Tying on two flies?

[mustangjoe]

thoughts on best way of tying on two flies?  Do y’all recommend tying second fly onto hook of first fly or onto tag end?  I’m struggling to keep them from getting both all tangled up. would appreciate y’alls suggestions. Much abliged!

[turfdawg]

I think running behind the bend of a hook tangles less although now I generally always run a dropper tag and yes sometimes I’m cutting off a nest and retying

[FlyAndStream]

If your wanting to run a double nymph rig, tie in a 10” piece of fluoro about 18” up from the bottom of your main leader using a triple surgeons knot, then trim the lower tag end off completely while trimming the upper tag end to about 3-4”, then tie on your tag fly.

Then after a few fly changes if you're running out of available tag material on the tag fly do like George Daniels suggests in that video and clip off the remaining material and tie new tippet material on this time using an improved clinch knot because the old triple surgeons knot will keep it from sliding down on your main tippet line.

[hankinsfly]

I like Fly&Stream’s suggestion as it puts flies at two different depths, thus covering more water. Thanks for this- I will try it next time. I have tried this rig before but after reading Fly&Stream, I think I tied it wrong. Twisting and tangles was an issue. That’s why i also agree that generally, the dropper tied off the bend of the first fly had less tangles at the time and casts smoother. Talking a pair of soft hackles though, tying off the bend of the first fly is my rig of choice.

[FlyAndStream]

I run this just about every time I fish, I may even add a split spot in between the two flies if the situation calls for it. The only time it really tangles is when there’s an indicator on and they get all twisted up during casting, which is rare scenario for me.

[huntnfish2much]

When I first started fly fishing, I thought the blood knot was the only way to make tippet connections. Then I found out about the double- and triple-surgeons knot.

My dexterity isn't great, so I used quite a bit of line making surgeons knots. Then an idea hit.

I actually started dropping a fly off the lower tag end of a triple surgeons knot. Later, I read about it in a fly fishing magazine.

Call it laziness. Call it frugal (cheap a$$), call it innovative, or call it whatever you like. I was clipping these tag ends off, and I decided not to cut the lower one. I think I tied on an egg pattern.

Anyway, I caught fish with no problems of the knot coming apart, so that's how I started fishing tandems.

JR

[FlyAndStream]

Clipping the bottom piece off completely works better. The top piece naturally presents the fly away from your main tippet line, gives it more free movement, and generally tangles less.

Also, I still prefer the blood knot for tippet to tippet connections, or my leader formulas, though.

[hankinsfly]

Yes, I’m a fan of the blood knot.

[coldwaterfly]

I almost always fish two flies with the bottom tied to the tag end of my leader or tippet. It’s very effective. However, if you’re getting tangled in your indicator, maybe try the New Zealand wool indicator setup. It seems to cast better (for me at least). It’s all about preference and finding out what works best for you.

[turfdawg]

Feb 9, 2019 8:25:41 GMT -6 hankinsfly said:

I like Fly&Stream’s suggestion as it puts flies at two different depths, thus covering more water. Thanks for this- I will try it next time. I have tried this rig before but after reading Fly&Stream, I think I tied it wrong. Twisting and tangles was an issue. That’s why i also agree that generally, the dropper tied off the bend of the first fly had less tangles at the time and casts smoother. Talking a pair of soft hackles though, tying off the bend of the first fly is my rig of choice.

You can put flies at two different depths like this however now I generally put my larger heavier fly on the dropper/tag and then my smaller fly on the point/trailer so they will both be closer to the bottom. If I’m in a deeper run or fish are really rising I might change it.

Let me add to the tangling part. I don’t get tangled really, might have to backspin my dropper sometimes, unless it poops out of a fish or a rock I’m hung on but it seems the newer ones with bobbers it does.

[jonbo]

I tie my tippet set-up just about how FlyAndStream describes, usually. I vary between how Turfdawg describes, with the heavier on the dropper. I do that when I trail a midge larva on the point and want it to hang close to the bottom. When I want a midge pupa or an RS2 or something higher up, I switch around and put the heavier fly on point. I think that way is less prone to tangle. I basically get tangles when I backcast spastically, which happens all too often for me. Sometimes, however, if a fish has taken the dropper fly, by the time I get him to net and taken the hook out, the longer point section has tangled badly around the tippet, especially if it had the unweighted fly on it. But I hate tangles as much as anyone. If they keep going after one of the flies but not the other, I cut the unpopular fly off and put it away and just fish with the one fly.

[turfdawg]

here is a good explanation George Daniel video you will have to scroll down and click on adding a dropper

[lipripper1983]

Feb 9, 2019 8:12:24 GMT -6 FlyAndStream said:

If your wanting to run a double nymph rig, tie in a 10” piece of fluoro about 18” up from the bottom of your main leader using a triple surgeons knot, then trim the lower tag end off completely while trimming the upper tag end to about 3-4”, then tie on your tag flie.

This is how I tie my droppers on. Don't tie your dropper on the tag end facing down toward your bottom fly, but on the tag end facing up toward your rod tip.

