Attractor Dries for Dry-Dropper Rigs

[Zonk]

For those of you that fish dry - dropper rigs, any recommendations on what dries you've had success with over the years?

I'm looking for attractor patterns that are bouyant enough to float a tungsten beadhead nymph for a reasonable amount of time. Back East I've had days when they'd hit an Elk Hair Caddis and not touch a Humpy and out west I've had fish take a Chubby Chernobyl and stay away from a Bugmeister, but I'm sure there will be days when the reverse is true.

As I plan on trying to fish more dry - dropper rigs this year, I'd like to have ready several attractor patterns that I can try depending on various conditions, locations, time of year, hatches, etc.

Thanks.

Zonk

[Steven]

I'd think with tungsten, that you'd have to go with something in foam just due to practicality.

[Zonk]

I'd think with tungsten, that you'd have to go with something in foam just due to practicality.

I agree. Seems to be a tradeoff between floatability and realism for attractor dries.

[ScottP]

I agree. Seems to be a tradeoff between floatability and realism for attractor dries.

To me, realism in an attractor is a bit of an oxymoron. I use them to either provoke a strike (for whatever reason a fish feels provoked), or to suggest food in general as opposed to a specific bug. My choice for the application you're talking about, if not a hopper, would be a foam-backed convertible:




Floats like a cork and has been good to me when I'm trying to pound them up.

Regards,
Scott

[NJTroutbum]

This has been slowly become my favorite dropper rig top-fly. Tie it in colors to match whatever works best for your area. Floats like a cork, and it fishes well as a stand-alone fly also. All I tie these days are tungstens when I'm tying beadheads. Nothing huge for here mind you...max #12. But it floats them all just fine.

http://home.comcast.net/~rlonghunter/FBC.pdf

Ralph

[Jeremy]

This has been slowly become my favorite dropper rig top-fly. Tie it in colors to match whatever works best for your area. Floats like a cork, and it fishes well as a stand-alone fly also. All I tie these days are tungstens when I'm tying beadheads. Nothing huge for here mind you...max #12. But it floats them all just fine.

http://home.comcast.net/~rlonghunter/FBC.pdf

Ralph

Nice tie Ralph. And thanks for the ref. files/photos.

Jeremy.

[Lew]

Here's another option. http://www.flyanglersonline.com/fotw...tw20101108.php

[EdD]

I'd think with tungsten, that you'd have to go with something in foam just due to practicality.

Spun deer hair bodies might work. I like large (e.g. size 10) parachutes with oversized hackle, oversized even by parachute standards. I tie them to represent terrestrial spiders, like wolf spiders. I have caught bluegill in December on those parachutes, but more on the nymphs drifting underneath. I don't recall having used tunghead nymphs under them, but one could use foam for an underbody and wrap pheasant tail over the foam for the color and fuzz factor.

Ed

[Grizzly Wulff]

Most of the time when I fish a dropper its an emerger floating in or just under the film. If you're going to fish a nymph, then fish nymphs. Nymphs should be fished along the bottom, that's where fish find them. Once a nymph begins to ascend to the surface it's in a transitional stage and you wouldn't want a bead head on it anyway. If you must fish a tungsten bead head then a yellow or orange stimulator is a good choice as they float well and have the mass to hold the bead head.

[Mike Thomas]

I fish a dry/nymph combo most of the time and I use Tungsten bead head nymphs quite a bit. I use a Foam beetle or a Madam X sometimes but mostly I use an Elk hair caddis, great fly, easy to see and floats well. Many of our streams are quite deep and I might go as far as 8 to 10 feet between the dry and the nymph or in a riffle it might only be 2 feet.All the best.Mike