Dropper or not??

[Travis Swift]

As I'm tying on fly stuff for a trip to Taney next week I was going to tie droppers to every rod for tandem set ups.  I just can't bring myself to do it though.  It looks weird to me and I feel like it would deter fish from biting.  So how often do you guys do it, why do you do it and if so do you tie to the hook bend or eyelet? 

 

[tjm]

I haven't used a dropper in a long time, (20+Years?) when I did, I tied a short stiff dropper at a (or as part of) leader knot, say where the tippet ties to the leader leave the heavy tag long enough to tie the fly onto, or tie a separate (third) piece of leader in at a blood knot join.    I think those jewelry jump tippet rings people use now would make a good tie in place.  I bought some to try and have forgotten where I put them.  Fishing two wets/streamers I had better results if the dropper was at right angles to the leader. I've only seen the tie to bend method in magazines and on the net, never tried it. ime, two or three flies worked best for LMB or chain pickerel, ymmv.

[Krazo]

i use 2 flies a majority of the time.  windy days can be tough.  i prefer to fish under the surface vs something like a hopper dropper.  sometimes i use an attractor then a scud or sow.  i vary it up until i find something that seems to be working.  i also like 2 flies when im stripping.  kinda like 2 bait fish or one chasing another.  i tend to tie off the hook more often.  

[ness]

If you’re gonna fish Taney then I’d suggest reading the Taney reports here, which I think are gonna get you into the groove faster. 

I don’t fish Taney and I use a dry and dropper a lot. 

[snagged in outlet 3]

Always fish a dropper, tie in at the bend of the first fly. 

[Travis Swift]

47 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Always fish a dropper, tie in at the bend of the first fly. 

Do you think fish shy from the first fly or jig because of line coming off the hook at all? 

[ness]

Lots and lots of fish are caught under an indicator. Heck, fish will hit an indicator some times. The top fly in a dry/dropper setup is an indicator, but with a hook. Use as fine a tippet size as you can get away with, and set the lower fly to drift deep with enough split shot to get it down without sinking the dry. 

Again, I’d suggest reading the Taney reports, of which there are many. 

[BilletHead]

         Travis,

  You will find an opinion from each person on here. Like Ness said read reports on Taney. I know you keep up on them but may have to dig back through the posts because there is not much posted about dries on there. 

  So here is my opinion. If I am fishing dries and not getting bit I am going to add a dropper. In Taney it is going to be a midge such as a harvester or anything along that line, then a small scud if wading and if drifting in a boat in high water a big scud, san Juan worm , bright egg or Y2K. I know you addressed Taney but out West it will be a big dry or hopper on general streams and again if not getting bit it will be a general searching nymph and adjust from there. Tail waters out West will fish similar to Taney colder outflows and more specialty dries and droppers depending on the season,

   BilletHead 

[Travis Swift]

My baits would be midge to midge,  Micro jig to midge or midge to scud if I was going to do a dropper.  

[BilletHead]

1 hour ago, Travis Swift said:

My baits would be midge to midge,  Micro jig to midge or midge to scud if I was going to do a dropper.  

                  There you go just figure out what works for you Travis. You are asking all the right questions and are learning fast in your fly fishing quest. Also to your other part of the question. i usually just tie to bend of hook from my dry but one year I tied a mono loop on my hoppers. I did this by tying the mono on both sides of the hook and then my hopper body on top of that. Worked real well plus my hopper did not slip around the hook. I should do that again,

   BiletHead