Thanks for the feedback on "the proper depth". But now I have another question for this esteemed panel-what are the preferred types of indicators? Also is two BB shots too many? One of these days I'll get it all. If I only lived closer to quality trout water.:crap:
Give us a try!
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Strike indicators
- Thread starter sonny
- Start date
Karel
sleep, eat, flyfish, repeat
There are so many different strike indicator "systems", you will have to try and find the one that suits you bests. I like the foam indicators (the ones with a o-ring), but they can be a bit cumbersome to cast with a 3wt. You could get one of those strike indicator kits which have a couple different ones and give and test each indicator until you found the one that fits your bill the best. One note: while the frog hair indicators are in theory a good idea, you only can use them on a permanent nymphing rig - if you want to change to dry flies, you will have to throw the indicator away; you can't re-use it.
That's my 2c.
That's my 2c.
i never use strike indicators. if you cant feel the strike, the bottom, or any bumps, youre not going to be helped with a strike indicator. i'd worry about feeling the strike, the bottom, and any impediments your fly hits before going to indicators.
Karel
sleep, eat, flyfish, repeat
I agree with what you're saying if you limit your nymphing to short line nymphing with no or very little line out. However, if you use a long line and cast 20 ft and more up and accross, you won't be able to feel the strike hence a strike indicator comes in very handy. -K
Scott
Salmo salar Sebago finatic
I usually don't use an indicator, but when I do I prefer yarn. I can make it whatever size I need. I tease it out with a bodkin to make it fluffier, and also use some frog's fanny - even though the PP material does not absorb water - it helps keep it floating high for a long time.
I don't use extra weight with nymphs, I just use weighted nymphs. I never fish just one...
I don't use extra weight with nymphs, I just use weighted nymphs. I never fish just one...
I never liked indicators. My styll of nymphing is to try to just feel the nymph, it touching things, it's drag and lack of drag etc. Use to watch line but I don't seem to do that as much lately. Sometimes I see that snapping mouth or roll, change of behavior. I guess it's a personal styll thing.
dcabarle
Administrator
They use little balloons out west, and what can be more boyant than that! The balloons are really small and don't hinder your casting at all. You can find them almost anywhere for about 2.00 for a bag of 100. I don't use indicators either, but if I were to use one, this is what I would use.
catskilljohn
Just finished "Land of Little Rivers"!
I love indicators. Some look down there noses at them, but its fishing, and if they help a guy like me, I use them. After having trout bump the foam indicators I used to use during a drift, I started tying yellow and orange deerhair indicators with hooks in them
so it turns those hits into catches.
In fast water, I wont use them, they get all balled up in the leader, but in slow stretches they really shine. I actually enjoy moving them around to compensate for depth and feel I get less misses with them. Its in a way like fishing a dry fly, I get to see the hit. CJ
so it turns those hits into catches. In fast water, I wont use them, they get all balled up in the leader, but in slow stretches they really shine. I actually enjoy moving them around to compensate for depth and feel I get less misses with them. Its in a way like fishing a dry fly, I get to see the hit. CJ
TightLoops
Just finished a River Runs Through it!
I am a fan of treated poly yarn they sell these pre done with o rings holding them together or you can tye your own its pretty ez to setup stop into your local shop and ask if you don't know how to do it (basically just a slip knot). Treated poly is usally treated with water shead and make it nice and bushy with a mustache comb. But regular poly will work with any gel floatant like good old Gink. Floats really well easy to adjust, reusable and you can really see it.
polskiflyfishing
polishflyfisherman
I really think that Strike indicators are not so good my reason why is that i think the indicatior moves much more quicker than the water on the bottom near the rock and basically the fly will not look as natural as it suppose to look like. But hey it up to you if you want to use a strike indicator than dont use it in shallow fast water or with a lot of rocks try without i can bet you'll catch more fish well it now helps me cause i use to use strike indicators and i could never catch a fish.
rford
Less Than Beeko
Nymphing is my weakest part of this game, as I rarely do it , I suk at it, unless of course I want to catch fish.
As a self proclaimed member of the I loath Nymphing club I feel I can be objective on the topic of indicators ( or as I call them BOBBERS )
I am not a "I Never use Indicator guy" or "Die hard Indicator Junkie, that uses special hand carved indicators that emulate hollow acorns made from a special balsa wood that only grows atop mount Comeoniwanalayu in the south pacific. I do both.
Some water and conditions tend to merit the use of an indicator , some applications don't. If you want to try and get a 100 foot dead drift starting with a huge up stream cast proceeded by you following downstream stripping and mending till you get to you backing , you would be hardpressed to do it without an indicator. However if you wanted to swing nympys like old school wets or short stick a fish you could see while leaning over the bank you would not.
