i.e., splitshot sizes, nymph types & sizes, casting help, etc.).

Saturday was a beautiful day on the river, but highly frustrating for me.

Thanks for the help.

[Windknot]

Droppers can be fished elegantly, even with the wider loop they seem to require. Sometimes, like the blind hog and the acorn, I manage to find a good combo that casts great and performs well, too. That usually involves a nice, bushy dry fly with a lighter tippet section leading to a small nymph...often beadheaded, sometimes weighted, sometimes not.

I think the problem you described is attributable to the over-sized splitshot between the point fly and dropper.

If I fish nymphs and or streamers in tandem, I usually put the heavier fly on my main tippet, tie a lighter tippet section to that fly's hook bend and add a smaller, lighter nymph/streamer.

Sometimes all thoughts of elegance go out the window. Its dredging time...more flies, more lead, more ducking. We have a special instructor for that particular FFing discipline.
Don

[fishmonger]

I'm with Don, I never use split shot with a dry and dropper. If you go beadhead, make it small. You can't dredge and fish the surface at the same time. Pick one and do it well.

FM

[huntfish]

Originally Posted by fishmonger

I'm with Don, I never use split shot with a dry and dropper. If you go beadhead, make it small. You can't dredge and fish the surface at the same time. Pick one and do it well.

FM

Excellent advice. If I'm dredging both fies are dredging with ALOT of weight. If you want to use a dry as an indicator, make it one BIG dry fly.

[SlckTrck]

Slow casts with big open loops. If your fishing a dropper off a dry your not going to get very deep with the dropper anyway unless you make a couple real good upstream mends and/or use the river current to your advantage.

Example, cast the whole shebang into the head of a riffle or fast current. As soon as it hits, make a quick upstream mend and try only to move the dry fly. This should get the dropper down a bit.

I am also with Don. Never use a splitshot between your main fly and the dropper. If you think the fish are deep, go with two nymphs instead of a dry fly and a dropper. Put a couple split shot above the lead fly and again, slow cast with open loops.

I have noticed that a lot of times it is not going to matter how much weight you put on. You have to pay attention to the different currents and get a good mental picture of what your fly is doing. Let the seem of the current do the work for you.

Hope this helps.