Two Nymph Rig - Effectiveness???

[rusty fly]

On the Fall river I've used a size 4 or 6 cone head woolybugger with a size 18 - 22 trailer and most of time I'll get bit on the bugger

[stonefly58]

As Bill mentioned, two numph rigs are the norm these days.

The most successful for me (after many years of experimentation) has been my "Go To Fly" which has been my own pattern #20-22 Midge on the point, and a flash fly, usually a #16-20 on the dropper, placed 8-10 inches apart. As someone had mentioned previously in this thread it makes for an easy change out, if you want to experiment with other patterns.

I have found tying my dropper onto the shank of the point fly has not been as successful as extending the leader past the point fly and then tying my dropper on, both work, however the latter fly to leader attachment is my preference.

[Morgan]

I catch fish on both my top...middle and dropper. Sometime i fish 3 flies

[royewest]

Kevin Price once told me to tie the dropper to the eye of the upper fly, not the bend, because the lower fly can tend to pull the upper fly out of a fish's mouth by pulling at the bend of the upper hook, if the fish takes the upper fly and the lower fly gets snagged on something.

I still do both, depending on the size of the upper fly (and if I tied it, how badly I crowded the eye with my thread head) and more random reasons. I also find sometimes that the upper fly can tend to spin in the current and twist the leader, when the dropper is tied to the eye.

[Reno Flytyer]

"I have never had a fish hit the first nymph and I am wondering how many people see this as effective."

How do you know you've never had a hit on the dropper, or on either fly for that matter? I keep trying to figure out how to determine which fly they're hitting, but unless I catch 'em, or foul hook one, all I come up with is, "How's he know?" My theory about the foul hooking comes from their initial hit & either that or the hook set, causing the resistance from the initial strike to enable the point fly to contact the fish.

I may use a couple of nymphs under an indicator, but shy away from using them when
stripping, particularly in the wind.

Reno Flytyer

[Woodman]

I have actually hooked a fish on the top fly, lost him, and then belly hooked him on the point fly. Happened several times over the years. Not really the way I'd like to land a trout.

[Darrin.Deel]

I run nothing but 3 fly rigs in the valley.....The fish is going to eat the bug it wants to eat, doesn't matter where in the lineup it is. If you aren't confident in the fly, don't tie it on.

[RDS]

I also use 3 fly rigs mainly and have no problems. On Sunday I fished a valley river and caught fish on all three of the flies. Most of the time I put the largest fly on top and the smallest fly on the bottom. The only drawback is that when I am stupid enough to cast into trees, snags, etc. I am losing three flies instead of one or two. Oh well, sacrifices have to be made.

[amoeba]

How many people catch fish on the first nymph in a two nymph rig?

I have never had a fish hit the first nymph and I am wondering how many people see this as effective.

Not much on the first nymph for me either. I don't do it much anymore, and I don't think it adds much effectiveness. Maybe a little. FWIW, it does add weight, sometimes enough to get your second fly down without split shot. I suppose it is also a good way to kill time fiddling around with rigging if you aren't catching fish.

[candyman]

Hi, I'm a newbie, but an oldie in age. what is the steup for a two nymph rig, I'd like to try it.