For today’s blog, I want to invite you to come along on a little adventure with me. Picture this: you’re a new fly angler, geared up and ready. Fishing license? Check. Waders, sunglasses, lucky fishing hat? Check. Fancy new nippers that make your buddies think you’re a pro? Double check. I swing by to pick you up near your cabin, and we’re off to the river. We munch on a delicious baked good during the drive—fish fuel, obviously. When we arrive, the water level is perfect. We find a quiet grassy clearing for a quick casting lesson and gear overview. You’re feeling confident. Ready. It’s game time. We walk down to the river and spot a hatch of caddis fluttering off the surface. Trout are rising. I tie on a Klinkhammer that matches the naturals. You make a clean, beautiful cast—thanks to your expert instruction, of course. The fly hits the water… and a trout erupts on it. I yell, “Fish! Set the hook!” And you turn to me and say…
“I couldn’t see the fly.”

And honestly? That’s one of the most common things I hear as a guide—especially from folks who are just getting started. Let’s face it: flies are tiny. Sometimes ridiculously tiny. No one should feel bad about losing sight of one in the riffles or foam. It happens to me, too. The long answer to “how do I keep track of my fly?” starts with the presentation. It’s so much easier to locate your fly on the water if your eyes are already locked in when it first touches down. Over time, your eyes—and brain—get better at predicting where the fly will land. You’ll start to anticipate its splashdown in a two-foot circle based on your cast distance and aim. But like everything else in fly fishing, that comes with time and reps.

That’s where the tandem dry fly approach comes in—and it’s one of my favorite tricks for situations just like this. The idea is simple: the first fly, often called a “sighter,” is chosen not just to catch fish, but to help you see what’s going on. This fly should be highly visible. Think big—like a size 12 or larger—or something with a bright wing, post, or even hi-vis materials in colors like fluorescent orange, neon green, or hot pink. There are some incredible fly tying materials out there that can make even smaller flies pop on the water. Now, are these the best flies for fooling picky trout when they’re keyed in on a hatch? Maybe not always. But that’s where the second fly comes in. Off the bend of the sighter’s hook, you tie in a short tag of tippet, about 12 to 18 inches long, and attach your second fly—this one smaller and much more closely matched to the natural insects on the water.

Fishing this rig takes a little practice at first—not gonna lie. It’s easy to tangle until you get the hang of casting two flies, especially if the dropper is light and wants to swing around. But once you’ve thrown it a few times, it becomes second nature. You’ll start to feel comfortable laying it out clean, giving both flies a nice, natural drift. Now you simply watch the sighter. That’s your visual anchor. If it twitches, stops, or disappears under the surface—it’s go time. Set the hook. Sometimes, the fish even smash the sighter fly, which is always a thrill to watch. And even when they don’t, just tracking the sighter gives you a solid reference point. You know the second fly is trailing behind, and often, just that awareness helps you spot the smaller fly too.

Another big benefit of this setup is versatility. It lets you fish emergers in the film—perfect for those selective trout that won’t commit to anything sitting high and dry. You can also tie a nymph off the sighter, which turns the whole thing into a dry-dropper rig. Some folks even call it a “hopper-dropper” when the top fly is a big terrestrial like a grasshopper. Little emergers, beadhead nymphs, soft hackles—they all work well as the second fly, depending on what the fish are eating that day.

So if you’ve ever struggled to see your fly—or just want to increase your odds when fish are being picky—give the tandem dry fly rig a shot. It’s a simple, effective tool that helps you fish smarter, not harder. Like anything in fly fishing, it takes a bit of practice to feel comfortable with the setup, but once you do, it opens up a whole new layer of the game. You’ll start noticing more takes, making more confident hooksets, and enjoying the bonus thrill of watching trout come up and sip either fly. Whether you’re chasing rising fish during a hatch or prospecting new water, fishing two dries is one of those subtle tricks that can make a big difference. So tie one up, keep your eyes on the sighter, and enjoy the ride. The trout are waiting.