How to fish a duo

Duo, NZ dropper, Klink and dink or dry dropper. Whatever name you use, this set-up has proven itself time and again as an effective way to cover water and locate feeding fish.

Over the years, I’ve been asked regularly how I rig and fish it. The short answer is simple: the set-up changes with the conditions. What follows is how I decide which approach to use and why.

Fishing the nymph from the bend of the dry

If I arrive at the river and there’s very little surface activity, I’ll usually attach two to three feet of tippet to the bend of the dry-fly (eg Klinkhamer (Klink), Duo or NZ dropper) and tie the nymph on to that. In this configuration, the dry often acts more as a visual indicator than a feeding fly, allowing me to track the drift while the nymph does the real work below.

The advantage of this approach is flexibility. If a trout rises, the dry is already in play. However, if I start receiving consistent takes to the dry – more than one or two –  I’ll often remove the nymph altogether and fish the dry on its own.

There are a couple of drawbacks to be aware of. In clear water, trout can occasionally come short on the dry, possibly spooked by the trailing tippet. Casting can also become problematic. With a longer dropper and a heavier nymph, the leader can hinge between the two flies, making it harder to achieve a clean turnover, particularly at longer distances.

Fishing a dedicated dropper

When I’m actively prospecting water, I’m more likely to switch to a dedicated dropper set-up. In this case, the nymph is tied on the point, with the dry attached to a short dropper tied into the leader above it.

This configuration is much easier to cast, as you remain in direct contact with the fly at the end of the line. It also reduces the amount of trailing tippet behind the dry, which can help prevent fish being put off in clear or pressured water.

Dropper length is largely personal preference. While longer droppers have become popular in recent years, I prefer to keep things simple and manageable. A dropper of around two to three inches is usually sufficient and helps maintain control during the cast.

How I fish the set-up

When fishing this outfit, I’m actively searching the water rather than targeting specific rising fish. As a result, casts tend to be relatively short, with controlled, purposeful drifts. This allows for better line control, cleaner presentations, and more effective coverage of likely holding water.

Used this way, the dry-dropper becomes a highly set-up that is part indicator, part search pattern and a reliable method when conditions aren’t immediately obvious.