It actually happened...

[tstooge26]

I stopped and fished the DHALO section of meadow run after work today. The water was slightly high but with good color and 41 degrees. I fished the middle section up to the falls. Fishing prob 100 yards down from the falls I hooked a double, one fish on each fly. I was throwing egg pattern trailed by a small nymph with most fish coming on the nymphs. Get a strike, set the hook and bam two fish and to boot they were two different species. Brook trout hit the egg and the brown hit the nymph.

My question is how common is this? I have been throwing two flies for a couple years now and never had this happen with trout. Have caught two creek chubs but was shocked to do it with trout. Anyways it made my day so I'm happy

 

[Chaz]

I wouldn't call it rare, but it usually involves 1 species.

 

[laszlo]

It has never happened to me, but once I nearly caught two trout on the same fly. I hooked a small 3 inch trout and while I was landing it a much larger trout tried to consume it. Didn't land the bigger fellow trying to save the little guys life.

 

[mikesl]

Had 2 doubles last year, all wild browns.

Have had times when I got as many doubles as I wanted with redbreasted sunfish

My theory is when fish are very aggressively feeding, the first take and hook set induces a strike on the other fly's sudden movement

 

[evw659]

I think I've had 2 doubles in the last 3 or 4 years. One of them was a smallmouth/ wild brown double on the little j, which was pretty cool to see.

 

[Dave_W]

tstooge26 wrote:
My question is how common is this?

It's not uncommon to get a "double" when you're fishing tandem flies, especially if the flies are spaced a bit further from each other.

 

[pcray1231]

My question is how common is this?

Reasonably common. Meaning, when I fished more, I was good for 1 or 2 a year. Now I don't get out quite as much.

Sometimes you hook them nearly simultaneously. But often, the second would hit shortly after the fight begins. I'm sure many have noticed that when you hook a fish and start fighting it, the commotion often attracts another fish to follow the hooked fish for a bit. I think the natural instinct is that another fish darting out of there must have spotted some food, and following it could lead to an opportunity.

Most commonly the tag along realizes things are not on the up and up pretty quickly, and retreats to it's layer. But if there's another fly hanging back there, sometimes the fish seizes the opportunity.

 

[PocketWater]

How did you do, overall, at Meadow Run? Congrats on the double. I haven't had that happen yet with trout.

 

[tstooge26]

Thanks for the replies. I can't tell you if they hit simultaneously but when I set the hook I instantly saw two flashes, strike was at the tail end of the pool but it was fun.

Meadow was fishing good, water was slightly high and fast but had great color. Didn't fish the bottom at all and just two holes above the falls but picked up double digits in the middle section. Most fish were taken on small nymphs

 

[pete41]

That type of double is far more interesting than listening to the guys in the bass boat giggling about how wez got a double.

 

[attackone]

I have hooked my fair share just cant seem to land them, one always gets off.

 

[Reeder]

I think it is a stretch to say it is reasonably common or that it isn't uncommon. While it does happen and is certainly not unheard of, I would say it is closer to rare than common.