Two or more flies?

[Eight Thumbs]

We?ve all heard the advice about the advantages of fishing two or more flies at the same time. It helps you find out what the fish are eating. You should start with a light and dark nymph (wet fly, dry fly, steamer) to see what the fish want. Use a big dry fly as a strike indicator. Use a heavy, weighted nymph to carry down you delicate size #18 pheasant tail nymph. Tie a small wet fly in front of a large streamer and fish get jealousy and try to snatch the wet fly before the other ?fish? can get it. A big gaudy dry fly helps you to find the midget dry fly in shadows or other poor light condition.

We?ve also gotten pages of advice on how to rig two or more flies. Tie the hind-end fly to the hook bend of the front fly. When tying a double or triple surgeon?s knot, leave the tag end of the larger diameter tippet to tie your second fly. If you make your own leaders you can tie a dropper line at any (and all) knots in your leader.

My question is this. With all this good advice on why and how to fish multiple flies, how many warm-water fishermen routinely start their fishing with two or more flies. I?m not asking have you ever done it. I?m asking how many of us get to our favorite river, pond or lake and have our rod pre-rigged with multiple flies. Put another way, how many start probing their favorite water with two or more flies before they try anything else? If you fail to use this obviously superior method (at least according to the sportswriters), what?s your main reasoning for sticking with just one fly when you could have a dozen or more in the water? Just curious. Sorry Doug, thinking again . 8T

[Rick Z]

I usually take at least 4 fly rods with me when I go out in the canoe.
that lets me try four flies ata time to see what is working.
Also with my poor casting stroke , I spend more time untangling flies than fishing.

Those are my reasons.

Rick

[billknepp]

Some of the best fishers I know of do fish two fly rigs, But almost always a pair of the same pattern. as it covers two depth's and lanes in turn doubleing your chances of success. as well as provide many other specific different advantages.

Especially while nymph fishing.. I fish 2 fly rigs at times but pretty much limit it to nymph fishing in streams and rivers.I've never done the hopper dropper/Dry and Wet types of things as I see this as just another use of a bobber...

Edit: Glad I reread this!! Sorry For dancin round the question previously. ::: Do I start with two flies...No, I am a firm believer in the simple life...And One fly keeps things firmly rooted in the simple side of things...

[dixieangler]

What Rick said. To avoid tangles and casting such a ungainly tandem rig. I typically use it as a last desperation method but not always. Sometimes a scud dropper is just the ticket.

[Panman]

When fishing for warmwater fish other than LMB I start with two flies at least 95% of the time. While it is legal to fish with 3 flies I find that the trio causes too many tangles.

Tim

[flyandtie]

i never do because i catch more fish without double flies

[vtfisher]

one time i was using two flies and on the first one i caught a really big bluegill and on the second a medium sized bass i thought i had a really big fish on

[DShock]

i never do because i catch more fish without double flies

You asked for that 8T!!

[Micropteris]

I use doubles and triples all the time.

I started doing it in the salt and now rig up multiple flies in the fresh as long as it's legal wherever I fish.

It is just like anything. If you do something long enough you get used to it.

Different patterns, same patterns, different colors, etc.

Just another pull in my bag of tricks. Keeps things interesting, as I have a tendancy to become bored quickly.

Does color matter? Does size? Does pattern? The fish let you know when they have three to choose from at the same time.

One fly may get them interested with no comitment while the one behind it gets the take.

Just something else to try.

[meadowlark2]

It depends on the situation....if I am fishing new water and/or an area I have not patterned the fish, then multiple flies help me locate and pattern the fish. In ponds I am familiar with, I rarely use multiple flies because I know what works and I use it. The only multiple rig I will use is the trailing fly behind a Miss Prissy or other top water fly. Other rigs/flies invite far too many tangles to make it worthwhile.