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Nymph · Brown Trout

Lake Almanor, Ca. Hex Hatch Slip Bobber Dredging Rig

I built this rig to get a weighted hex fly down to the lake bottom where trout are waiting for natural hex emergers to rise up the water column. It uses a slip bobber to suspend the fly 12 to 24 inches above the bottom in 15 to 35 feet of water, letting me fish without casting while the fish camp in place before they start moving up to chase the hatch.

CABy Chad AldersonOctober 16, 2026

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10 lb1X.010"
Seaguar Tatsu
8 lb2X.009"
Seaguar Tatsu
BUTT · 25.1 FT
TIPPET · 35"
Total length28' 0"
Fly lineRIO Elite Indicator WF7F
Rod7 wt
Flies1
Knots4
SeasonEarly to mid summer
WaterLake or reservoir

Drag the drawing to pan. Tap a fly for what it does, a knot for how to tie it.

Build your leader

28' 0" of line · 2 pieces · Butt to tip

Butt 10 lb8 lb

Tie it

0 of 2 done

These are the finished lengths. Leave extra for tying each knot.

How to tie it

  1. Rig the 25.1 ft butt

    Add a slip bobber Medium onto the 25.1 ft butt, 21' 3" above the Balanced Hex Fly. Add a rubber bobber stop Medium onto the 25.1 ft butt, 21' 5" above the Balanced Hex Fly.

  2. Add the tippet ring - heavy

    Tie the tippet ring - heavy to the 25.1 ft butt with an improved clinch knot. Tie 35" of 8 lb to its other eye with an improved clinch knot.

    Tie an improved clinch knot

  3. Tie on the Balanced Hex Fly

    Tie the Balanced Hex Fly to the 35" tippet with a non-slip loop knot.

    Tie a non-slip loop knot

The knots

  • Loop to loop×1
    1. Pass the leader's loop over the fly line's loop.
    2. Pass the whole leader through the fly line's loop.
    3. Pull the two loops together so they meet flat, interlocked like a square knot rather than one choking the other.
    The loop to loop, step by step
  • Improved clinch knot · 5 turns×2
    1. Pass the tippet through the hook eye and pull about five inches through.
    2. Wrap the tag around the standing line five to seven times.
    3. Pass the tag through the small loop just above the eye, then back through the large loop you just made.
    4. Wet it and pull the standing line so the wraps snug down against the eye. Trim the tag.
    The improved clinch knot, step by step
  • Non-slip loop knot · 5 turns×1
    1. Tie a loose overhand knot in the tippet a few inches from the end.
    2. Pass the tag through the hook eye and back through the overhand knot on the side it came out of.
    3. Wrap the tag around the standing line four to seven times, fewer for heavier line.
    4. Pass the tag back through the overhand knot, entering on the side it last came out of.
    5. Wet it, pull the tag to snug the wraps, then pull the standing line and the fly apart to close the knot. Trim the tag.
    The non-slip loop knot, step by step

When and how to fish it

I fish this rig between 4 p.m. and about an hour before dusk during the Hex Hatch in Lake Almanor, California, from mid-June through mid-July depending on weather. The trout are holding near the bottom waiting for emergers, so I just hang the rig off my rod tip and strip out leader, suspending the fly 12 to 24 inches off the bottom - effectively in the fish's face. I don't need to cast. The slip bobber holds the fly at a set depth while I wait for takes as the fish begin feeding on hex climbing out of the mud and moving up the water column.

Don't fight the long leader trying to cast it. Hang the rig off your rod tip and strip out line by hand. You'll fish it better and a lot less frustrated.

Chad's fishing notes

CAChad AldersonTheir rigs

Where I use it

I use it in 15 to 35 feet of water.

What I adjust

I adjust the depth of the slip bobber depending on the depth of the bottom. I aim for 12 to 24 inches suspended off the bottom.

When I switch rigs

One hour before dusk.

Common questions

  • How deep should I set the bobber?

    I adjust the depth depending on the bottom depth where I'm fishing. I aim for 12 to 24 inches suspended off the bottom, so the fly is right in the strike zone where the trout are holding.

  • What time of day do I fish this rig?

    I fish it between 4 p.m. and about an hour before dusk. That's when the trout are still camping the bottom waiting for the hex emergers to rise.

  • Why is this rig so long?

    The 28-foot length lets me keep the fly deep and the bobber far away from the fish so my presentation stays natural and undisturbed.

  • When do I stop using this rig?

    One hour before dusk, when the trout start moving up the water column to chase the rising hex flies.

Brown TroutRainbow TroutNymphIndicatorStillwaterLake

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