Quick NZ droppers

[haresear]

For any of you who use the NZ dropper (or "duo" if you prefer).

If you use a uni-knot/Duncan loop to attach the tail nymph to the bend of your dry (or another heavier nymph, as I do) you can simply remove the tail nymph by grabbing the knot and sliding it back down the line.

Being a slip knot, the loop opens out and you can simply slide the loop over the point and put the tail fly along with its length of tippet in a poly bag, cast holder, stick it in your ear or whatever, ready to be looped on again next time you need it.

Alex

   

[Clan Ford]

I know it's been asked before but do they come off when using barbless?

Ardbeg

I tend to flatten the barbs and just a wee bump is left.  This seems enough to stop the line coiming off.  This season however, I'll be using preformed barbless - just have to wait and see :shock:

Norm

[haresear]

Good idea Alex.  Do you keep a few of different lengths and change them often?

I know it's been asked before but do they come off when using barbless?

1. Not yet, but that was one idea I had thought of.

2. I have lost the odd nymph when using a true barbless, but I tend to flatten the barbs now rather than buy barbless. When I lost nymphs, it was when fishing, not after I had hooked a fish.

Alex

[Clan Ford]

Norm, a season of lost 2lb 8oz grayling I see before you. :think2  :lol:

Ardbeg

Oh Mighty Sage - I shall now chuck all "true" brabless flies and return to the flattend barb version :roll: :lol:

Seriously, as you know I lost a few fish at Drummond Loch and while chatting to my Rainbow Bashing, competition angler collegue about it, the first thing he asked was "barbless hooks"?  I got a knowing smile when I confirmed I always fish barbless and then he suggested I should have hit the tentative takes harder :shock:  I'm sure I notice no difference in my catch rates with barbless on the river but maybe its different on still waters?  Bit off topic, sorry.

Norm

Norm

[haresear]

The barbless issue is probably relevant to the thread Norm.

The only time I worry about truly barbless hooks is when using a very heavily weighted nymph/lure, when maybe in the head shaking that goes on (the fish, I mean the extra weight in the fly could cause it to shake out. With dries, wets, light nymphs I don't lose any sleep over the issue. In NZ this year I fished debarbed exclusively and lost very few fish due to the hook hold failing (and remember these were extended fights in many cases due to the size of the fish).

In stillwaters, I think little is different. the fish will be moving all the time, so a perfectly slack line won't happen due to the water resistance of the line. My humble opinion.

Alex

[just_steven]

(and remember these were extended fights in many cases due to the size of the fish).

:roll: :roll: :roll:

:lol:

Steve (I couldn't find the green with jealousy smiley)

[haresear]

Steve (I couldn't find the green with jealousy smiley)

Sorry Steve, I wasn't rubbing it in, honest.

I really did mean that the fight is not when you will lose a fish due to the dropper slipping off.

Alex

[just_steven]

Hi Alex,

It purely was envy! I think it was that it was extended fightS plural that did it. 

I haven't tried NZ style yet but it is something I'm going to give a shot on the rivers this year.
I would have thought that if you were playing a fish on the dropper, then there would be more friction in the knot attached to the top fly, and therefore be less chance of losing the fish through the dropper slipping off.
Well it that sounds about right in theory to me.  :?

Would you ever fish this way in any other situation other than on a river?

Steve

[haresear]

Would you ever fish this way in any other situation other than on a river?

I did try try loch fishing with traditional wets like this, but I kept thinking that a fish following the bob fly would bump into the trailing portion of the leader and fail to get hooked. I don't know if this would really happen that much in practice.

It certainly doesn't present a big problem on the river, although admittedly sometimes you "floss" a fish (he takes the dry and you fail to hook him, pulling the nymph into his mouth or the outside of his jaw, flossing his teeth for him in the process ).

Alex

[just_steven]

I kept thinking that a fish following the bob fly would bump into the trailing portion of the leader and fail to get hooked. I don't know if this would really happen that much in practice.

Thats exactly what I thought too, but I've never tried it so don't know.

I've seen someone incorporate a seemless ring onto the arse of their fly as an attachment point for a NZ dropper rig. They looped a short piece of nylon through the ring and bound the nylon to the shank of the hook with tying thread. A coat of superglue and then you tie the fly as normal.
One of the many things I've not gotten around to trying/tying yet. It sounds like a bit too much faff, even for me! 
I'll have a go with a big stimulator or a foam leggy something or other tonight and pop it up tomorrow and see what the verdict is.

Steve