I wish you lived closer... I'd love to share an adult beverage and watch you tie flies... and fish in your streams. Cheers!

I like it..... ps... got my New Hat... Old Hat....like it too...

I have probably used every method of creating droppers out there at one time or the other. Using tags from the knot of choice was what I used most of the time. Surgeon's knot, blood knot, etc all work fine for the first fly or two... sooner or later you have to start over as the tag is too short for...

Dana... thanks for your insights. Its not the knots that are failing... its the leader itself at the junction of the pitzen knot and the girth hitch. I've had a chat with a couple guides at my local fly shop and they believe its the friction from the girth hitch that is the issue and the leader mate...

Greg... your method of using surgeon's knot is what I have used before the "ladder" setup. I find that without fail, the fly tied onto the tag end of the surgeon's knot will eventually get tangled with the leader and have to be redone... no big deal to attach another dropper using the girt...

Have any of you experienced problems using the ladder leader setup, ie. pitzen stopper knot and droppers attached with loop and "bunny ears" as described in their book and subsequent videos? I've used Scientific Anglers tapered leaders and tied the stopper knots as described in the 5x port...

John Nichols Brown Darter in the swap using LaFontaines double magic technique also produces a beautiful variegated body. Love his fly.

Bill like those two.. I'm not big on the rubber leg tails, but that's just me. Bummed me out that I was shut out on the water you fished the day before. Guess my versions and skills just didn't; measure up...

DUBBN'S flies continue to inspire and provide patterns to borrow. His post on attractor nymphs a while back had a number of stone fly patterns that he fishes in his waters. Here in Central Oregon, the Metolius has a healthy population of golden stones that persist for months rather than weeks. Latel...

Put my "Variant" to the test yesterday... results speak for themselves