Just following on from another thread about duo fishing....

I've never had a lot of luck with this method - usually end up getting in a mess then going back to dries or nymphs, which I have more confidence with. However, I'd still like to try it more, even if only for curiosity. I'm never too sure about fly types and sizes/balance though. Klinks and balloon caddis seem to be favourites from what I can see, but what sizes? 14s and 16s seems pretty popular?. What about other foam based patterns, eg foam beetles? This type of pattern also sits low in the water like a klink (unlike a traditional dry which I presume is less suitable because it's intended to ride higher) - also a foam beetle will float all day without ginking - however I've never seen this pattern mentioned. I seen on another post Paul G's modified klink especially for duo fishing (4 turns of double hackle and wapsi yarn post - thanks Paul) - any other specialist versions people would be prepared to share, or do most just use standard patterns? And now to nymphs - patterns/size/weight and match against what size/bouyancy of dry? I should say I have also read other comments about the top fly not neccessarily having to support the full weight of the nymph because the nymph might only have got to full depth on a short drift by the time you are lifting off again!

As you can see, I realise there's more to it than simply dangling a nymph under a big blob of a dry fly for a float - hence my questions (and confusion!) and also why I'd like to persevere a bit more.

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Hi Jeff, long time no see M8. this method is becoming quite useful on a few fisheries up here. If I am using trad dries, I trim the lower hackle fibres to let the fly sit in the film, then on the point, you can put a nymph, beetle or a buzzer. As you say, a foam beetle will float all day, I cut down on the amount of foam, so that the beetle or nymph fishes just under the surface.

Last month I watched a heat of the TM comp, at Farleton. To my amazment one of the well known comp boys was using a similar method, everyone thought he was using a bung !!, but he was actually using a big bright yellow loch Ordie type dry, with a Shipmans buzzer on the point. The shipmans did the damage, he had the heat won in no time.

Tight Lines M8

Caddi

River or stillwater ?

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" If you stand by the river long enough the bodies of all your enemies will float by"

Sorry, yes I should have clarified - I was meaning river, as in New Zealand style

Hi Caddi, hope you and Damsel both well. Heading up your way with John a bit earlier this year - week of 24th May - may be fishing Watendlath as usual on the Friday 28th or Sat 29th after doing the rivers through the week, be good to catch up if you're around. Might have to leave early on the Sat though to get back for daughter's party That Farleton method with the dry and the shipmans - ie a duo dry (or rather dry + emerger), isn't quite what I meant, but my fault for not explaining. However, speaking of Watendlath, thats essentially what John and I have done well on there as it happens: - a pair of sugar cube (foam head) hare's ear emergers (favourite pattern of mine), or one of those plus small foam beetle. Cast to rising fish, leave static, if no take after 5 mins, twitch back and wait for to rod to get pulled from your arm!.

ps - John's let me down and joined the ranks of the Sage-bearing tackle tarts so you and him can oggle each other's tackle now

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I dont mind admitting that I enjoy fishing the duo... I am both lazy and particular in my choice of dry - if that doesn't sound too contradictory. I want a fly that sits like a cork in fast water, is visible in awkward lighting and drags them up when nothing much is happening. For me... the balloon caddis is the guy, and John Tyzack's tying of this is, for me, peerless. It is great fished as either a single dry or as part of a duo. Nice dark hook with a lovely profile. Yum.

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"A homeward tramp thro' mist wrapped night,
With heart and creel in common light,
Complete content, the day has brought it,
They fished for pleasure - and they caught it"

P F Morgan
taken from the catch record book at Llanthony Hotel, Honddu Valley, Aug 1942

www.monnowlogue.com
www.monnow.org.uk

I've only just started using the duo but I've found a size 14 or 12 CDC dry pattern will support even a bead-head or leaded nymph. Last night I tied a couple of flies with peacock herl bodies and natural CDC 'hackles' with bright orange wings (for visibility) made out of some kind of artificial yarn that has been in my box for donkey's years!

I had a couple of hours after work this evening and lost two brownies that took the dry flies (tried both of them) and landed a lovely 14 inch grayling on a hare's ear nymph

StickMan

Ditto I'm clearly going to have do some of them! is it anything like this one I found in the SBS section?:
http://www.flyforums.co.uk/fly-tying...duo-style.html

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A Stimulator is another very useful dry that may be used when fishing New Zealand style and well worth using. I love using a big klink with lots of hackle as per PaulG, well able to hold up 2 nymphs.

Bert

[QUOTE=tigermoth;704601]I dont mind admitting that I enjoy fishing the duo... I am both lazy and particular in my choice of dry - if that doesn't sound too contradictory. I want a fly that sits like a cork in fast water, is visible in awkward lighting and drags them up when nothing much is happening.

Spiderman made me some cracking Klinks which are unsinkable

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" If you stand by the river long enough the bodies of all your enemies will float by"

there was an article in T & S last november about the nith grayling and the guy use this method with a fly called the "sombrero"
the main difference between this and the klinkhammer is that rather than using poly yarn he would use high visbility foam as the wing-post and he claimed that it "could hold up a tungsten welly"
perhaps worth a play around with for fast water and heavy nymphs