Freshwater Fly is the second standalone game in the series from Brian Suhre integrating modern game mechanics with a rich and uniquely world of angling. In Freshwater Fly you encounter a roaring mountain stream teaming with fish, with a rod, reel and selection of flies. To catch fish and earn points you are required to perform a series of tactical maneuvers while executing a deliberate and evolving strategy.

Start by examining the ever-changing hatch in the current, and tie a fly to match your target fish at just the right time and turn of the river. Then decide to cast upstream to drift your fly with the current and earn extra bites on your line, or push your luck with a pinpointed cast for the perfect catch. Either way, it's wise to cast near rocks to boost your skill and uncover new fishing techniques, while keeping your supply of finesse charged for the next challenge. Your rondel reel, which physically spins, gives you different bonuses as you draw in your line, depending on how aggressively you want to fight the fish you've hooked. Applying drag, for example, will negate the fish's strength, but leveraging your momentum could give you a unique action to set you up perfectly for your next cast.

Freshwater Fly is a dice drafting and set collecting game, with elements of creative puzzle solving and pushing your luck. Each turn you pick one die from the dice pool and assign it an action that relates to the particular fishing maneuver you wish to take. Higher valued dice typically get you more powerful actions, but accumulating lower dice totals can give you free turns. The dice you select will also unlock or multiply various bonus actions you can use to solve fishing puzzles in unique and rewarding ways.

The sets of fish and flies you collect will assist you in achieving personal and common goals, but to reach victory you must focus on those goals which overlap in the most valuable ways, while not falling behind in your total fish count. The game ends when a player catches a 7th fish, achievement points are awarded, and the winner is announced.