Dropper or not??

[snagged in outlet 3]

5 hours ago, Travis Swift said:

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

Not at all. The first fly is an attractor for aggressive fish and the subtle dropper for those that refuse the first. 

[Al Agnew]

If the trout are not turned off by the hook point coming out of the butt of that bug, they probably won't be turned off by the line coming off the hook.

However...I almost always use a two nymph set-up when fishing out West, but do it slightly differently than many.  I first tie on a piece of tippet to the end of my leader that's about 18 inches long.  Then I tie the first fly, usually a bead head something or other, about 6-8 inches down that piece of tippet, using a palomar knot (as long as the eye of that nymph is big enough to get the doubled line through it).  The palomar is an exceedingly simple and effective knot that I can tie in my sleep.  When I tie it, there will be a long tag end left, like 10-12 inches.  So I just tie my second fly, usually a smaller one or often a soft hackle, to the end of that long tag end.  Saves time, because it's one less knot to tie.  I add split shot just above the knot where that piece of tippet attaches to the leader, and the knot keeps the shot from slipping.  So I have shot, then 6-8 inches to the first fly, and 10-12 inches more to the second fly.  I haven't noticed any difference in my catch rate doing it this way compared to when I used to tie a separate piece of tippet to the bend of the first fly.

Hopper-droppers are classic out West.  Everybody uses them on the Yellowstone in hopper season.  I tie them the same way as I do the two nymph set-up, and my dropper fly is usually a small bead-head, the bead-head helping to sink the dropper fly.  But I also often use a hopper with a small dry fly like an Adams or a caddis imitation, and I also use a bigger attractor dry fly with a very small one at times when the fish are taking something small.  It's so hard to see size 16 and smaller dry flies that I want that big fly so that I can see it easily and watch the water around it to see a fish taking the tiny fly.

[fishinwrench]

Just to be different and difficult.....I never fish a dropper.   If I was gonna add one I'd add 4 or 6.   Why not go ahead and just show them every fly in your box at once?

[laker67]

Like "fw" , I never fish a dropper. I watch people catch fish with no problems all the time. My thoughts on the matter has always been "what if". What if, you hook a giant fish and while attempting to land it the second or third fly becomes hooked on tangled on some other object in the water and breaks you off? What if, while attempting to land any fish, the second or third hook becomes hooked in  you with a flippy floopy fish on the other end? The thought of either scares me enough not to use them.

[Ham]

22 hours ago, Travis Swift said:

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

Nope

[Ham]

1 hour ago, laker67 said:

? What if, while attempting to land any fish, the second hook becomes hooked in  you with a flippy floopy fish on the other end? The thought of either scares me enough not to use them.

Been there, done that. It was a fun time. I was wet wading too. A trout on the dropper ran btw my legs and stuck a size 10 GBHE in my calf. You notice the desperate tugs of a fresh rainbow more when they are attached to your calf. 

I was fishing Barbless so it was no big deal at all.

[Travis Swift]

All good points and info.  Sounds like it varies to a personal preference.  I sure appreciate everyone commenting so far and sharing your knowledge.

[fshndoug]

Laker has caught more big trout than anyone deserves to catch.He works at it while on the stream.Both he and I never fish droppers,They tend to get in the way with the style of fishing we like to do which is sight fishing.When fishing out west on big rivers it is a different story.I will be down at Taney from Oct 3rd thru Oct 10th ,come on down the lessons will be free .You can pm me Travis,Doug

[tjm]

Sure it's personal preference, but imo, it also varies with conditions and type of water, similar to what Doug said about sight fishing.  Every thing we do in fly fishing is either personal preference or BS that we have taken as dogma.  I've come to believe none of is dogma, every thing can be varied.

I'm not very good at passive fishing, three to five seconds of drift and I either want to give the fly some life or move the cast back upstream of the fish. A dropper rigged set of wets or streamers can work on a the down and across swing or as I used them more, working two or three bucktails along the edge of the weed line in a pond/lake. In either case I am working with a tight line and my fingers are the indicator.  Droppers  get in my way or break my focus when casting up into pockets or when attempting to hit the window of a fish I see in a run.  There is also a prohibition on some waters and after a while the habit of not using them  takes over.

The advice of looking at what works on Taney, if you intend to fish Taney is good for any water, the reason the locals fish a particular fly or use a particular presentation is simply because that works best there.

I don't think the dropper tied in at the bend would especially bother a fish, but my mind runs to "what ifs" and I imagine being into a nice fish on the hopper only to have a small fish hit the dropper and pull the hook away from the fish already hooked;  crazy idea i guess, but it always made me tie separate leaders, the method of tying off the top fly's eye would almost always foul for me.  Go out in your local water and try all the methods   you see or read of and learn what your preferences are. Brim aren't a lot different from trout, both are panfish and eat insects.

[Flysmallie]

I ALWAYS fish a dropper. Until I break it off, then I don't. I might tie it back on later but maybe not. It depends, but not on anything in particular. 

Usually it's an indicator, a rubberlegs or something similar. and a scud, or worm, or egg, or...................

I don't worry about whether it gets in the way. Hell I get in the way probably more than anything. Doesn't matter.

Taneycomo? Try swinging a wooly bugger. And if that doesn't work try a different wooly bugger.