It’s dry-dropper season here in Colorado. While grasshoppers, ants and other bugs are buzzing around mountain meadows, throwing a hopper-dropper or dry-dropper rig is one of our favorite ways to fish. It’s equal parts fun and effective.
Whether you’re fishing a mountain lake or river, splashing a dry fly pattern along a brushy or grassy bank can elicit voracious strikes. Combine that with an enticing bug below the surface, and you’ve got a deadly combo. Fishing two water columns at once. Hoppers and other terrestrials can be particularly effective on windy days or whenever there’s a little chop on the water. But really, it’s hard to find a bad time to fish a dry-dropper rig, as long as those late-summer bugs are present.
We took a poll around the shop and asked our crew to name their favorite dry-dropper fly combinations. Here are the team’s top picks for throwing a dry-dropper rig:
Nora:
“I like putting on X2 Caddis, size 14 or 16,” Nora told us. “Then about 24 inches of tippet to a heavy weighted nymph, like a Two Bit Hooker or a Perdigon, like the Warrior Perdigon, in sizes 16 or 18. I fish that set-up first to see if there are any takers in riffles, seams, or the back of pools.
“If no takers, I’ll add another 12-24 inches of tippet off the bend of the hook of the weighted nymph, and put on something lighter, like a pheasant tail nymph or an emerger,” Nora added. “Some favorite emergers are the Sparkle RS2 or WD-40 in size 18 or 20. This is a great setup for any creeks or smaller water like the South Boulder Creek or Clear Creek.”
Ben K.:
“I am going to go with a warm-water set up for this one,” Ben said. “One of my favorite hopper imitations is the Ol’ Mr. Wiggly. This is hands down my favorite hopper/popper for bass along the front range. I throw this in a size 2 in tan, and I like to tie them in funky colors as well, like black and purple, chartreuse, or red and white. You can slow strip it in, twitch it, or give it some popper-like strips to get the bass moving.
“If I am not getting many strikes, then I will add a leech underneath as the dropper,” Ben continued. “I usually stick with wine or black colors, and weighted and unweighted options in a variety of sizes. For these setups, I’m usually throwing a 7.5 foot, 1x to 3x leader, whichever I find in my bag first.”
Rachel:
“I'm a big fan of a classic size 14 purple Chubby Chernobyl with a size 16 tan Duracell underneath,” Rachel explained. “I've been hitting the high alpine lakes, specifically the Flat Tops, and that combo was the only thing I tied on all weekend. It's a great pair to bring to the creeks and rivers too, as it’s extremely versatile and durable.”
Neil
"I like to fish a purple Chubby Chernobyl in size 12 with a Rainbow Warrior Perdigon in a size18 as a dropper,” Neil said. “Then focus behind big rocks and in slack water.”
Brandon
“I like to use a Chubby Chernobyl in tan or red, in size 10 to 12,” Brandon Told us. “Then I’ll drop a Duracell. Or if I am fishing two flies, I like the combo of an RS2 and a Poison Tung in blue-grey.”
Brad
“When I go to fish my favorite runs on the Arkansas River, my go-to dry dropper combo is a Mini Chubby in tan, size 12,” Brad commented. “Followed by one of my own Frenchie Pheasant Tails with an orange or pink hot spot, in size 16.”
Johnnie
“A Fat Angie with a Frenchie is all I need most days!,” Johnnie told us. “I fish nylon to the dropper usually, which allows a quick switch to a double dry. This is my favorite set up for the Green River in Utah.”
Ben B.
“Any foam hopper size 14, followed by a size 18 Bearded Baetis,” Ben Said. “ That’s my go-to dry-dropper rig for the White River in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area.”
Delaney
“Give me a Hippie Stomper or a Thunder Thighs Hopper, down to a tan or chartreuse Duracell,” Delaney said. “Galloup’s Ant Acid with a Smoke Jumper underneath is another great combo. I love either of these at alpine lakes.”
Contact Us With Questions
Have questions or need help getting rigged up for dry-dropper fishing? Please don’t hesitate to ask! We are here to help at the fly shops in Littleton and Denver. Or you can give us a call at 303-794-1104. Whether it’s knots, rigging or tackle, we’d love to help you feel confident and ready for your next day on the water.