Popper Dropper

[Tom L]

In trout fishing, there is a technique called "Hopper Dropper". That is using a hopper fly (or sometimes dry fly) as your lead fly and trailing it with a nymph or a midge fly as your dropper. It is a very effective technique. Sometimes the fish will key on the hopper (or the dry) and sometimes the fish will take the dropper. The hopper (or the dry) also serves as a strike indicator, especially when you fish midges.

 

Now a "Popper Dropper" would be using a popper fly as your lead fly and trailing it with a streamer (Murdich Minnow, Clouser Minnow or even Shannon Streamer) as your dropper.

 

Has anyone ever tried this in smallmouth fish? I've been wondering about this for a while and want to try it out next season.

[bob g]

I've used a gurgler as the popper which can be tied to the size you like. I go with mono leader to the gurgler from the fly line. For my dropper I use a tungsten beaded thin mint with a tri colored tail ( usually black, brown and orange). I tie the thin mint to the bend in the gurgler hook with whatever length of flouro I need to get it down to the bottom. I cast upstream or up and across and when you give the gurgler action it should also make the thin mint hop a little looking like a fleeing crayfish. My best luck comes in areas where water willows are slightly flooded on the edges or edges of channels and their accompanying eddies.

[Mike G]

From reading about trout fishing, I understand the concept. One tries to fish a dry and a wet at the same time. There is always the questiion of whether one achieves either presentation very well.

 

In bass fishing there is another similar concept represented by the Front Runner lure. Adopting this scenario to fly fishing for bass, I would put a small streamer in front of a larger streamer or whatever. I have not tried it because I have never been convinced that the tangles that come with a tandem rig are worth the bother. Since you brought it up, however, I might.

[Guest rich mc]

i havnt used the double rig for smallies but for bluegills and crappies. using a foam spider, gurgler and a small dropper nymph or small streamer did well. gills hit the dropper till it got darker then the topwater worked better. rich

[ronk]

Rich

Than why not just fish the wet fly til it starts getting dark? You should do just as well & be able tp avoid the hassle of casting 2 flies? Panfish poppers are fun & I occasionally use 'em but I've found that a wet fly will usually outfish them even in low light.During the spawn I once caught a mess of big gills fishing wet by the light of the moon.

[Tom L]

I've used a gurgler as the popper which can be tied to the size you like. I go with mono leader to the gurgler from the fly line. For my dropper I use a tungsten beaded thin mint with a tri colored tail ( usually black, brown and orange).

 

That is a good combo Gurgler Bug/Thin Mint. I've been wanting to tie some Gugler Bug for awhile now. I have all the materials to tie except the form back. What would you recommend? A form sheet and cut to size using paper cutter? If my memory is correct, the Gugler Bug started out as a saltwater fly and worked really well with Stripe Bass and Red fish; now more and more people are using it for freshwater species (same as the Murdich).

 

 

In bass fishing there is another similar concept represented by the Front Runner lure. Adopting this scenario to fly fishing for bass, I would put a small streamer in front of a larger streamer or whatever. I have not tried it because I have never been convinced that the tangles that come with a tandem rig are worth the bother. Since you brought it up, however, I might.

 

I have been using a tandem rig almost exclusively for smallmouth fishing. I typically used a Clouser (which has a slime profile) as the lead fly and a Marabou Muddler (which has a larger profile, because of the deer hair head) as a dropper. It has been working best on a swing-down and strip-up. It does not work well on a dead drift. Maybe the smallie thought they were fleeing bait fishes or maybe they thought a larger fish (the Marabou Muddler) was chasing the smaller fish (the Clouser).

 

Tangle of the flies has not been a problem for me. Just need to keep your casting loop more open (more open than when casting a weighted fly alone). Tight loop will cause wind knots. And don't shock the rod. Keep it nice and smooth. I used this tandem setup even in 25-30 miles wind with double hauls.

[bob g]

Sorry took a little while to respond. I think the foam I use is 3/8" color doesn't matter. I use a metal straight edge with a single sided razor. Sometimes I just free hand it when in a pinch. I agree with the choice of just using one or the other to do a majority of the days fishing. I would use this rig usually just for the fun of it and see what happens. In all honesty I almost always would have the most productive fishing staying right on the bottom. Sometimes I'll go with just topwater all day even though I won't get nearly as many fish just because its cool to see the take. The thin mint w/tungsten bead is an awsome fish catching and easy to tie crayfish pattern. Try twisted peacock for the body instead of chenille. By the way Gurgler is a fun redfish fly but because it floats so well when they come up for it the wake from there arrival has a tendency to push it out of the way and they miss it a lot. It is a fantastic trout and snook fly. Happy fly tying.

[Mike G]

Nine point rule.

 

The old law in MI limited the number of hook points fished to nine. That is why a lot of fishing lures were made with three trebles. It also meant that fly fishermen could fish an array of nine flies using droppers. I understand that some did. It must have had some advantages. Why aren't we doing it more.

[Tom L]

Nine point rule.

 

The old law in MI limited the number of hook points fished to nine. That is why a lot of fishing lures were made with three trebles. It also meant that fly fishermen could fish an array of nine flies using droppers. I understand that some did. It must have had some advantages. Why aren't we doing it more.

 

I think this nine point rule is illegal in IL. This is take from the 2011 Illinois Fishing Information

 

A 2 pole anD line fisHing onlY regulation permits the angler to

take fish with no more than 2 poles with no more than 2 hooks or

lures per line.

[Mike G]

Good point. The two pole reg is location specific in IL. It does not apply everywhere. Since many forest preserves and parks have the rule, it is a good idea to check before you try anything.

[Tom L]

Sorry took a little while to respond. I think the foam I use is 3/8" color doesn't matter. I use a metal straight edge with a single sided razor. Sometimes I just free hand it when in a pinch. I agree with the choice of just using one or the other to do a majority of the days fishing. I would use this rig usually just for the fun of it and see what happens. In all honesty I almost always would have the most productive fishing staying right on the bottom. Sometimes I'll go with just topwater all day even though I won't get nearly as many fish just because its cool to see the take. The thin mint w/tungsten bead is an awsome fish catching and easy to tie crayfish pattern. Try twisted peacock for the body instead of chenille. By the way Gurgler is a fun redfish fly but because it floats so well when they come up for it the wake from there arrival has a tendency to push it out of the way and they miss it a lot. It is a fantastic trout and snook fly. Happy fly tying.

 

Thanks Bob. Here is my first few attempts on the Gurgler.

 

Use this to cut the foam. Nice and straight.

[Rob G]

Tom, you would have made Jack Gartside proud with those fine flies.

[John Gillio]

Very nice flies Tom.