Fishing a dropper

i tie the top fly on first (eyelet)
 
if you attach the droppper then you are tying a clintch with added potential mess

so you attach them both on the same line

I was mainly just curious because I've never tried it before. I wouldn't in these conditions anyways. Not till the water comes up at least.
 
Last time I was up people were doing just as you said... casting into a pod... letting it sink and jerking it out. Foul hooking a fish everytime.

http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/gear/monahan_tandem_combos.aspx
 
i normaly fish a dry dropper set-up for trout...
indicators scare fish... and don't have a hook

One of my favorite set ups is a sucker spawn as the first fly and a nymph dropper about 12 to 16 or so inches behind.  Most of the hits are on the nymph, and I use the sucker spawn more as an indicator.  I can watch it in the drift and when it stops, I gently lift my rod and see if a fish reacts.  If a fish has the nymph, they will shake their head and try to spit is out.  I miss a few fish this way, but I have learned I don't snag as many. 
 
As an aside, I had a female swallow a nymph the other day.  When I landed her, the tippet was coming directly out of her mouth and the fly was way down her throat.  Needless to say, she went home with me.
 
Another effective combo is two sucker spawns or glo bugs, of different colors.  I sometimes will set up a tandem like this to see what they are taking.  Again you need to be careful when the fish are stacked up because you can snag a fish pretty easily.
 
One other consideration is if the fish hits the first fly, the second often times will swing around and snag the fish.  If this happens, you may have a more difficult time with the fish, especially if the first fly pops out of the mouth.  I had that happen before, get a hook up, the fly is in the mouth and then the fish spit the fly and end up having to try and land it with the dropper fly hooked in its side.
 
Something else to consider is the difference in weight between the first fly and the dropper.  If you are using a nymph, especially a beadhead, it will drift a bit lower than the first fly.  This being the case, and if you are watching the first fly, ie sucker spawn, when you go past a pod of fish, you need to remember the nymph may be lower than the fish and when you pull up to recast, you may lift the fly up along the belly of the fish, snagging it.  Likewise, if you are drifting high above the fish, the sucker spawn may be above or at the level of the fish, but the leader connecting the nymph to the sucker spawn may be riding over the backs of the fish, leaving the nymph running down their sides and making it more likely to snag the fish in the dorsal fin or tail.
 
The bottom line, if you are using a dropper and start snagging fish, take it off.

One of my favorite set ups is a sucker spawn as the first fly and a nymph dropper about 12 to 16 or so inches behind. Most of the hits are on the nymph, and I use the sucker spawn more as an indicator. I can watch it in the drift and when it stops, I gently lift my rod and see if a fish reacts. If a fish has the nymph, they will shake their head and try to spit is out. I miss a few fish this way, but I have learned I don't snag as many.

The idea of the first being the "indicator" is half the plan for me.  The other half , epecially in these current conditions when I do use a tandem rig, is to use the first fly (usually something larger) as not only an indicator, but as an instigator.  Most of the fish in now aren't interested in biting, but I've been able to "bop" a few on the nose with the bigger fly and have them snap at the dropper.  Fish on!

I thouight of one other thing, the drift.  You really don't want the first fly dragging the second fly behind it.  You want a more natural drift for both.  If you see the first fly out ahead of the second, you need to slow the first fly down a little and try to keep the dropper floating or bouncing along the bottom at about the same speed as the first fly.  This can be a little tough sometimes, but with a little practice in line control you can get the swing of it.

I recently purchased a book written by Charles Meck called "Fishing Tandem Flies".  A short , concise book about everything you need to know about fishing a dropper.  Check it out.

Author and Fly Fisherman
Charles  R. Meck

Do you want to spend a day fishing with Charlie Meck? The Old Town Sportsman’s Club and Charlie Meck have joined together to help stock more fingerling brown trout in the West Branch of the Susquehanna River from Curwensville to Clearfield in north central Pennsylvania. Charlie has donated to the Club a guided fly fishing trip for 2 (1 winning bidder with guest) on
private waters. Fishing next May or June from
loam to 6pm on a day selected between Charlie and the highest bidder.

Bidding (write in) will take place at Jim’s Sports Center on this Saturday October 13th 10 to 11:30a.m. (Penn State game is at 3:30p.m.). Charlie Meck will be there signing books and to answer you’re fly fishing questions during the silent auction bidding times. Plus, during this program Charlie will donate his royalty proceeds from each book sold at Jim’s to go to fingerling stocking program!
100% of your silent (write in) auction bid goes to this year’s fingerlingtrout stockings to take place Sunday, October 14th (Curwensville) and Sunday, October 21st (Clearfield).

If you are unable to make the October 13th auction, Jim’s is now accepting
write in bids (phone in bids up to October 13th at 10am). Bidding over
$250, increase in increments of at least $25, serious bidders are encouraged
to be there in person at the time of the bid closing at 11:30am on October 13th.

Silent Auction sign up (write in) sheet is now at the fishing counter in Jim’s Sports Center 26 N. 2nd St. Downtown Clearfield.Call 814-765-3582

ORIGINAL: anadromous

Pxatim,
I am in your neck of the woods...fish Clearfierld, Curwensville, Mahaffey Etc. Give me shout on my E-mail. dennisgoodlin@hotmail.com. I am on the River rescue and have written articles on the Susky. I got some questions for you.

 
Good deal... sent you an e-mail.

I can roll cast fine, Its the back cast that I have problomes wiith. It seems to catch the 2 flies together. Comes back in a mess.