Could also add some UV knot sense to the knott to further hold that tag end off the main line.

[turfdawg]

Feb 13, 2019 18:14:01 GMT -6 lipripper1983 said:

Feb 9, 2019 8:12:24 GMT -6 FlyAndStream said:

If your wanting to run a double nymph rig, tie in a 10” piece of fluoro about 18” up from the bottom of your main leader using a triple surgeons knot, then trim the lower tag end off completely while trimming the upper tag end to about 3-4”, then tie on your tag flie.

This is how I tie my droppers on. Don't tie your dropper on the tag end facing down toward your bottom fly, but on the tag end facing up toward your rod tip.

Could also add some UV knot sense to the knott to further hold that tag end off the main line.

Since I generally run my heavy fly on the tag I don’t think it matters if I use the top or bottom however I usually use the top also

[dainw]

Everything I’ve seen/read says use the bottom tag to tie on your dropper and trim the top tag. George Daniel recommends it in the video that was linked although he doesn’t necessarily say why. Lance Egan also says to tie them this way. His reasoning is that if you tie a dropper on the top tag and hook a fish, the tension on the top tag is actually pulling the knot apart.

[huntnfish2much]

Feb 13, 2019 18:58:07 GMT -6 dainw said:

Everything I’ve seen/read says use the bottom tag to tie on your dropper and trim the top tag. George Daniel recommends it in the video that was linked although he doesn’t necessarily say why. Lance Egan also says to tie them this way. His reasoning is that if you tie a dropper on the top tag and hook a fish, the tension on the top tag is actually pulling the knot apart.

This is my school of thought. Pulling the static end of a knot against the terminal tackle will tighten the knot. Pulling the upper tag of a surgeons knot is effectively pulling the knot apart.

I think too much!!!

JR

[turfdawg]

Gordon Vanderpool and others also use blood knots for this because the tag comes out as a 90 but I’m just not that picky lol. If I catch fish and it holds I’m pleased.

[lipripper1983]

Feb 13, 2019 18:58:07 GMT -6 dainw said:

Everything I’ve seen/read says use the bottom tag to tie on your dropper and trim the top tag. George Daniel recommends it in the video that was linked although he doesn’t necessarily say why. Lance Egan also says to tie them this way. His reasoning is that if you tie a dropper on the top tag and hook a fish, the tension on the top tag is actually pulling the knot apart.

Interesting thought.

[FlyAndStream]

It honestly doesn't really matter. The last 23" fish I caught was on my tag fly and it was the section facing upwards and all that tension didn't come close to pulling the knot apart on 6x tippet, I actually fished the same setup and flies for another 6 hours and a couple dozen more fish, so its good enough for me.

Honestly I wouldn't know what George Daniels, Gordon Vanderpool, or Lance Egan thinks if it weren't for this forum, ha! Just got out there try something, if it doesn't work improve on it – rinse and repeat.

[turfdawg]

Feb 13, 2019 22:03:10 GMT -6 FlyAndStream said:

It honestly doesn't really matter. The last 23" fish I caught was on my tag fly and it was the section facing upwards and all that tension didn't come close to pulling the knot apart on 6x tippet, I actually fished the same setup and flies for another 6 hours and a couple dozen more fish, so its good enough for me.

Honestly I wouldn't know what George Daniels, Gordon Vanderpool, or Lance Egan thinks if it weren't for this forum, ha! Just got out there try something, if it doesn't work improve on it – rinse and repeat.

Dude you forgot Kelly Gallop, Devin Olson, Turfdawg and a few others. I mean really,, what do you do with your spare time? Fish? Gosh. 🤣🤣😂

[jonbo]

We didn't forget Turfdawg. How could we? No, really, the Modern Nymphing DVD has a pretty good tip. If you've tied on a dropper tag with a surgeon's knot or whatever, eventually you've cut it too short to use any more. So then, cut the dropper tag off close. Now all you have is a knot in-line. Useless? No! It's the stop for your next dropper tag. What you do is tie on a piece of dropper above that knot using a Uni Knot (look it up). That tag with Uni Knot will slide. You slide it down to the top of your original knot. Voila! Got your dropper tag back.

Also, you could use Darrell's system. Darrell? Darrell?

[darrelln09]

I have been tying a dropper loop about 2 feet up from my point fly. It’s basically a blood knot with both tags going out the same side and still connected together. It’s a true 90 degree connection. Then my dropper has a perfection loop on it so it’s a loop-to-loop connection to the main line. Thus it can be changed withought having to tie another knot. Sometimes the two loops almost fuse together so I have had to cut the perfection loop to remove and replace the dropper. I caught some decent size fish last weekend on each fly and had no issues with the loops. The only breakage I had was at the hook eye of my point fly. I was left with a curly end one time. Yeah, the biggest one got away ...

[golferjeff]

all I hear is blah, blah, blah, wah, wah, wah. The Charlie Brown teacher telephone effect. I guess I need to watch some videos.

[jonbo]

#utubeyourfriend