Dry-Dropper Fly Pairings
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. Already decided on dry-dropper? Below are all 93 sourced dry-dropper pairings TroutTips tracks, from every river and season, filterable by river and season. For help choosing a technique in the first place, see Choose Your Technique.
Dry-Dropper across every river we track
Browse 50 public pairings across the library. A Free account unlocks 5 more of your choice.
- Dry-dropper (light)
- Dry-dropper
- Tandem dry / dry-dropper
- Dry-dropper
- Either (nymph rig or dry-dropper)
- Dry-dropper
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
- Dry-dropper (hopper-dropper)
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
- Dry-dropper
- Dry-dropper
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
- Dry-dropper
- Dry-dropper
- Dry-dropper
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
- Dry-dropper
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
- "Dry/dropper should be a focal approach through much of the summer. Start with a Hopper, small Chubby-style attractor, Caddis or other buoyant dry and trail a Caddis Pupa, Yellow Sally nymph, Pheasant Tail, Perdigon or small BWO pattern." Classic South Park freestone; flow at Alma 5 cfs, low/clear, lower-light periods best. (depth inferred; no sizes given)
- "This setup is ideal for the meadow sections of the Middle Fork. A buoyant dry fly (such as a Chubby Chernobyl, Amy's Ant, or Foam Beetle) serves as an indicator fly, with a nymph or emerger (like a RS2 or Pheasant Tail Nymph) suspended below." Late summer/early fall, clear water, meadow sections. (season bucket inferred from "late summer and early fall" + October report date; depth inferred)
- "Running dry/dropper rigs with smaller Chubby terrestrials trailing a variety of smaller trico nymph, pmd nymph, and attractors has been best."
- "Fishing Hopper Dropper rigs with stonefly and hopper patterns with PMD, Caddis or green drake nymphs behind can be effective this time of year."
- "For the big river dry dropper fishing. Fish a hopper on top... Light tippet and watch your shadow... The dropper will be a small perdigon or bullet quill."
- "The 'Dry-Dropper' rig is highly effective right now - using a buoyant attractor like a Coachman Trude or high-vis BWO as an indicator with a small Baetis nymph 2 feet below."
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
- Hopper-dropper rigs along grassy banks keep action steady.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
- Dry droppers with gray drake patterns and small mayfly nymphs have fished good.
- Caddis activity continues to be a factor, and PMD activity has started to pick up as well.
- The classic dry/dropper rig is in order, but watch for hatches of caddis and PMDs as well.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
- This is mayfly water, BUT hoppers will be around too.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
- Typical western dry/dropper rigs are pretty standard fare.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
- "Boulder Creek Light Pocket Dry-Dropper Rig"
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
- "Go-To Rig"
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.
- Rocky Mountain Anglers explicitly recommends a foam body Drake with a CDC Pheasant Tail dropper for late summer below Gross. The source does not give sizes or dropper length for this pair; the depth category is editorial. At Walker Ranch, present from legal banks under the county's current no-wading rule.
Fly selection, depth, technique and leader setup.