jim dean is a well-known fisherman in nc and contributing writer for
"wildlife in nc", the official publication of the nc wildlife resources
commission.

in the april 2005 issue, he writes of one of his mentors, a.j. johnson,
a fly-fisherman from the edgemont/wilson creek, nc area. mr. johnson was
apparently one of the few flyfishermen in the area in the early 1900s.
anyway, dean asserts that it was johnson who introduced the "tandem" fly
rig (i.e., dropper from the eye of a big dry fly) in nc in the 1940s and
to the henrys fork and the madison fishing guides out west in the early
60s. dean says "none of the local fishermen or guides...had ever seen
anything like johnson's two-fly technique...". he makes the statement
about "local fishermen and guides" in areas he and johnson frequented in
new york, michigan, and pennsylvania, as well as in the specified idaho
and montana areas.

while old jd writes pleasant little commentary for the masses, and i
like many of his sentimental descriptions, and even though i would love
to believe a grandfather mountain goodoldboy introduced the idea out
west, i find this factual statement hard to accept. anyone familiar with
dates and names for introduction of the tandem rig in u.s. trout fishing?

jeff