2 Subsurface Fly Rig

What is everybody's favorite way to rig 2 subsurface flies? I mean, do you like to tie the second fly onto the bend of the hook on the top fly, or onto the eye, or tie the second fly and its tippet up the leader a ways, or some other method? I know there are pros and cons for and against each method, but which do you use?

Joe

I use the "in-line" method with the trailing fly tippet tied to the bend of the lead fly. I've heard criticism of this method -- for example, I've heard that a fish hooked on the lead fly can become unhooked if the trailing fly snags on something which pulls the lead fly by the bend. Maybe I'm a creature of habit, but this method seems the most straightforward and trouble free to me and what is what I've used for years.

A couple of tips for this method ... Tie up a few tandems that you expect to use at home and store them wrapped around a foam block. This says a little time on the water and especially helpful when its cold and difficult to tie knots. Learn to tie an improved clinch knot with an open loop around a finger and then slide it over the lead fly bend to add your trailer.

My buddy ties his second fly to the bend of the has no problems. I leave a 4-inch tag of running line and then tie a surgeon's knot to it to add the point fly. The point fly being the one nearest the water. The only time I have trouble is when I catch feisty, small fish--they can sometimes leave a tangled mess.

I use both the in-line method and the T-connection (to the eye of the hook). I have also played around with these which work,using a heavier tippet material than the trailing fly...

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PT/TB;)

I tie mine to the bend of the hook. Easiest way for me to do it.

I used to use the inline method, but switched some time ago to tying the second fly to the eye of the first. I like the thought that this might remove a little bit of encumbrance from the hook of the first fly and perhaps give it a little more of a horizontal orientation. I use tippet for that last fly that's one size lighter than the tippet to the first fly, with the reasoning being that if the bottom fly hangs up on the bottom and I have to break off, the lighter tippet should give first and let me have a better chance of getting at least the top fly back.

I prefer the in-line method, just the way I started fishing. Old habits die hard sometimes. Many of my guides use this method as well but some tie off at the eye of the first fly and others tie off on a tag type, much the same as the way Davy ties off his "Cast of Flies" style. They all work and I personally have not seen where one style outdoes the other, I catch fish on all of the methods. Now that I have been practicing Davy's Knot, which uses far less tippet to tie, I may start using his method of rigging flies. I always go one size lighter on any trailing fly.

Larry ---sagefisher---

I used in-line for years and finally was convinced it may cause missed strikes on the lead fly when trout feel the trailing tippet. I have gone to the "T" and seen no ill effects on catching. Warm water fish don't give a darn about feeling the tippet.

Used to tie 18" or so to the bend of the fly way back in my Eerie Steelhead days. Worked fine. The majority of fish took the bottom fly.

Inline or to the eye of the first fly works out to fishing about the same way. Use this method if you want to fish the flies at the same level in the water column. Tie your larger/heavier fly on first and it will help carry the dropper down to the bottom. Always use tippet one size lighter to secure the second fly, so if it snags you won't lose everything.

Running off a blood/surgeon's knot tag, a tippet ring, a micro-swivel, or a dropper loop is best when you want flies to run at different levels in the water column. tie the fly you want to be ticking bottom to the main tippet, then a lighter fly to the dropper. The classic example here would be a stonefly nymph to the main tippet and a caddis pupa or soft hackle on the dropper.

You can also drop shot. Put split shot on your main tippet with the tippet melted below the shot, then run two droppers. The shot won't snag as often as the flies. This is a great method for fishing San Juan Worms out of the drift boat.