Strike indicators

[sbeausol]

I need to replenish my stock of strike indicators for the season. In the past I have used the twist on indicators pictured below:

http://images.orvis.com/orvis_assets/prodimg/28RTG2SF.jpg

Anyone have any preference for these, or a different indicator. I am considering on trying a new type, but not sure which to try...

thoughts?

[mer]

size 12 big bushy dry fly. I usually use a Stimulator.

If you want it just to "follow" and not to suspend the underwater fly, a short (1 inch) length of old fly line (bright orange) works well to be able to follow it.

Just my ideas, I have nothing against them, I just can't bring myself to using them (looks wrong with a bamboo rod)

:)

[Tom Jutras]

Check out the new Frog Hair strike indicators. They have reusable indicator in various sizes.

Tom

[petegas]

I really like the ones that have shown up over the past year or so, that look like the Yarn indicators that have an o-ring attachment for your leader, these however have a bundle of foam strips instead of yarn and work well for holding large nymph rigs. sorry i dont have a name or pic of them , but most fly shops i've seen now carry them.

[overmywaders]

I'm thinking that this might work and serves a dual function :)
http://www.mangointernational.biz/product.php?ID=24

Best regards,
Reed
www.overmywaders.com

[BugChucka]

If not using a dry:

I use the synthetic egg yarn.

1. Lands very softly/doesn't disrupt surface

2. Extremely visible

3. Very Light

4. Cheap

5. Very buoyant especially with a dab of floatant

6. Adjust depth easily with correct knot

7. Did I mention it lands on the H20 like a feather?

[fessiewig]

Currently I use the indicators pictured above. However, I saw a guy on stream with a system I though I could adapt to. Here's his setup - dry line with loop, three to 4 foot section of hi viz mono (about 60 lb test) loop on each end, tippit (3X or stronger) in the appropriate length for the water being fished, nymph on terminal end of tippit.

One nice thing about this system is you can change the tippit to the length you need very quickly. So say you're fishing a normal stream with riffels about 1 to 3 feet deep and you come to a beautiful pool, but it's 6 to 8 feet deep. No problem, slip on a longer piece of tippit and you're off to the races. When you're done with the pool, put your the old tippit back on and you're back in business for working the riffels.

Nice, really nice, system. The kicker is can I get used to watching the indicator section. I'll be trying it this weekend.

p.s. I plan on having tippits of different lengths pre-made in my leader wallet ready to go with perfection loops for those quick changes.

[SaltH2oFly]

Hey Sean - I saw Walmart was having a sale on bobers - just go there. :lol:

[sbeausol]

boy... you guys are rough...

[troutscout]

I've never had the opportunity to get instruction in nymph fishing so this question may "show my ignorance" so to speak. I understand the concept of using the strike indicator to monitor for a fish taking the nymph...but I don't understand how you know how deep to suspend the fly. My experience with the andro is that it goes from ankle deep, to nostril deep, and back to ankle deep in a hurry. So how do you know how much tippet its going to take past the strike indicator to get your nymph to the bottom?

[MJ]

When you hang up on the bottom on EVERY drift, you know you are just a wee bit too deep. When you hang up on the bottom only now and again, you know you are just about right. When you NEVER hang up, you will be missing nearly all of the action.

[troutscout]

Well that seems pretty straight forward. I might actually be able to give that a try. Thanks.

[SaltH2oFly]

Remember Troutsout - Bobers on sale at Walmart! :lol:

[troutscout]

:D Probably not a bad place to start :roll:

[petegas]

if you're looking for an interesting strike inidactor check this link out (http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/recreation_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_85_3870872,00.html)....

[fessiewig]

Very, very interesting! How about those really skinny balloons they use to make balloon art (those little animals & such)?

[SaltH2oFly]

Hey! How about that...he called them bobbers too! What's next..worms??? :roll:

[Blake P]

