Popper Dropper

[Threedayweekend]

What is your favorite popper dropper combination mine is a bight yellow popper with a green dragon (dragon fly nymph)

[FishnDave]

I haven't tried "popper-dropper" yet, Jason.

I've heard how effective it is when fishing waters that have bass & bluegills. I just can't shake the feeling that my casting skills will get a reality check when there's 2 hooks on the line!



I will say that a Gartside Gurgler or bass-sized foam popper have worked well for me, so would be my choice as the front end of that combination. I think a little Prince Nymph or small SCHWAPF would be a good fly for the dropper.

[misterpaul]

I prefer a tussle bug or San Juan Worm under my hoppers. As for the hopper itself, I've used tan, yellow, green and white. The white one didn't get much action, but the others were all about the same.

This year, though, I will be trying a chartreuse jumbo john on point. I haven't used one for warm water yet, but I'm optimistic.

[briney dave]

never tried a dropper on a popper, but I bet a slim minnow pattern would be a big hit. I have seen big bull blue gills crush those little emeralds and similar minnows

[cklenske]

For bluegills, I've had good luck with a small yellow blockhead popper with a dropper called Ryan's Butt - red beads and hackle.
CJ

[JohnScott]

I haven't tried "popper-dropper" yet, Jason....I just can't shake the feeling that my casting skills will get a reality check when there's 2 hooks on the line ....

Come on, Dave. Give yourself a little credit, at least.

Just slow down the cast and open up the loop. You might not cast as far as you usually do, but no way you are going to tangle your rig. If you do, you can send it to me to untangle. I'll even pay postage both ways !!

John

[BlueDun]

I've also never tried a dropper with a popper - that sounds like fun! I'll bet a peacock and brown would work great as the dropper. Also like misterpaul's suggestion of a San Juan worm.

[kjsmith97]

The popper dropper is my favorite way to fly fish, in fact I didn't know there was any other way for a long time. My grandaddy taught me to fly fish in the marshes of SW Louisiana using a 2/0 peck's popper and a red 4 inch creme worm about 2-3 feet underneath. Now I use a homemade double foam spider and hang a pattern underneath about 2-3 feet. My favorite patterns to use on the bottom are a jitterbee http://www.laflyfish.com/flies/jitterbee.php or a jon's generic http://www.oregonlink.com/flyfishing/generic/ I have also used a tusslebug, small wooly bugger, wooly worm and a mcginty underneath all with success. One of my favorite sights is to watch that popper slide backwards under the water, because I know a fish is next, and,every once in a while, I get a double as a bonus. Try it! I think you'll find it successful!

[FishnDave]

Come on, Dave. Give yourself a little credit, at least.

Just slow down the cast and open up the loop. You might not cast as far as you usually do, but no way you are going to tangle your rig. If you do, you can send it to me to untangle. I'll even pay postage both ways !!

John

OK, OK...I may give it a try this year!

[CoachBob]

One of your dropper flies should be the Boudreaux.
http://www.flytyingforum.com/pattern7515.html

Generally the dropper size and style depends on the size of the popper. If the popper is big (say a size 1 hook) I use larger dropper patterns -- frequently something woven or wooly booger-ish.

BUT...I usually fish a double dropper (sometimes a triple). Consequently, the last fly on the line is almost always a Boudreaux. Above that might be soft hackle, or wooly, or woven nymphs, or some generic chenille bug.

Casting a multi-fly rig DEMANDS a large loop. Yea, everyone talks about tight loops, but on a 3-4 fly rig, that's just asking for knotted line or a fly in the ear. I frequently use a steeple cast -- high overhead -- or a gentle 3/4 motion. What you are looking for is the line to lay out all of the flies and not drop them on top of each other.

Any decent floating fly will do as the "popper" including beetles, hoppers and stimulators -- but mostly I use beetles and foam poppers. If you are buying instead of tying try some of the Accardo types, the Round Denny does fine.

Don't convince yourself to use small diameter tippet. Bass and bluegill are not particularly line shy and a 6# Vanish is about as small as you need to go. My leaders generally end with the first dropper on 8# and the second on 6#. The heavier line makes casting the multi-fly rig easier and you rarely break off a fish.

Finally, DE-BARB every fly. No matter how hard you try, you are going to hit yourself with a dropper at some point. Last week I nailed the back of my head but good. You really don't want to be dealing with a barbed fly at that point.