What is the dropper fly?

Typically, a dry-dropper rig consists of a dry fly that matches the hatch with a bead head nymph, or possibly an emerger, tied from the bend hook on the dry fly by a length of tippet that’s roughly the same depth of the water you are fishing.

Where do you put the split shot on a nymph rig?

When you’re fishing a trough for example with fast moving water and you see your dropper nymph riding up high above your lead fly during your drift, place split-shot in between the nymphs to ensure both of your fly patterns will be getting down in the strike zone.

How do you keep a split shot from sliding on a fly line?

Don’t use too much pressure when applying split shot. The shot should not be mashed down onto the line.. Because it causes line damage, and it’s too hard to get it back off. All it takes is enough pressure to close the crack . . . and then a little more.

How do tippet rings work?

A Tippet Ring is a small metal ring tied in-between the end of a Tapered Leader and the Tippet material. Using a tippet ring at this connection allows you to cut back the tippet without shortening the tapered leader every time a new fly is tied on.

What is the point fly?

A point fly is the leading fly in a multi-fly rig. This is the fly you attach to your leader or tippet. It is the guiding fly in your setup. It’s important to be confident with whatever fly you choose as the point fly.

How far should split shot be from fly?

You can keep the shot close to your point fly to keep the loss to a minimum. I like 4-6 inches. (You can also drop-shot, but that’s a topic for another post.) Here are a two simple tricks for using split shot.

Do you use weights when fly fishing?

In order to get your flies into the feeding zone on the bottom of the river, you need to have enough tippet or leader between your strike indicator and flies (typically 1.5X – 2X the depth of the water being fished), and you will need to add weight.

Do you need a tippet ring?

Unless you’re fishing for what would traditionally be considered big game species, you should be using tippet rings. It doesn’t matter whether you’re fishing machine-made extruded leaders, furled leaders or hand tie your own.

What length should a dropper be?

around 6-8 inches
A good general rule of thumb is to hang a dropper from around 6-8 inches or so. Any shorter, and your fly won’t drift properly. Too long, and you risk getting tangled.

Do you need split shot for fly fishing?

Adding a split shot below or above your fly pattern adds weight, which will get sink your pattern faster to get to the optimal feeding zones more quickly. This also allows you to make more extended drops, and paired with the correct amount, can make the fly pattern sink in gradually and attract those elusive fish.