Two takeable depths, one drift. The buoyant dry is fly and indicator at once; the nymph fishes the column below it. When the dry checks, stalls or slides under — strike.
Presentation
The duo (klink-and-dink)
What it's for
A buoyant dry — classically a Klinkhamer — with a weighted nymph hung below it: two takeable depths in one drift. The dry is fly and indicator at once; when a fish takes the nymph, the dry checks, stalls or slides under, and that dip is your strike signal.
The beats
Set the drop
Hang the nymph below the dry on about a water-depth of tippet — off a tag or ring above the dry, or New Zealand-style off the hook bend. Start at the depth of the water and adjust from there.
Down at pace
Fish it exactly like a single dry: up and across, drag-free, riding its lane. The dry works the film while the nymph fishes the column below it.
The dip
The dry checks, stalls or slides under — a fish has the nymph. And if a nose simply takes the dry itself, all the better.
Lift
Strike to the dip, firmly but short — there's a second fly down there. At the drift's end, lift smoothly and go again.
Common faults
The drowned dry
The dry rides half-sunk or keeps going under with no fish attached; real takes become impossible to read.
Fix: The nymph is too heavy for the dry, or drag is pulling everything under. Lighten the nymph, shorten the drop, or pick a more buoyant dry — a take can't be read from a fly that's already down.
In detail
Check the beat card
Two flies are not welcome everywhere: some fisheries run single-fly or fly-count rules that rule the duo out. That's a property of the fishery, not the method — check the permit conditions for the water you're on.
When you'll use it
- Fish feeding at mixed depths — some rising, some nymphing just under
- Bright summer days on limestone rivers when a small nymph under a dry outfishes either alone
- Searching pocket water where an indicator would land too heavily
Related
Terms: klinkhammer · dry fly · nymph · emerger
Sources & how we know this (3)
- Klink-and-dink rigging: buoyant klinkhamer with a nymph suspended below; the dry doubles as attractor and strike indicator
Fly Fish Guide — Klink and Dink · 2026-07-14 - Rigging options: nymph off the hook bend or off a dropper above the dry; drop length adjusted to depth and season
Fly & Lure — How to Fish the Klink and Dink Method · 2026-07-14 - Klink-and-dink in European river practice; single-fly rules on some waters prohibit the rig
Czech Nymphs — My Experience with the Klink and Dink Method · 2026-07-14