Each person does it there own way, dont get fooled into thinking its a black or white issue.
ralph
As a self proclaimed member of the I loath Nymphing club I feel I can be objective on the topic of indicators ( or as I call them BOBBERS )
I am not a "I Never use Indicator guy" or "Die hard Indicator Junkie, that uses special hand carved indicators that emulate hollow acorns made from a special balsa wood that only grows atop mount Comeoniwanalayu in the south pacific. I do both.
Some water and conditions tend to merit the use of an indicator , some applications don't. If you want to try and get a 100 foot dead drift starting with a huge up stream cast proceeded by you following downstream stripping and mending till you get to you backing , you would be hardpressed to do it without an indicator. However if you wanted to swing nympys like old school wets or short stick a fish you could see while leaning over the bank you would not.
Each person does it there own way, dont get fooled into thinking its a black or white issue.
ralph
TightLoops
Just finished a River Runs Through it!
If you frequently fish big water you will find the indicator an invaluable tool. Across and mend away covers only half of the fishable area although it does give great movement for soft hackles and work nicely in small/shallow waters. Tight/High sticking is nice when you can wade the water you are trying to fish. But try getting a nymph down into fishable zone in a heavy current seam break with out first getting up stream to get the fly down. I don't do much nymphing anymore but growing up fishing some of the larger western streams and the Delaware I will admit the tactic works very well. When your fishing with an indicator I have found 50%+ off my strikes (nymphing with indicator) are almost right in from of me or 1/2 way through the float. Getting that kind of drift and having a semi taught line with the advanage of being able to sence a strike is its advantage. Bulky yes, pain to cast sometimes but also catch's fish so can't be all bad. Its a tactic that can be used when needed not a bad thing to know if you like nymphing that is...
LITCH
Fishizzle, I use worms but I'm looking to upgrade!
Hi Scott-
Beginner here-
What is the trick to keep the yarn from riding up or down the tippet? I can see tieing it in but adjusting afterwards to me would seem difficult. Thanks
McAwful
Get some..
It seems to me that many Fly Fisherman are "dry fly", "nymph", or "streamer" biased. I am not saying that is bad. Some people have a favorite thing that they are into. For me the key appeal of Fly Fishing any water, for any species, is that I can plug myself into the cycle of nature by artificially matching the specific forage the fish are actually eating. The greatest thing is when you crack the code on a tough day and really lay into the fish. So the question for me is when does the situation dictate that I use an indicator.<O</O
<O</O
1. In the winter. Or in water that is below 40 or so degrees. Cold blooded creatures slow down at those temperatures. You need to hang it in their faces.<O</O
<O</O
2. When I am imitating something that is not actively swimming. A good example would be nymphs that are poor swimmers or caddis larva that "drift".<O</O
<O</O
3. Fishing a fast, narrow, deep pocket. You need the weight to get down and grab the bottom. This gives you a longer drift maximizing your chance of a trout grabbing your fly.<O</O
<O</O
I hope this perspective helps some of you see things a little differently and catch some fish.<O</O
<O</O
McA<O</O
</O<O
</O1. In the winter. Or in water that is below 40 or so degrees. Cold blooded creatures slow down at those temperatures. You need to hang it in their faces.<O
</O<O
</O2. When I am imitating something that is not actively swimming. A good example would be nymphs that are poor swimmers or caddis larva that "drift".<O
</O<O
</O3. Fishing a fast, narrow, deep pocket. You need the weight to get down and grab the bottom. This gives you a longer drift maximizing your chance of a trout grabbing your fly.<O
</O<O
</OI hope this perspective helps some of you see things a little differently and catch some fish.<O
</O<O
</OMcA<O
</O
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Scott
Salmo salar Sebago finatic
Hi Scott-
Beginner here-
What is the trick to keep the yarn from riding up or down the tippet? I can see tieing it in but adjusting afterwards to me would seem difficult. Thanks
I don't know if it's the proper way of doing it, and I have a feeling it isn't, but I just tie a slip knot in the tippet, put the piece of yarn in the loop, then snug it up. Then I pull the puff through my fingers and trim the ends so I've got the yarn even on each side, then tease it out to make it poofy.
If you want to move it to change your depth, it's a simple thing to loosen the slipknot, remove the indicator, pull the slipknot out and tie a new one in somewhere else.
Any knot will make a weak point in the tippet/leader. I never use anything lighter than 5x fluorocarbon when nymphing, and break offs with the indicator as the point of failure are extremely rare.
I sometimes tie foam grasshoppers and squid patterns I found somewhere, using 2mm sticky back foam. One night , I tried slicing off a few slivers and dropping them in the fly box for an upcomming trip. worked perfectly, and you can slice them any width you need, peel the back, and pinch them on. they will slide on the line, and pinch them again and they stay there.
