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Post by RabPennel on Jun 14, 2004 11:08:33 GMT -5
Hello Fish & fly Forum. I am looking for advice on droppers. What length and spacing between the flies.
I have been fishing for a number of years but still think of myself as a beginner. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Rabpennel
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Post by geordie on Jun 14, 2004 11:22:40 GMT -5
There is not an easy and simple answer to this one. A lot depends on where you are fishing (river or stillwater), what you are fishing for and weather conditions.
On rivers you can fish a team of 3 wets over 9', in ideal conditions on a stillwater for trout then it could be 3 flies over 20' or more. Loughs for salmon / sea trout might require 3 flies over 12-15', less distance if the weather is not favourable, or if there is a big wave.
Supply more details of where and for what you fish, you should then get a few peoples opinions - and try them all until you find the one you like.
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Post by RabPennel on Jun 14, 2004 11:45:10 GMT -5
Sorry for the lack of info. I fish stillwater mostly and not very well I might add. I fish a team of three flies on a maximum of 12 foot leader. (Any longer and it gets messy)
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Post by ACW on Jun 14, 2004 13:04:03 GMT -5
Five too 8 foot from line to top drooper, then half of rod length +half body length to mid dropper then same to point fly ,this gives you the longest leader that you can safley land fish with ,this is a regular boat fishing set up for me .
big fly point ,smaller mid ,same size but bushier on the top will help turnover and avoid tangles .
Dont be tempted to fish soft nylon when first usuing the long leaders ,yesterday fishing with Robin I was using this set up and 9lb fluro carbon Riverge brand ,Robin was using I beleive shakespeare Omni lb ,neither of us had tangles ,then we caught nothing but had many takes mine all came to a wee green and orange bumbly thing on the top dropper only on the dibble .
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Post by aliferste on Jun 14, 2004 14:55:45 GMT -5
This is a good thread actually, as i only ever fish with a single fly. I still seem to catch a fair amount of fish so what really ARE the benefits of a dropper for me?
Where would i put a dropper on for fishing a river with a 9foot leader?
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lyall
New Member
Posts: 8
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Post by lyall on Jun 14, 2004 15:33:04 GMT -5
Rab,
I have fished a 3 fly cast all the years I have been fishing - over 25 years. For me it all comes down to physics.
You cannot take a leader with a fly through your top ring if you want to safely land your fish- simple. So that determines the length of your leader but you have more freedom re the distance betwen your droppers.
I tend to space them equidistant with rods I use , usually 9 1/2 - 11 feet therefore 4 feet or so between droppers.
Hope this helps.
Tight lines
Lyall
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Post by Piscator on Jun 14, 2004 15:37:10 GMT -5
I fish a 9' 6" rod on reservoirs mostly. I fish a 19 foot leader with four flies. Top dropper at 10 foot then droppers roughly 3 feet plus a little between. Each dropper is about 8 inches long and this allows for frequent fly changes before leader change is called for.
If fishing lures I will fish lures on top and point with nymphs/wets on the middle 2 droppers. Fish fall in equal numbers to all the flies. Follow lures and turn on nymph/wet during hang or pause in retreive. When fishing floater either washing line with booby on point and buzzers on droppers or super glue buzzer on point and running up to emerger pattern on the top dropper for more conventional floating line techniques.
I would feel seriously disadvantaged if I could only fish one fly. Having said that your casting needs to be in order or you catch nothing as your flies are constantly out the water as you unpick another frap!!
Decide if your casting can cope with 2 flies and slowly build it up..... good luck and never stop experimenting and learning new techniques. This is a great place for learning and exploring other peoples time tried experiences.
Chris
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Post by salar2 on Jun 14, 2004 15:42:48 GMT -5
A good general rule for stillwater fishing is 5 feet between each dropper and the point fly. This gives an overall 15' plus say 2 feet of heavier nylon to act as a turnover aid between the fly line and the leader.
For longer lengths remember you've got to land the fish...... so if anything has to be lengthened make it the distance between the fly line and the top dropper.
As to dropper lengths I suggest starting off at 6" - they'll soon get shorter as you change flies from time to time.. Any longer and the droppers tend to wrap round the leader too much.
Remember you can't effectively 'dibble' the top dropper
if the distance between it and the fly line is too great.
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Post by stickfly on Jun 14, 2004 16:37:37 GMT -5
I've just read this thread & boy do I feel STUPID !!!  I tried a team of 3 for the first time 2 weeks ago with all sorts of problems.....after reading this I've realised that 4 foot dropper lengths may have been a little ridiculous  Won't stop me trying again next time though  , hope to try Hanningfield or Bewl within the next 2 weeks as they are easy to get to from Kent. |
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Post by ACW on Jun 15, 2004 1:33:24 GMT -5
Where would i put a dropper on for fishing a river with a 9foot leader? How long is a peice of string ,a difficult on to answer ,but at least 18" apart would be a starting place . 4 foot droppers I love it ,bet you had super tangles !!  |
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Post by fishtales on Jun 15, 2004 2:39:10 GMT -5
I fish three flies off a ten foot rod and the way I do it is to start at the tail fly and pull enough line off the spool till it is from fingers to just past the middle of my chest. Do the same for the next dropper and the same again and cut. Tie a loop in the end and do the same routine with the line but this time cut it at the measured points and tie the droppers making them about 4-6inches long. This works well for me on stillwater and stream. This article might be of interest. www.fishandfly.co.uk/ffedit0501.htmlHTH. |
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Post by swifty on Jun 15, 2004 3:39:19 GMT -5
This is a good thread actually, as i only ever fish with a single fly. I still seem to catch a fair amount of fish so what really ARE the benefits of a dropper for me? Where would i put a dropper on for fishing a river with a 9foot leader? Hi Ali, I generally fish two flies in the river when fishing spiders or nymphs. The advanvantage is you are covering more water. Also, where fish are not rising to anything visible you give yourself more chance of discovering what they are on. Dropper about 3 feet from point. Cheers, S |
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I tried a team of 3 for the first time 2 weeks ago with all sorts of problems.....after reading this I've realised that 4 foot dropper lengths may have been a little ridiculous 
, hope to try Hanningfield or Bewl within the next 2 weeks as they are easy to get to from Kent.
