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Using Droppers

If starting fishing with a team of flies for the first time, it's better to start with a team of two rather than three. Try to cast with a wider loop than normal and don't forget to check for tangles on a regular basis. To find out more, read Fish & Fly's guide to fishing a team of flies.

To many people fishing with more than one fly is guaranteed to produce nothing but tangles and lost fish. To others, fishing a team of two or three flies is the best and most interesting way to catch trout, particularly on big reservoirs, lakes and loughs, and usually from a boat. But fishing with more than one fly is not confined to stillwaters as those river fisherman who fish with a team of wet flies will confirm.

For any angler contemplating fishing with a dropper for the first time, it makes sense to start with single dropper and point fly only. Once you are used to managing the extra fly, then you can add a third. There are many practical points to be followed to get the best performance from two or more flies and to help reduce the number of tangles.

Making-up a leader with droppers

The dropper is always the tag end of the thicker length of nylon, that is the length nearest the fly line, whether it is the first or second dropper. Although the Czech-type level leader is best tied using the Surgeon's knot, for the regular tapered leader, it is best to use a Grinner knot or Blood knot so that the dropper sticks out from the line at a good angle. This is particularly important if using a soft nylon as it will lessen the the likelihood of tangles. It can help to pass the dropper length between the two Grinner knots so that the dropper stands out at right angles to the leader. About 100mm (four inches) is a good, finished length for the average dropper. Stiffer rather than softer nylon will help the dropper stand away from the leader which will help reduce tangles.

Don't have your droppers - if more than one - too close to each other as they will be prone to tangle if they pass too close to each other when casting. A strong head wind will make things even worse. Also it is possible for a fish to be foul-hooked if it misses one fly only to be fouled by the next dropper down as it turns down . There should also be a greater distance between point fly and middle dropper than between dropper fly and bob fly (as the fly on the top dropper is known) as this helps keep a long leader properly balanced.

The top dropper should always be longer then the middle one. Try varying length of droppers according to conditions. When fishing lakes and reservoirs, the rougher the water the longer the droppers. The maximum sensible limit is about 200mm (eight inches). You can also vary the distance between droppers. All alterations should be aimed at getting each fly in the team performing to its optimum.

When fishing a team of three flies, to keep the bob fly working just on the surface for as long as possible during the retrieve, it is important to get the right length of leader between the end of the fly line and the top dropper. How long this should be will vary according to the conditions: the stronger the wind the greater the distance that will be needed between the end of the line and top dropper.

In New Zealand a dropper is often tied to the hook of the "point" fly. A length of nylon is tied to the bend of the hook and the second fly is tied onto this length so that it is about 300mm (12 inches) from the first fly. This technique is used, with a strike indicator, on fast, rough water using two heavy nymphs.

Czech leader

As Czech nymphing does not involve casting in the traditional sense, there is no need for a tapered leader. The leader is a length of mono of a suitable breaking strain, based on size of fish likely to be caught and the character of the river bottom. You must use mono that is strong enough not to break when you hook the bottom or a rock.

To make-up a leader with two droppers 500mm (20 inches) apart, start at the bottom end. Take your first length of mono and attach another length to it using a Surgeon's knot. The dropper must be on the parent leg and pointing downwards. When tying this first knot, make sure that you leave the end that is going to be your first dropper long enough. The finished dropper - when you have tied on your fly - wants to be about 100mm (four inches) long. Now tie on another length of mono so that the next dropper is 500mm (20 inches) from the first one and again, leave the tag end long enough to form your second dropper..

The next length of mono to be tied on is the last one and this connects the leader to the end of the fly line, using a coloured braided loop or a Roman Moser Minicon. When making up your first leader it will pay to make this last section over long. The overall length of the leader should be a little less than the length of your rod. You can adjust the length of the leader by shortening the top section of the leader.

The heaviest nymph goes in the middle with a lighter fly on both the point and the top dropper. This helps get the flies down and ensures that they swim correctly. When you start fishing, do make sure that every time you hook the bottom that you check your flies: check that the hook still has a point as well as clearing away any weed. If you find that you are catching the bottom too frequently, change your flies - certainly the heaviest - to lighter ones. As you will have been handling the leader a lot while making it up, degrease it well before starting fishing so that it will sink quickly. See Terry Lawton's Primer on Czech Nymphing



Fly choice

It is important to have the right type of fly in the right position. The point fly is always the heaviest so that it sinks the end of the leader and can act as an "anchor" and give the dropper flies something to work against. The top or bob fly will often be a bushy pattern, particularly when you are dibbling the fly in the surface film. The middle fly can be something between the bushy bob fly and a nymph on the point, perhaps a wet fly with wings.

Don't try fishing with more than two bead head flies on a cast as you will only get into trouble with serious tangles. These flies can be difficult to control when casting. It can be profitable to fish two dry flies on a long leader as much as 2450mm (eight feet) apart.

Another tip to help reduce tangles is to use a knot to attach your flies that keeps the flies straight and stops them spinning on the retrieve. A Turl knot or Palomar knot is good for this.

Casting

Do check that your droppers have not got tangled on a regular basis. Do this even more frequently if your casting skills are less than perfect and on windy days. If a dropper gets wrapped or knotted round the leader and you catch a fish on it, it is very likely to break. The leader set up, type of fly and its position in the team is critical to achieving a good turnover.

When casting with droppers, technique and timing are important. Make sure that your back cast straightens out before starting your forward cast. Casting too quickly and with too tight a loop will cause problems. And tangles. When fishing with droppers, you need an open loop to prevent tangles between your point fly and dropper/s. This is achieved by widening the casting arc of the rod and thus opening the casting loop. Casting a team of flies into a strong wind will have to be a compromise between the tight loop/high line speed needed for good penetration into the wind, and an arc that is open enough to prevent tangles.

If starting fishing with a team of flies for the first time, it's better to start with a team of two rather than three. Try to cast with a wider loop than normal and don't forget to check for tangles on a regular basis.