Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Throwing Tandem Streamers- A Retrospect


A while back I wrote about an epiphany that I had while watching a fly fishing show.  That epiphany came in the form of a two streamer combination that the host employed.  It seemed so simple yet creative all at the same time.  Since then, I have used this set-up on two different occasions and have caught fish each time.  I thought I would share some pictures and observations that might help you out if you decide to give this method a try.


In both instances, I paired wooly buggers.  The lead fly was always an olive pearl wooly that I have nicknamed "the Christmas tree ornament).  I figured the flash would get a fish's attention and maybe get them interested in feeding.  The second fly was a little more drab.  On one occasion I went with a black and olive wooly as a trailer since the water was a little murky.  On another occasion I went with a white bodied wooly with olive hackle and tail since the water was a little clearer.  On both occasions, I caught fish on both flies.  Fish seemed a little more interest in the flashier fly but both got bit.



In terms of set up, I accidentally had about 12 inches of fluorocarbon between the flies on my first experiment.  I underestimated how much line was going to be taken up in tying knots to the lead fly and then to the trailer.  To be honest, I almost ditched the whole set up but I'm glad I didn't.  The distance didn't seem to bother the fish and I only experienced one tangle.  I also came within inches of landing two fish at the same time.  I was bringing in a smaller bluegill on the lead fly when a bass darted out of the shallows and missed a swipe at the trailer fly.  If anything, I am determined to land two fish at the same time so this method will be used again in the future.


On the second deployment of the wooly tandem I used about 18 inches of line between the flies.  I was following directions that I got from another web page and thought the greater distance would elicit better responses although I am not sure why.  What I found out (rather quickly) was that this greater distance equated to more tangles and problems.  I had to take out about 4 knots but none of them were horrible.  I guess the added distance between the flies simply makes more line available for fouling.


In retrospect, proper casting technique is key.  If the tandem rig did not land in a perfect line or had any bunching at all on the cast, there was a pretty good chance that a knot was going to occur.  The longer tether was less forgiving and more problematic.


Moving forward, I want to try some different fly combinations.  Maybe a John Deere jig as the lead fly and a small zonker behind it.  I have also thought about working some sort of surface fly quickly and erratically with a baitfish imitation milling around below the surface.  I figure that the surface fly could basically act as a glorified strike indicator in case I get bit.  Finally, I am including some links from the previous post if you would like to get more and better information from those that know a lot more than me.

http://1source.basspro.com/index.php/component/k2/67-fly-fishing/2959-how-to-fly-fish-tandem-streamer-rigs






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