Heres one for you.
I know salt will like it its definately a bobber. I wish I knew how to post pictures.
It saves time and its adjsutable. Saves flies too.
Attach to leader butt.
This is a bobber with open ends, bright Oranage one one side and chartruse with the other. Take a piece of maxima 15-17 lb test 7-8 8ft long , tie a perfection loop at one end and attach it to the leader butt section.
Take your bobber and insert one end of the maxima and bring it down through. Then insert that end back up through and then back down so there is a loop at both ends and the end is now facing down.
Take a rubber band and cut it in half. and one of the ends insert it inot the top loop about a half inch, on the bottom pull which loop makes it tight. then slowly pull it through the bottom intil it comes out about 1/4 of an inch. Then snip the top of the rubberband so it looks nice. Then pull the maxima all the way through. It should be straight at both ends.
At the free end of the maxima insert a piece of tungsten bead on to the line then attach a swivel closed one.
At the other end of the swivel attach your tippet usually 18-20 inches long. I usually make this a large weighted fly. then I attach the fly I think will work.
The whole set up should be adjsutable. I usually make it 1.5 x the water depth.
Then what you do is chuck and duck!
What this acomplishes is a dreag free drift that is adjustable for different holes along the river. It saves money and time tying knots and you go through minimal tippet. the nice thing too is you acutully get your flies down to whre the fish are.
This is the first year I have used this rig and it has been very productive. I have used it on the Lamprey, EO, Kennebago, RR, Andro and the Diamonds.
To me its still fly fishing. Any of you who want pictures PM me and I will e-mail you the set up. I am all out of them now they where such a big hit everyone wanted them and I gave them all away. I am do some more by the end of the week and should be back in business. I will give anone all my old indicators to salth2o if he wants them.
Good Luck
Blake

[Blake P]

Ok guys.
I e-mailed the photos to SB and hopefully he will post them for all of us to enjoy.

[SaltH2oFly]

Uggg - I thought this was Fly Fishing in NH!

Worms for sale...$2/dozen! :twisted:

[PW]

Ok here are Blake's pictures
http://www.wentzellcreative.com/FFINH/01.JPG
http://www.wentzellcreative.com/FFINH/02.JPG
http://www.wentzellcreative.com/FFINH/03.JPG
http://www.wentzellcreative.com/FFINH/04.JPG
http://www.wentzellcreative.com/FFINH/05.JPG
http://www.wentzellcreative.com/FFINH/06.JPG
http://www.wentzellcreative.com/FFINH/07.JPG
http://www.wentzellcreative.com/FFINH/08.JPG
http://www.wentzellcreative.com/FFINH/09.JPG
http://www.wentzellcreative.com/FFINH/010.JPG
http://www.wentzellcreative.com/FFINH/011.JPG

[SaltH2oFly]

Yup - definately seen that in the spinning section at Walmart! Maybe even the ice fishing section..... :lol:

[MJ]

Ice Fishing?! Did someone say Ice Fishing?! Ah! That's a whole other kettle of fish! (Hey! Anyone seen my ice auger around?) :D

[fessiewig]

Howdaya get a good back cast in those little shacks?? WOW, you must be a great caster to hit that little hole!!! :P

[mer]

Howdaya get a good back cast in those little shacks?? WOW, you must be a great caster to hit that little hole!!! :P

I always have trouble getting a decent float in a 6 inch whole

:)

[Blake P]

You guys can say what you want.

I dont fish this in small streams. I catch the big ones in big water.

I wouldn't use this set up in a small stream.

I will fish with any of you guys on any stream or any type of water. If you all want proof e-mail me and I will send you the photos.

Sometimes you all must ask yourself, how many fish have I caught this year and how big they were.

All I was trying to do was help another guy catch a fish.

People with limited minds catch limited fish.

Yes Fessie any of you who have fished with me know I am a great caster!

Any time boys.

[sbeausol]

An indicator is and indicator, as long as there are flies attatched to the line then it is still fly fishing.

Nonetheless, I bet that rig does catch bigger fish since you can get bigger flies down deeper...

Don't knock it until you try it...

[fessiewig]

First of all I don't think anybody doubts you catch fish. To me, it sounded like folks having fun at your expense.

With regard to "big fish" as a measure of success I do have something to say. I acknowledge that some gauge success fishing by the number of "large" fish caught, but there are others who don't need to catch big fish to be "successful". For me, fishing is more spiritual than competitive. That is NOT a judgement of all those whose enjoyment of fishing comes from the competition they generate between themselves; just a statement of how I approach fishing. I really don't care if you use bobbers, so long as your tactics remain legal (which I'm sure they are), and that isn't to say I don't use strike indicators myself, but it is to say my motivation in going fishing is not to catch "big" fish (although I do enjoy catching them), but rather, to become fully engaged with my environment and the fish within it and enjoy the company of friends with whom I share my time.

Blake P - I'd like to go fishing with you, not to compete, but to enjoy the river and your company.

p.s. I was talking about ice fishing. You'd have to be an exceptional caster to cast a fly in an ice fishing shanty!!!!

[sbeausol]

good point

[mer]

Blake:
I was making fun of Salt and Marcus.

