Tandem Rigs

I was wondering how you guys set-up your tandem rigs?

check out the last issue of fly fisherman magazine. nice article in there.

-For a 2 nymph rig, I tie the 1st fly (bigger and/or heavier one) to the end of my leader, then I tie about 18" (give or take) of one "X" size lighter tippet to the eye of the 1st nymph and then tie my second and smaller/lighter fly on the other end. With the dropper tippet one size lighter, if you hang up the bottom fly usually you only lost that one rather than both flies. If you are using an "attractor" nymph (Prince, San Juan Worm, Egg Fly, Green Weenie, etc.) in your rig, it's usually best to make it your top fly and drop a smaller/drabber fly off it- that way the fish sees the gaudier fly and it gets their attention, and if they don't eat it then it is immediately trailed by a natural looking pattern that they won't be so suspicious of. Sometimes you will find that even though your bottom fly is catching almost all the fish, if you take the top "attractor" fly off your rig the bottom fly doesn't work as well. If I have have a beadhead & a non-beadhead nymph in the rig, I usually put the beadhead on 1st, and drop the beadless one off it.

-If I'm using a dry fly as my upper fly with a nymph/emerger/dry etc. dropper, then I tie off the hook bend of the dry fly- it won't float right if you tie off the eye. With two dries, I usually run them 12-18" apart. I often use a big White Wulff as my lead fly in low light situations, 'cuz I can see it & often big trout like to eat it in the darkness. An Elk Hair Caddis with a pupa trailer is deadly during a Caddis hatch. Or a Mayfly dun with an emerger behind it. If you are trailing a nymph, adjust the tippet length according to the depth you want your fly to run at.

-For a streamer rig with a streamer or nymph trailer, I also tie off the hook bend, usually about 12-18" apart.

The article in FF magazine is basically a rehash of the Kelly Galloup DVD "Nymphing by the Numbers." If you see the DVD, you will have read the article, or vice versa. He covers about 6 different style riggings. I use a very similar style setup that Nymphmeister describes.

Nymphmeister, That's some good info you put us onto. Thanks. I have up until now put the larger of the two on the bottom of the rig. When I hook the bottom its usually two flies sacrificed to the rock gods! The entire tippet stripped to the split shot. The idea of going 1X lighter for the bottom dropper is what I would only characterize as "Brilliant!" You are appropriately named the "Nymphmeister."

Glad the info helped out Magnet. I cannot claim that I invented all the ideas I presented- my rigging has evolved to this over the years thru trial & error, reading books & magazines, and sharing info back and forth with my fishing buddies. Forums like this are a great way to share information and get questions answered.

Oh, I forgot to mention, on the two fly nymph rig, my split shot usually goes above the knot tying the tippet to my top nymph- that way the split shot doesn't slide down. I actually use a small "tippet ring", a tiny welded solid ring to attach my tippet to the leader. This way you get a super strong connection, and you don't "eat up" your leader each time you add new tippet on.

Thanks for the info. I just got the new FF magazine. I am going to try couple of those droppers this year.

What are the benefits of attaching a nymph dropper to the eye of the hook rather than the bend? does it drift more life like or put the hook at a better angle to give more of a chance of a good hook set?

It has to do with presentation. A dropper system that uses the eye of the hook tends to present that fly horizontally in the drift like a natural insect. A dropper system tied at the bend tends to present that fly more vertically like an emerging insect. Maybe later I will post a sketch if you want one.