HOW TO CATCH TROUT ON DRY DROPPER RIGS

Tired of spooking good fish while slapping indicators around on the water's surface? Good, because our collection of high-floating dries and tasty nymphs completely remove the need for bobbers while you're chasing trout (Sorry, Air Lock).

Dry-dropping has become a go-to tactic anytime we're approaching new trout waters. It's a simple litmus test to see what the fish are looking to snack on, and ensures you're covering more of the water column with each cast. In the video below, you'll discover how to whip up dry-dropper rigs of your own, all you need is a leader, tippet, dry flies and nymphs (or one of our custom Dry-Dropper Kits!).

How to Tie a Dry Dropper Rig

Hot Dry-Dropper Combinations

One amazing aspect of dry-dropping is that you can imitate multiple stages of a hatch in one rig. By hanging an emerger and nymph off of a dry fly, you'll present the full buffet of options to hungry trout and allow them to choose which they'd prefer to snack on. Check out five of our favorite fly combos built with the patterns in our Deluxe Dry Dropper Box, below!

The Caddis Party

The biggest advantage to fishing dry-droppers other than having more fly offerings in the water, is being able to imitate multiple stages of a hatch in one rig. This combination presents the juiciest stages of any caddis hatch your local trout are keyed in on!

Dry: Guide Stimmi - Olive

Nymph: Wired Walts Worm - Olive

Trailer: EDC Caddis Emerger - Olive

The Bank Robber

This combo is absolutely deadly when you drift it near cut banks or foam filled eddies. This time of year Brown Trout especially like to hold close to banks waiting for big bugs (the Chubby) to fall in the water, or they're sitting just on the current seam feeding lazily on nymphs as they drift downstream. McKenna's Rumble Bug acts as an an attractor, bringing in hungry fish either looking for the easy meal up top, or the delicate RS-200 trailing behind. Just keep your eyes glued to the highly-visible Chubby and wait for that sucker to disappear below the surface!

Dry: Guide Chubby Chernobyl

Nymph: McKenna's Rumble Bug

Trailer: RS-200

The Stone-Zone

This time of year stoneflies make up a large portion of trouts' diet. Stoneflies are clumsy, large bugs that are packed with protein. Not only are they easy for trout to see, but once their grip on a rock is knocked loose, they're helpless in the current...easy pickings for hungry fish. Tie this combo on any time you hear or see one of those big stones buzz on by! 

Dry: Guide Floater
Nymph: Guide OG Rubber Leg Stone

Small Stream Dream Team

Chasing high-altitude Cutties or Brookies this season? This minimalist pairing is exactly what those hungry natives are looking for, a bushy dry fly sitting helpless in the film, and a juicy morsel in the form of a Walts worm below. Just make sure you keep that gink handy to keep that Guide Stimi floating high after the first dozen surface eats!

Dry: Guide Stimi - Olive

Nymph: Wired Waltz - Pink

The Works

The "Hail Mary" of our Deluxe Dry Dropper Box, this combo is the veritable smorgasbord summertime trout snacks, mimicking a wide variety of bugs floating down stream. Our Guide Frenchie and Prince nymphs are two all-around MVP's of any trout box, and are sure to result in more than a few hungry trout in the net!

Dry: Guide Floater
Nymph: Guide Prince 
​Trailer: Guide Frenchie

Find all these patterns and other Guide Flies patterns in our Deluxe Dry Dropper Kit!