I remember the topic of how to tie droppers on. I was very busy at the time and didn’t get much of it. I understand that I should tie on at the bend of the hook. Is that right?
That’s the way I do it. It works fine. Doesn’t create a problem with a fish taking the lead fly. If you are brave try it with 3 flies in a row
I use barbless hooks and have lost droppers tied to the bend, they slip off. I now tie my dropper from the eye of the hook.
Doesn’t anyone use the tag ends of a Blood knot for droppers anymore? I like using them with up to 3 flies.
Ol’ Bill
Or just tie in the dropper to the eye of the point fly.
Ol’ Bill - I still use the blood knot tag ends for droppers - I tie leaders with Maxima Chameleon and find they turn over gangs of wets nicely. Alec
Flytackle,
Glad to hear I’m not the only one left!
Ol Bill
snipe, the tag ends work for me also,never found a need to change.
I like to tie droppers with a surgeons knot.
If you add a length of leader material, leave the down pointing end long and use that for the top fly. I use it for fishing buzzers(midge pupa) in twos and threes on stillwater and for a dry fly with a unweighted or lightly weighted nymph below, on streams or stillwater.
Donald/Scotland
Some of us who fish the surf on the Pacific use a tiny 3-way swivel to make a dropper rig. using the correct tippets yields minimal tangles and good casting. This rig was developed by Jay Murakoshi. At least that is who showed it to me.
Rich
I tie 99% of my droppers at the bend of the hook to the fly above it.
The last two years I’ve been using barbless hooks due to small children in the house.
I don’t believe I’ve lost any more droppers with barbless than I did when I used barbed hooks.
Occaissionally, depending on the line and flies I’m using I’ll use the tag end of the surgeons knot as well. For my needs, the bend of the hook usually is a better approach. It’s also easier to cast without tangles.
I don’t tie droppers to the eye of the previous fly, but I’ve been known to add a fly with a palomar knot(I may have the name wrong, but it’s the knot the drop shot bass fishermen use). I tie flies on small aberdeen hooks for this purpose and they stand straight out from the leader with a weighted fly below them.
Hope this helps,
Jambalaya
flymaker2,
I thought a tiny metal ring was used…? We quit using the 3-way due to tangles with the swivel itself.
…lee s.