Fins on the fly

Terrestrials: Rigging for Success

As we all know, successful rigging plays a crucial role in any scenario, and can make or break a day on the water.  There are many debates regarding which knots to use, which flies to use, and more.  However, when the time comes to fool a feeding fish, the setup of your rig will become one of the most important aspects of your success, falling short only to presentation.  In this article, I will talk about how to put together a better Hopper/Dropper rig that will increase your success on any watershed.

Solving the problem

A large problem encountered by many anglers is the “inability” to get their rig to turn over- or get the flies to hit the water in a straight line.  While this could be due to a myriad of factors, the improved Hopper/Dropper rig solves this problem.  By running standard nylon tippet to your dry fly and fluorocarbon tippet to your dropper, the extra density of the fluorocarbon tippet material will allow the rig to straighten out before hitting the water.  Put simply, the extra weight of the fluorocarbon at the end of your setup will pull the entire rig taut before landing on the surface.  This gives the angler two major advantages, the first of them being a reduced amount of time spent untangling your once beautiful rig.  This means more time sent fishing, therefore increasing your odds of success.  Aside from this, allowing your rig to turn over properly gives you an accurate gauge to measure your presentations against.  By knowing that your flies are landing in a straight line, you can make minor adjustments in order to offer up the perfect presentation.

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 When to use what

 While the extra weight of fluorocarbon is rather helpful in turning over your rig, this extra weight can become an unseen nuisance if connected to your dry fly.  When adding the “dropper” to your Hopper/Dropper rig, fluorocarbon will aid in sinking the dropper to its predetermined depth, but it will also slowly sink your hopper.  While it may seem as if your favorite floatant is failing you, more than likely the problem has to do with the weight of the fluorocarbon.  Nylon tippet material weighs less, and is slightly thinner in diameter than fluorocarbon, making it ideal for supporting a dry fly.  By using nylon leaders and tippet all the way to your dry, you won’t have to worry as much about applying floatant every ten casts.

 Putting it all together

 Using these tips, you should be able to put together the ideal leader setup for effectively fishing a Hopper/Dropper rig.  Here, I will discuss how I set-up a typical Hopper/Dropper rig for most any situation.

 Leaders

For large grasshopper/Terrestrial fishing, I prefer a shorter, stouter leader.  This will help in turning over the rig, and will also help push the flies through any wind.  For most cases, I prefer a 7.5 foot 3X Nylon leader.  This is heavy enough to brave the summer winds, yet light enough to produce a somewhat delicate presentation.

 Tippet

 When building personal leaders, I prefer more of tippet and less leader.  This setup puts wary trout more at ease, and will aid in success.  Start by clipping 12 inches off of your leader, and tie on three feet of 3X nylon tippet using either a triple surgeons knot or blood knot.  By cutting the leader back a foot, you are essentially increasing its diameter to the equivalent of 2X tippet, making for a more powerful turn over when transitioned into 3X.  This will make casting easier and much more effective.  After this step is complete, tie on your dry fly of choice using an improved clinch knot.

 Connecting the Dropper

From the bend of your terrestrial, it is now time to add a “dropper” of your choice to the rig.  This fly should imitate a particular stage of the predominant insect activity for the time of year in which you are fishing.  I usually prefer to use 2-3 feet of either 4X or 5X fluorocarbon tippet to connect my dropper, and use a clinch knot when attaching the tippet to the back of my dry fly.  Fluorocarbon is important here, as it will not only aid in straightening out your rig with each presentation, but it is also harder for fish to see; a rather important part of fishing subsurface imitations.

 Fly Patterns

With terrestrials, I have found that color is the deciding factor in a day’s fishing.  Trout, especially large ones, are opportunistic feeders.  While size is important in its own way, correct color is what seems to “sell” the imitation time and time again.  Try your best to match the color of the terrestrial you plan to imitate, and worry about size later.

 When selecting a dropper, consider size and color.  Again, color seems to be a dominant part of what makes up the trout’s mind, but size is also largely important.  A good tip for selecting a dropper is to go small when in doubt.  Trout are more likely to eat a smaller imitation than a big one, so when struggling, think small.

 Another tactic to consider is dropping a soft hackle below your terrestrial.  Soft hackle patterns perfectly imitate emerging insects, and trout cannot pass them up.  During the summer months, I like to use Dunnigan’s Soft Hackle PMD, as well as many of my own patterns.  Soft hackle caddis are also highly effective, and are worth trying.  When in doubt, go small and focus on color of the imitation first, with size coming in a close second.

 Summary

By following these simple steps, you will master the rigging process in no time.  With practice, you will be able to set-up different rigs to catch fish on any water.

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  • J

    John BakerNov 9, 2012 at 7:17 pm

    Hey Jake ! can you offer me private lessons on fly fishing ? I hope to be good as you one day !

    Reply
  • D

    Daniel SullivanOct 30, 2012 at 10:02 pm

    Hey Jake! Can you teach me how to fly fish, like a tutorial up on the site?

    It would be rad!

    Reply
  • I

    Isaak BestianOct 12, 2012 at 2:36 pm

    This is really good, Jake! Someday I hope to be as good as a flyfisher as you.

    Reply