I’m a guide, and guides get to hear a lot about what fly fishers want to know. We’re teachers, and invariably we’re asked many questions. A large percentage of these questions pertain to rigging, from the rod/reel/line setups for a particular style of fishing to the leaders that work best for that application.
There’s a reason for that curiosity. The number-one problem for most fly fishers is rigging. You can have a great fly tied on, attached to highly expensive leader material, attached to a $100 fly line, spooled on a $500 reel, and cast on a $900 rod. If the rigging is not correct, you probably won’t catch fish.
I have devised some useful rigging setups in my guiding career. I don’t mind sharing one of them, and I will here, but I wanted to do more than that. What follows are rigging methods used on a daily basis by several great guides and instructors — gurus of the sport of fly fishing in California, although they’d blush at being called that. The experts are Ken Hanley, Jay Murakoshi, Jeff Putnam, Ernie Gulley, and Jon Baiocchi.
Saltwater Rigs
Ken Hanley’s inshore saltwater rig is as simple as it can get. He begins with a 9-foot 8-weight fast-action rod with a saltwater-proof reel that holds 250 yards of 30-pound-test backing and a 250-grain integrated sinking line. He then just attaches an 8-to-10-foot tapered fluorocarbon leader. Ken usually builds his own leaders using the standard universal formula for tapered leaders, 50/30/20 — 50 percent butt section, 30 percent midsection, 20 percent tippet section. His typical leader is 5 feet of 40-pound-test, .024-inch fluorocarbon, 3 feet of 20-pound-test, .016-inch fluorocarbon, and 2 feet of 12-pound-test, .011inch fluorocarbon tippet. This results in a 10-foot leader that will turn over heavy flies when casting in the surf and wind. Ken’s knot of choice for tying materials together in all his leaders is a Double Surgeon’s Knot. He uses a Perfection Loop to attach the leader to his fly line.
Ken’s estuary rig is almost a carbon copy of this rig — a 9-foot fast-action rod, but in a 10-weight, with the same reel and backing, but a 450-grain integrated-head sinking line. The leader for his estuary rig uses the same formula as the one for his inshore rig— 50/30/20 — but with 3 feet of 30-pound-test, .020inch fluorocarbon, not 20-pound test, in the second section. It’s a somewhat stouter leader.
In the surf, Jay Murakoshi fishes a 9-foot 7-weight fast-action rod, saltwater-proof reel with 30-pound-test backing and 100 feet of clear Amnesia running line attached to a Type 3 sinking shooting head. His surf rig uses a 6-foot tapered leader. The formula for Jay’s leader is 2 feet of 25-pound-test, .020-inch monofilament and 4 feet of 10-pound-test, .010-inch fluorocarbon tippet. Jay prefers using the Slim Beauty Knot to connect the two pieces. YouTube has numerous videos that teach how to tie this knot.
Rigs for Swinging Flies
Jeff Putnam’s basic rig for swinging flies for trout is an 11-foot 6-inch 4-weight switch rod, a reel with a smooth drag system and 150 yards of 20-pound backing, and a 4-weight Switch Chucker line. Jeff attaches MOW Tips to this rig. Jeff likes the Light MOW Tips in the 10-foot model. He praises the Freshwater Versa Leader (also known as a Poly Leader) for smaller flies. When throwing larger streamers, Jeff uses a 10-foot MOW full sinking tip and 3 to 4 feet of 2X (10-pound-test) monofilament tippet, attached using a Perfection Loop Knot. When swinging soft hackles, he attaches a 10-foot intermediate Versa Leader with 4 feet of 4X (6-pound-test) monofilament tippet, again with a Perfection Loop. The higher in the water column Jeff fishes, the longer the leader tends to be.
Jeff’s basic rig for swinging flies for steelhead is a 13-foot 6-weight Spey rod, a reel with a smooth drag, 250 yards of 30-pound-test backing, and a .032-inch floating shooting line loop-to-looped with a Perfection Loop to a Scandi-body 350-grain floating shooting head. Then Jeff attaches a tip. For large winter steelhead flies (two to four inches long), he uses MOW Tips with 3 to 6 feet of 12-pound-test monofilament tippet, depending on the depth. For medium to small steelhead flies during summer and fall fishing, Jeff attaches a Versa Spey leader with 3 to 6 feet of 10-pound-test monofilament tippet. Jeff’s favorite knot to use to attach the fly is a Nonslip Loop to allow for movement. You can find instructions on how to tie this knot on YouTube, as well.
An Indicator Rig for Still Waters
Ernie Gulley’s indicator rig for trout fishing is simple. Ernie likes a 10-foot 5-weight fast-action rod, a reel with a smooth drag, 20-pound-test backing, and a weight-forward floating line. Ernie attaches his leader to his fly line by using a Nail Knot. He likes the Nail Knot for one simple reason: it enters and exits the guides more smoothly than any loop knot. The leader is straight 3X (8-pound test) fluorocarbon to the first fly (the 3X fluorocarbon cuts through the water quickly), then 3 feet of 4X (6-pound-test) fluorocarbon to the bottom fly (see diagrams on the next page). Whether he’s fishing in 12 feet of water or 25 feet, he just shortens or lengthens the 3X fluorocarbon to the desired length. Ernie places a split shot 2 feet above the first fly (on the 3X material) on all his rigs. The first fly doesn’t have to be a nymph — he sometimes uses a streamer. He likes to attach the 4X f luorocarbon to the first fly via the hook eye. He stresses that the hook of the first fly should ride at a right angle to the leader material. The bottom fly should be tied on with a Nonslip Loop Knot. Ernie uses an Under-Cator indicator. The Under-Cator is a hollow sphere. On one side, there is a round plastic piece with a slot in it and a thumb screw. You place the leader in the slot and tighten the thumb screw to secure it. You can then loosen and move the indicator easily to adjust for changes in depth.
