How to Fly Fish: The Double Dry Fly Rig - An Oft-Forgotten Trout Magnet

Who wouldn't want to throw two dry flies?

Double the dries, double the chances. | Photo by Jasper Taback

Two-fly nymph rigs and dry dropper rigs can be found on every trout river in America – if you want to try something a little less mainstream, break out the double dry rig. I know – trout do more than 80% of their feeding below the surface, and I’m advocating for tying on two dry flies. Hear me out. 

Where to Fish a Double Dry Rig

I’m not suggesting you drift a pair of dry flies through fast water or stained water. The double dry rig works best when fishing slow, clear water that offers the potential for rising fish – if you see trout rising, even better. Say I’m fishing a small stream and start seeing consistent rises. I’m going to double dry every time. 

Cover Multiple Hatches

Sure, it makes sense to throw dry flies when insects are hatching – but why two dry flies? Several reasons, but here’s one: There’s often more than one insect hatch going on at the same time. 

If you’re fishing a small Rocky Mountain stream on an evening in May, there’s a real good chance you’ll catch a Blue-Winged Olive hatch and a caddis hatch simultaneously. You could choose to fish a BWO fly or a caddis fly and hope you choose the right one, or you could fish one of each and appeal to trout feeding on both. In this situation, two different flies equal more eats. 

Attract and Match

Another great reason to use a double dry rig is to add an attractor fly. If you notice that the trout around you are feeding like crazy on what looks like a size 22 caddis  – by all means, tie on a size 22 caddis. But it might not hurt to drop that fly off a Stimulator or another large attractor dry fly. Suddenly, your size 22 caddis isn’t just blending in with the thousands of other bugs coming off the water – you’ve added some eye candy.  

Better Visibility

Fishing two dries doesn’t just help trout see your fly – it helps you see your fly. Sticking with the scenario above, I can’t see a size 22 caddis on the water to save my life, but I can see a size 6 Stimulator. Instead of worrying about watching for your tiny fly to be eaten, keep an eye on that big bug and see if it stalls, twitches, or sinks. 

Be Bold

It’s not always the right choice – but sometimes, it totally is. Can you often clean up on a small stream with a dry dropper rig? For sure. But there’s no one right way to fool a trout. Dry fly fishing is as good as it gets – throw two of them and double your fun.