I don't doubt you catch more and bigger fish than I do.

But as far as asking myself "how many and how big", nope, I don't ask that. I ask myself "have I had good fishing"; my answer, truthfully, does not hinge on counts. Some of my best days of fishing, I never landed a fish. Consider me deranged, deficient, stupid, whatever, I fish for more than just catching fish. Sorry to disappoint you.

[PW]

Bobber/strike indicator it always bugs me why people see them as two different things. Any contraption you put on your line to float a fly in the water column yarn, foam, plastic etc. is a BOBBER. So what if it's plastic it's the 21st century. This rig looks like its got potential and I'm going to give it a try next weekend in Rangeley.

I thoroughly enjoy the fishing experience too... scenery, sounds, socializing etc. but I still yearn to catch BIG fish and what ever new technique helps me in doing so.. I’ll try!!!

Paul-

[fessiewig]

An honest man. Bravo!

[PW]

The previous post was a little snotty and I apologize. After reading thru the post a few times I see you guys are just joking around. I still feel a bobber is a bobber though whatever you use. If people like only going after big fish only that's cool... If people like the experience of the fishing trip weather they catch fish or not that's cool too... I'm in the middle I don't like getting skunked but I also enjoy fishing with my buds and the memories that come with it. After all it’s just fishing!!! Anytime you want some company Blake I'm an eager student when it comes to catching the big ones.

Paul-

[SaltH2oFly]

Absolutely Blake - all just in jest. I work with a few guys who use SI's and I tease them all time. And yes - they DO catch more fish than I - so I know what I'm up against! :D

Also, I do know that years ago Orvis (I think it was Orvis anyway) did a study where they had a scuba diver underwater I think on the BK river. And they had some of their "top" fly fisherman fish with nymphs (no SI's). After about an hour they ask the guys how many hits they had. They compared their answers to reality with the scuba diver's count and sure enough the fisherman actually had about double the amount of hits they thought they had.

I could be going way out on a limb here but I'm curious if strike indicators didn't come into full mass production soon after that. We know fish get like 85% of their food from under the water so it's only natural to find ways to increase your chances of catching them where they are and SI's are one tool in the tool box. I'll always be more of a purest until I want to catch fish.... :oops:

[fessiewig]

I didn't think it was snotty; I thought it was a bold statement. Maybe because I know you and know you aren't a snotty person. :D

[MJ]

Hey! Just to complicate matters a bit; when I use an Attractor/Stimulator or other dry fly (EHC, hopper etc.) above my nymph, is that considered by most as a strike indicator/bobber too? To be quite honest, when I was instructed in the use of SI/bobbers, it was with the use of a dry fly. When I rig up as such, my primary purpose is for that visual edge with the possibility of a surface strike just gravy. And, quite frequently, it is the dry that gets whacked. Hmmmmm... A rose by any other name...???

BTW, Ice Fishing is probably the OLDEST if not noblest of fishing methods. Them glaciers were around for an awfully long time ya know. Besides, when else can a man wear an Elmer Fudd fur cap with total dignity except when hard water fishing? (Now, where in the world did I put those tip ups???) :P

[bridgeman]

Three weeks ago, on my first cast to a very popular pool on the Saco r. a 3# brookie rose to my 1" round orange indicator a pulled it down four or five feet to the bottom! I will never, ever use anything without a hook in it for a strike indicator again. I think Orvis has a big---- orange foam beetle that their pushing for this. I plan to spin a few in the next days.
Anybody out there with the same experience? I'm new to bobber, or is it bubba fishing. It works too well to turn up my nose at it. I still feel like I'm cheating a little as well.

[petegas]

the same thing happens a lot out west as well......this led to a guide friend of mine making a #16 foam orange beetle: just orange thread, some orange rubber legs and a orange foam back, in the middle summer when the trout on the yellowstone have seen everything this can be a killer pattern :twisted:

[fessiewig]

I just got back from fishing a local river and had severial "hits" on my SI. I will be looking into that Orvis thing.

[kmudgn]

I realize there are times when it might be necessary to use a fly bobbin, but fishing with them is "fishing with flys, but it is not fly fishing"

Just my 2 cents

[fessiewig]

There are those who ask that very same question about any sub-surface fly, let alone strike indicators.

[flytire]

These are nice

https://www.thebigbobberfloatingcooler.com/images/DSCN1763copy.jpg

[flytire]

Or a ballon strike indicator

http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=420330

Click on the picture of Zach