Fishing A Dropper

[JeffK]

I'm the opposite - I try to sight fish as much as possible. Everybody has their own style and its best to work one way and not get watching too many things at once.

I have read about those 11 or 12 fly rigs, but view that with a grain of salt. Most of the old writers that ring true to me (Thaddeus Norris in US, WC Stewart, Pritt, etc) used three flies since more can than that can be a PITA. One of them (I forget which) made the comment that if you can't catch them with one fly then you probably wouldn't do so well with 11 either.

Finally, I don't think snagging is a real issue except at spots where there are bunches of large easily visible fish. The temptation is too much for more fishermen than we like to admit. I fly fish and teach fly fishing more than most amateurs and I do like to needle the fly fishing "elite". Being an old grouch it rubs me the wrong way when I hear fly guys say they never snag fish and C&R with no mortality - all those dead fish must be from the spin fishermen. Even with a fly, fishing is a blood sport and puncturing a mouth with a sharp metal object, making them fight for their life, and "air boarding" them for removal of odd hook sets, pictures etc is going to push a few over the edge no matter how careful you are and whether they swim away or not. Just trying to keep it real in a world with too much bluster.

[dominicleckie]

I also find it much easier to let the water load of the bar. What I find funny, I always seem to catch fish on the lower gear. Almost never at the top. I've even changed a little with them the same results.