Rigs
The lough cast: a team of three
Draft reference — pending review.
What it's for
The classic Irish drift rig: three flies on one leader. A bushy bob fly working the wave on the top dropper, a middle fly fishing the body of the water, and the slimmest fly anchoring the point. Around 12 ft of leader on a rough day, longer when it's calm.
The beats
The bob
Top dropper, nearest the fly line. The biggest, bushiest, least aerodynamic fly — a Bumble or Sedgehog — dibbled through the surface as the cast comes back.
The middle
The change-fly position: middleweight, often the buzzer or wet that matches what's hatching.
The point
The slimmest, heaviest, most streamlined fly at the end. It anchors the cast, turns the leader over, and fishes deepest.
Spacing
A common Irish build: about 6 ft from fly line to the bob, then 4 ft and 4 ft between flies. Droppers themselves stay short — 4 to 6 inches.
Trim for the day
Rough and windy: 9 ft total and wider flies. Flat calm: stretch towards 11–12 ft and finer. Past ~15 ft, turnover beats most casters.
Common faults
Droppers left long
Constant tangles — the dropper wraps its own leader on every cast into wind, and the team arrives as a birds' nest.
Fix: A dropper is a tag, not a limb: 4–6 inches, stiff enough to stand off the leader. If a dropper keeps tangling, shorten it before you blame the wind.
When you'll use it
- Any traditional wet-fly drift — this is the rig the Tactical Card's three-fly teams assume
- Covering two depths and a wake in a single cast
- Bob-fly fishing in a good wave, where the dibble draws fish up
Related
Sources & how we know this (2)
- Three-fly team roles (bob/middle/point), fly placement by weight and aerodynamics, dropper length 4–6 in
Current Seams — How to build a wet fly leader for a team of three flies · 2026-07-11 - Lough leader lengths ~9 ft rough to 11–12 ft calm; wider bob-to-middle spacing
Fly Fishing Forum (UK) — Minimum length for a leader with two droppers · 2026-07-11
Draft reference — pending review.