Fly fishing is an excellent escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It allows you to explore, encounter new species, and digest nature in its finest locations. It can also be one of the more frustrating sports out there when things aren’t going as planned. I mean come on, we have all had those days! There isn’t an angler on the planet that likes hooking into a snag and unfortunately if you are used to fishing with nymphs, this happens far to often. Luckily there is a way to prevent this from happening as often. The Drop Shot technique may sound familiar to conventional small mouth anglers, but can also be applied to fly fishing. A split shot is dropped off of the bottom of your leader keeping your flies free of debris and snag ups! This technique works very well in cold water conditions when trout are reluctant to move great distances to feed. In this tips and tricks video of the week, Red’s Fly Shop demonstrates how to create and fish the drop shot rig.
How to Create the Drop Shot Rig:
- Start by tying a stop knot at the end of your leader. A triple surgeons loop is perfect for this.
- After the loop is tied, cut the loop off just above the knot.
- Place a spit shot on your leader and slide it tight against your stop knot. This essentially creates your drop.
- Next, you can rig your fly 1 to 2 feet above your drop shot depending on the depth of the water column.
- Use a triple surgeons knot to attach a tag end of light tippet to your leader. The tag end should be about 4 inches from your leader.
- You have the liberty to add multiple flies to your leader providing variety to feeding trout.
A suspension rig/indicator system is best for this style creating tension to keep your flies off of the bottom. If you are tired of falling in to snag city, give this method a try!
Your Complete Guide to Czech Nymphing (Tips, Flies, Rigs, and More)
