Drop a dropper on trout

A second fly under a dry can produce fish

Droppers give fly fishers the advantage of fishing a dry fly and a nymph at the same time, an especially effective measure when it’s not obvious how trout are feeding. The dry fly floats on the surface, and the nymph dangles in the water beneath it. The dry fly also functions as a strike indicator and makes less of a splash than commercial or homemade strike indicators.

Droppers are legal on all streams regulated by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the National Park Service. They can be tied two ways, As a tandem rig, the nymph is tied to the bend of the hook, usually 12 to 18 inches below the dry fly, depending on water conditions. A second method is to tie both the dry fly and the dropper to the leader. The advantage is that switching droppers is easier and faster. The disadvantage is that tangles are more frequent.

The dry fly should be at least one size larger than the dropper fly. If the dropper drags the dry fly down, switch to a smaller dropper. Tippets for droppers should be at least one size smaller than the leader.

Dropper rigs are not limited to the dry fly-nymph combination. When a hatch is not obvious, you can experiment with two different dry flies or two different nymphs.

Matt Canter, a guide and the general manager of Brookings’ Anglers in Cashiers (828-743-3768) uses attractor flies such as a Parachute Adams, Elk Hair Caddis or a Stimulator on top with a Hare’s Ear, Pheasant Tail, Prince or Copper John on the bottom.

Droppers can be used in a variety of water conditions and at just about any time of the year, Canter said. In the summer, he uses terrestrials such as inchworms, beetles and ants as droppers. For topwater, he sometimes uses dry terrestrials such as hoppers and parachute ants, giving trout a choice of menu items.

Canter said droppers also can be effective in streams such as the Davidson River that get a lot of fishing pressure. After being bombarded with all types of dry flies, a nymph such as a Hare’s Ear can be a welcome change.

To make a dry fly dance, Canter uses a short dropper as an anchor and twitches the dry fly on the surface. A short tippet for a dropper also keeps the nymph suspended, making it look like an emerging insect.

Canter said it’s important to keep the dry fly floating.

“A dry fly can soak up water after a few casts and lose its buoyancy,” said Canter, who prefers to treat his flies with a dry powder such as Dry Strike instead of a silicon dressing.

Ronnie Setzer of Sylva, a former guide and owner of a fly-fishing shop, often uses two dry flies on a dropper rig, an orange or yellow Stimulator paired with a Stimulator of a different color, a parachute Adams or orange Palmer.

The Stimulator also works very well as a top fly paired with a Secret Weapon, Pheasant Tail, Prince, Scud, Hare’s Ear, black Copper John or Tellico Nymph.

“The Tellico does very well when yellow jackets are swarming,” said Setzer, who recommends bead-head nymphs as droppers.

“If you don’t have a bead-head pattern, pinch on a BB shot just above the hook to give the nymph a little extra weight,” he said.

In most cases, Setzer said, a dropper nymph will catch larger fish, and in rare cases, trout will hit both the dry fly and the nymph. To save precious fishing time, Setzer (828-293-7032) suggests tying several droppers in advance of an outing. “You can get a leader wallet to hold the pre-tied droppers.”

Setzer, who has been tying flies since he was a boy, has been experimenting with new patterns. One he has taken a fancy to is the Klinkhammer, originated by Hans van Klinken, a German fly-tier.

What makes the Klinkhammer so effective is that it looks like an emerger just getting ready to fly from the water, Setzer said.

“It floats lower on the water, with the parachute and hackle riding just on the surface,” said Setzer, who plans to open a fly-fishing shop at Caney Fork General Store in Cullowhee. “Trout really attack them.”

The Klinkhammer can be tied in several variations. Setzer said he prefers the Blue-Winged Olive and male Adams patterns.

As far as fishing conditions entering September, summer weather in the mountains was erratic at best. Some areas, such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, had abundant rainfall, resulting in full, clear streams. Other areas, especially the Davidson River area, received very little rain. Guides say the Davidson is the lowest it’s been in 10 years.