Indicator Rigs for Rivers
My own dead-drift indicator rig is a combination of many talented guides’ rigs. The only thing that I have done is simplify them. I use this rig in the valley rivers for trout and steelhead. I begin with a 9-foot 6-inch 6-weight rod, a reel with a smooth drag, 150 yards of 20-pound-test backing, and a weight-forward indicator line. The leader for the dead-drift indicator rig is so simple it can be built on the water, as well as at home. Cut a 6-foot piece of 20-pound test, .016-inch fluorocarbon. On one end, tie on a size 14 barrel swivel. From the other, thread on two black medium bobber stops, then thread on the indicator. I use my own Gray’s Indicator, described below, but you can use a Thingamabobber or your favorite indicator. Then thread on two more bobber stops. Finally, tie on another size 14-barrel swivel. This is your drop leader section.
(A lot of fly fishers have never used bobber stops. YouTube has this nifty video that shows how to thread the stops. Bobber stops work on friction. You’re probably wondering why I use more than two on my leader. Although when first attached they’re tight, over time the bobber stops loosen up. Using two of the stops to each side of my indicator pretty much ensures the indicator will not slip out of its desired position.)
The indicator can be adjusted up and down the drop leader to place the fly at the depth desired. You must use fluorocarbon, rather than monofilament for the drop leader, because monofilament will transfer the heat created by the bobber stops moving back and forth and will ruin your drop leader.
To attach the drop leader to the fly line, I make a small, 8-inch cheater from 30-pound-test monofilament. On one side of the cheater, I tie in a Perfection Loop and attach the cheater to the fly line using the loop-to-loop method. Then I tie the cheater to one of the size 14 barrel swivels — it doesn’t matter which.
Once the drop leader is attached to the fly line, you can add a split shot to the other end above the size 14 barrel swivel. For the waters I fish, I use the biggest weight available — the one designated SSG. This sinks the rig quickly down to the fish. I use the indicator to float it just off the bottom.
On the terminal end of the drop leader (the bottom barrel swivel), I add the tippet material — use whatever size tippet material you like. It depends on what flies you’re using and what fishery you’re visiting. For the lower Yuba River, I use 18 inches of 3X (8-pound-test) fluorocarbon tippet to the first fly, then, on the bend of that fly, I tie 18 inches of 3X fluorocarbon for the second fly. If you fish a third fly, use 5X (5-pound-test) fluorocarbon tippet material off the bend of the second. The reason I like the smaller tippet material for the bottom fly is simple: the bottom fly is the fly that usually gets snagged. It’s easier to break 5X than 3X. You don’t lose all your flies, and it’s faster to rerig.
My Gray’s Indicator is very sensitive and it relays information back to the fly fisher. It is made from a hard foam sphere. On one side, it has an eye so you can attach it to a leader. On the other side of the sphere is a plastic post. The plastic post will stick straight up when your flies and rig are dead drifting. The post will lean upstream or downstream if the indicator is dragging. You can then mend the opposite way to get your indicator back to a dead drift. When the post rocks quickly, it is a strike.
A High-Stick Nymphing Rig
Jon Baiocchi’s rig for high-stick or short-line nymphing is simple, easy to assemble, and most of all, it can be cast without a big, sloppy lob. [Editor’s note: This rig from Jon Baiocchi was highlighted in his article “Tactics for High Water” in the March/April 2018 issue of California Fly Fisher. Given its utility for nymphing, we are repeating it here for readers who might have missed it.]
Jon’s high-stick nymphing rig is the product of decades of fine-tuning. Jon uses a 10-foot 5-weight or 6-weight rod with a medium or fast action and a reel with 20-pound-test backing and a weight-forward floating line. His leader combines monofilament and fluorocarbon and also has a barrel swivel. The formula is 3 to 5 feet of 20-pound-test, .018-inch monofilament, 2 feet of 1X 11-pound-test, .010-inch colored indicator sighter tippet, 6 feet of 12-pound-test, .012-inch fluorocarbon tippet, with a size 14 barrel swivel attached at the end. The total length of the leader ranges from 8 to 10 feet, depending on the length of the butt section. His standard rig is 10 feet long. Jon attaches it to the weight-forward floater with a Perfection Loop, loop to loop.
Jon places any added weight above the barrel swivel. He also uses heavy flies (weighted flies, beadheads, and flies with both weight and beads) to get down fast and stay down. From the barrel swivel to the first fly, he attaches 12 inches of 1X to 5X fluorocarbon. Jon likes to use the eye of the first hook to attach the second fly. The second fly also is attached with 12 inches of 1X to 5X fluorocarbon.
When tying this leader, Jon uses a Marriage Knot. The Marriage Knot consists of back-to-back Nail Knots or Grip Knots that are tied by using a Tie-Fast Knot Tyer. This knot will allow you to connect monofilament and fluorocarbon. You can find instructions for how to tie this knot on YouTube.
KISS
As guide rigs, all these approaches have one thing in common — the KISS principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Guides keep it simple because doing so saves time from rigging that they can invest in fishing. It gets their guests’ flies in the water. That’s where the fish are, after all. Using simple, but effective rigs is the way to get the flies in front of them.
