Favorite dry-dropper setup for Smokies streams?

[Dawgvet]

Ok, now that warm weather is upon us, my thoughts usually steer towards small wild streams. Most of those are best fished, with the exception of the occasional all-too-enticing deep plunge pool, with a dry-dropper setup. Now in the spirit of I'll show you mine if you show me yours, what's your favorite dry-dropper setup?

I fished a blueline yesterday and went most of the day with a 6' hand-tied 5x leader of Joe Humphreys' formula with a #14 yellow Stimulator and 16-18" 6x fluoro tied with a Duncan loop (to allow for removal for those "can only shoot a dry up under there" spots) and a non-beadhead weighted #16 Hare's Ear.

What's your favorite setup for dry-dropping in them thar hills?

Regards,

[gjbu]

Mine is usually a stimulator with bead head pheasant tail.

[JayR]

Starting about this time of the year, I usually go with a Neversink caddis or yellow stimulator with a green weenie dropper. I like the dry/terrestrial combo. Sometimes I change out the green weenie for a pink one or go to an ant.

[David Knapp]

#14 Parachute Adams and #16 BHPT

[xvigauge]

Last week I caught trout on a wet fly/nymph combo. I had my version of a yeller hammer (yellow duck quill palmered on for the hackle) with a red squirmy worm off that. I thought they would hit the squirmy worm, but they had no interest in it. However, they nailed the yeller hammer. Not a dry/nymph combo, but it worked.
Joe

[flyman]

This time of year, parachute hopper and a black ant dropper.

[Dawgvet]

Ok, so on those Beadhead Pheasant Tails, is that a tungsten bead? I sometimes have the nymph pull the dry under when using a tungsten bead.
Thanks for the replies! Keep ‘em coming!

[David Knapp]

Ok, so on those Beadhead Pheasant Tails, is that a tungsten bead? I sometimes have the nymph pull the dry under when using a tungsten bead.
Thanks for the replies! Keep ‘em coming!

Mostly tungsten beads for me although I usually undersize the bead and keep the fly small when using tungsten in a dry/dropper. If I'm having a hard time keeping the dry fly floating, I either go up a size on the dry, or down a size on the nymph and/or bead...

[bocash3]

Dry Fly: A very much over-dressed Caddis. This version has 3 times the normal bleached elk hair, twice the density of hackle, a Zelon shuck tail, and an added touch of bright green or yellow Hi-Vis over wing. Don't skimp on the size. Use paste floatant. Mine are all size 10 or 12. THEY FLOAT in the roughest water while holding up a bead-head nymph. Additionally, those over-size Caddis will generally take one out of every 8 to 10 trout landed in freestone waters.

Nymph (underneath): BH Prince, BH Pheasant Tail, (Black BH) Black Ant, BH Caddis pupa, BH Copper John, etc. I mostly use sizes 14 to 16 and sometimes 18.

For picky, educated, over-worked trout on a diet, midge-nymphs like various forms of BH Zebra droppers in sizes 18 to 22 can sometimes turn their heads, especially in slower waters.

Y'all take care...........

[just a hillbilly]

#12-#14 Yellow Stimulator or Thunderhead with a small non-tungsten beadhead Verlin Deluxe, Tellico, SOS, or ***-backwards little Japanese-style soft hackle. Later in the summer, I may run a green inchworm as the dropper.