How to Fish Double Indicator and Two Fly Rigs
There are times on the river when a little excess and doubling down can turn an average day on the water into one for the record book! Double dry fly rigs, double indicator rigs, and double beadhead nymphs can enable the fly fisher to go all-in on a hot hatch, detect the light strikes, or seduce the aggression of a trophy trout buried in a deep pool. Not recommended for the timid angler or those that that are content with 6 fish days, if you're are ready to double your fish count and the size of fish you land, read on!
Double Dry Fly Rigs
Adaptations of the Dry-Dropper rig in which a wet fly pattern is suspended in the water column beneath a dry fly, the "Big Brother & Little Brother" and "Double Down rigs" are double dry fly setups that can be deadly on the water. The "Big Brother & Little Brother" rig is one that you can use when fish are rising and feeding on tiny dry flies and it becomes difficult to track your fly on the water or pick it out from all of the naturals drifting around it. The "Big Brother & Little Brother" rig is accomplished by first tying on a large dry fly that is easy to see and can act as an indicator similar to that of a Dry-Dropper rig. Using a 14-18 inch of tippet tied off the back of the hook, you will then tie on the Little Brother, which will imitate the small insect that the fish are actually targeting and feeding on. When fishing this rig, you will keep your eye on the Big Brother, and if it drops beneath the surface of the water, set the hook, because a fish just ate the Little Brother that was tagging along behind.
The "Double Down” rig can be the fly fisher's best friend when fish begin to actively feed on a specific hatch or life cycle that is represented by a dry fly. During the Mother's Day caddis hatch, the Trico mayfly spinner fall, or other major event on the water, trout will get tunnel vision and will gorge themselves on a specific fly and life cycle. During these events we just need to give them what they want in order to join the action. Doubling up, or even tripling up with the hot fly will add to the swarm and give you multiple chances with each cast to catch fish!
Double Indicator Rig
Was that slight pause in the drift, or bump of the indicator a fish or was I just tapping the bottom of the river? The soft mouthed take of a fly by a trout can be hard to detect for even the most seasoned angler. Detecting the light strike of trout feeding on wet fly patterns can become increasingly difficult under extreme conditions like fishing fast pockets surrounded by white water, or when trying to grab a lazy winter trout out of the depths of a pool. The Double Indicator Nymph Rig is a simple and effective technique for sensing these subtle takes. By placing two indicators approximately 6-8 inches apart on your line, the fly fisher will be able to detect even the lightest strike. As the indicators drift down the river together a strike will be marked by a change in distance and motion between the two strike indicators. If one of the indicators pauses while the other continues, or if one of the indicators moves in a direction counter to the current of the river and its partner, set the hook! (Application note: My preferred indicator for this rig is the clear, glow in the dark thingamabobber.)
Double Beadhead Nymphs
Stung by recent memories of hooks and well-trained by months of catch and release fishing, fall and winter trout are leery of anything that looks out of place and often become shy of lead weights and heavy tippets. In preparation for the slim pickings of the winter and guided by their instinct to conserve calories, the cautious fall trout will begin to congregate in deep, slow pools throughout the river. This shift to deeper habitat and a tendency to be spooked by weights pinched to the angler's line requires a change in tactics. By using heavy, double beadhead fly patterns (such as the Double Beadhead Stonefly Nymph and the Two Bit Hooker), the angler can effectively hide their weight within the fly pattern, get their flies quickly to the depths where the trout are lying, and exponentially increase their chances of hooking up with the reclusive cold weather trout.
So on your next trip to the river, don't be afraid to double down! Double dries, double indicators, and double beadhead nymphs will pay off in more and bigger fish, guaranteed!
