Multi-fly rigs are more common and varied in the community than ever. Dry-dropper, two streamers, a streamer/nymph combo, two nymphs or even two dries are favored setups for many anglers.

Likewise the methods for rigging these multi-fly rigs are diverse too, and the details about how the flies are attached determine how they’ll fish. Tags or trailers? What’s the distance between the flies? And what is their positioning on the leader?

One of my favorite nymphing rigs is one that I call the Bait and Switch. I’ve mentioned it often throughout the content of Troutbitten — in articles, podcasts and videos. And the concept is simple. Use a large or bold fly to grab the trout’s attention, and then seal the deal with something natural. It’s a significant part of my approach and something I turn to often. However, its success depends on a few specific details.

Here’s the Bait and Switch rig . . .

The Concept

Imagine how many natural nymphs pass by a trout, day after day, hour after hour and even minute by minute. Many of our best trout rivers are loaded with mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies, midges and small crustaceans. But in even the most infertile streams, trout let the majority of bugs pass in the drift. Watch the water’s surface during any hatch to witness this truth. Far more bugs make it through the gauntlet of rise circles than those that fall victim. And certainly, the same scenario applies to the unseen world underneath.

We’re told that selective trout eat smaller flies. And I’m convinced that the most pressured trout prefer more natural patterns too. So a tiny, #20 fur nymph, Pheasant Tail or RS2 may well mimic a resident trout’s primary food source. But how can our small non-descript nymph, with no adornments or flashy attractions, possibly stand out enough to convince a trout and not pass up the opportunity, just like they pass on so many naturals? How can we make a simple, small fly stand out?

Put bait in front of it.

The Bait and Switch with split shot and an unweighted parent fly. Alternatively, the trigger fly (bait) here could be a beadhead with no split shot. Try different flies for both the trigger and the trailer. But keep the flies inline and not too far apart.

READ: Troutbitten | The Secondary Nymphing Rig

This is the heart of the Bait and Switch concept. Grab their attention and trigger the trout’s feeding instinct with a bigger or bolder fly — one that they might eat just as well — but trail that bait with something natural and easy to agree upon.

Here’s more . . .

The Bait

Make the trigger fly big enough to get attention, or colorful enough that trout can’t miss it. But also make it a fly that trout should eat.

My favorites are stoneflies, small streamers, eggs, worms, weenies or mops.

The trick is not to oversell the trigger. Don’t tie on the biggest nymph in your box — unless trout commonly eat it. Don’t attach a massive flashback stone — unless you expect trout to eat it. And don’t tie on something bright purple or orange — unless you’ve caught trout with those colors in that river before.

Too much size or wild colors can turn trout off, making them wary and on guard — the exact opposite of what we’re trying to achieve. Don’t tip your hand. Instead, choose a confidence pattern that should work.

A collection of favorite triggers flies.

The trigger fly (the bait) doesn’t need to be both large and bright. Just one quality or the other often does the trick.

One of my favorites is a #16 yellow Sucker Spawn. That’s not big. But it’s colorful enough to get a trout’s attention. Another favorite is a #14 F2. At just over an inch long, the F2 isn’t necessarily a large fly, but it’s bigger than most nymphs and large enough that any trout nearby will see it.

Flies like the F2, the Sucker Spawn or other egg patterns, worms and stoneflies are great choices for the trigger.

Many days, trout choose the bait more than the switch, but just as often, it’s the opposite. So if you’re catching no trout on the trigger fly, change it up. Because there are a lot of great options, and you’ll probably catch the biggest fish of the day on the trigger, once you find the right fly.

A closer look at the F2.

The Switch

The secondary fly should be small enough that it doesn’t affect the drift of the trigger fly (the bait). Think of the bait as the parent fly — the one you’re most in touch with and most in control of. The switch is just along for the ride. If the switch fly is too large, currents can tug on it and create drag for both flies in the system. Let the trigger fly be the boss.

For me, the switch is almost always unbeaded. I like the way an unweighted fly moves naturally with the currents. It also rarely hangs up, and it stays clean.

READ: Troutbitten | Split Shot vs Weighted Flies
READ: Troutbitten | The Big Rig – The Two Plus One – Two Nymphs and a Streamer

I rig the switch on a trailer of 12-18 inches in length, and I tie it directly off the bend or out of the eye of the trigger. This is in-line rigging. I strongly prefer tags for most nymphing scenarios, but not this one, because I want the switch traveling in exactly the same lane as the trigger. And that’s more possible when tying the flies in-line rather than using a tag.

My favorite switch flies are fur nymphs like an unbeaded Walt’s Worm, Cress Bug, small Zebra Midge with a glass bead, an RS2 or a WD40. The most attractive thing on any of these flies is the glass bead on the Zebra. All the rest are drab, natural flies, with perhaps some antron mixed into the dubbing, a small, twisted Sulky rib or a tiny hot collar. None of these flies are larger than a #16, and I’ll go as small as necessary.

The switch is a fly that should make the trout comfortable. Make it a common bug that trout see every day — maybe every minute of the day.

A collection of the stuff that trout probably eat most often. Simple, non-descript, easy to eat. The switch comes after the bait.

The Fishing

There’s plenty of room for variety. I’ve offered my favorite patterns, but you’ll surely have your own.

I consider the rigging to be most important. Tie the flies in-line. And don’t run them further than 12-18”, or you’ll lose too much strike detection. Also, if you rig them closer than a foot apart, you’ll snag too many trout with the trailer.

I use both beaded and unbeaded flies for the trigger (the bait). And if it’s unweighted, then my split shot goes just five inches above the trigger, NOT in between the two flies.

The Bait and Switch produces for me all year long, in a variety of circumstances. It presents two nymphs in the same part of the column. And it gives me confidence to fish some of the smaller food forms that trout eat so frequently.

Fish hard, friends.

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Enjoy the day.
Domenick Swentosky
T R O U T B I T T E N
domenick@troutbitten.com