Fly Pairings by Technique
Already know your rig? Pick a technique for every sourced pairing that uses it, across all 28 rivers and every season. Deciding between techniques instead? See Choose Your Technique. These 6 techniques cover 274 of the 278 pairings in our full database; the remaining 4 use mixed rigs not yet broken out into their own guide.
Indicator Nymphing
A weighted point fly and dropper suspended below a floating indicator, fished with an upstream cast and dead drift.
145 fly pairingsDry-Dropper
A buoyant dry fly on top with a nymph or emerger dropped below it on a short section of tippet, fishing two depths in one drift.
88 fly pairingsStreamer
A single baitfish, leech, or sculpin imitation fished with an active retrieve to trigger a reaction strike from larger, more aggressive trout.
17 fly pairingsTandem Dry
Two dry flies fished together on the surface, a larger point pattern trailing a smaller imitation 16–24 in. behind it.
9 fly pairingsDry Fly
A single floating fly presented with a drag-free dead drift to a trout rising during an active hatch, with no dropper fished beneath it.
8 fly pairingsEuro Nymphing
A tight-line rig with weighted point and dropper nymphs fished with no strike indicator, using a high rod tip and a colored sighter section.
7 fly pairings