Yarn for Strike Indicators

[jeremymcon]

Where can I find yarn for strike indicators? Is there yarn specifically marketed as strike indicator yarn, or is it usually sold as something else? I hate buying pre0made yarn strike indicators - seems like a waste of money. Plus making them myself should give me more color and size options.

 

[afishinado]

Macrame' yarn works well. You can buy it for a nickel-a-mile and have enough for 10 lifetimes. Here is a link on how it's done. Good luck.

 

[DGC]

I tied some using thin foam strip doubled over a few times using that same method. They look similar to this:

Umpqua O-Ring Foam Indicators, Cabelas

I haven't tried them yet (Umpqua'a or mine) so I have no idea how well they cast or suspend, though they do float ok in the sink.

By the way, 5/16 inch o-rings are 10 for $2.60 at Lowes.

 

[jeremymcon]

DGC wrote:

By the way, 5/16 inch o-rings are 10 for $2.60 at Lowes.

Nice! That was the next question that popped into my mind. I have some of the foam indicators too (bought them - didn't make them), but haven't used them yet. Do you think they'll be as delicate as yarn indicators? I need the yarn ones for some low/clear water I've been fishing lately.

 

[DGC]

Jeremy I can't recall the last time I used a yarn indicator--maybe never. I rarely just nymph and if I do it's I typically been without a suspension indicator. But I may fish different kinds of streams this year where a suspension type is needed. I have some Thingamabobbers on the way as well and plan on comparing to the foam strip versions I made. I'm guessing the bobbers will be more aerodynamic and tangle less.

By the way I didn't think about it before, but one guy who does what you are about to suggests cutting a strip of latex glove or similar material and covering the yarn that is pulled through the o-ring and then wrapping thread to reduce fraying of the yarn. Seemed like a good idea for yarn but with foam I didn't think it would be needed.

It may not be worth the effort since Thingamabobbers are pretty cheap, but I can see running mono through two holes drilled in cork, running the mono through the o-ring then tying off in a dimple cut out of opposite side the cork. If you really want to fine tune the size of your indicator but still have it float and be sensitive, that may be a way to approach it since you can keep experimenting with size and shaping and cork is cheap. I may get around to this myself but not for a while.

 

[jeremymcon]

DGC wrote:
Jeremy I can't recall the last time I used a yarn indicator--maybe never. I rarely just nymph and if I do it's I typically been without a suspension indicator. But I may fish different kinds of streams this year where a suspension type is needed. I have some Thingamabobbers on the way as well and plan on comparing to the foam strip versions I made. I'm guessing the bobbers will be more aerodynamic and tangle less.

I *always* use some sort of drift/strike indicator. Of course, I've only been nymphing since like October of last year, so I think indicators are still a bit of a crutch. I've been thinking about just using lightly weighted nymphs and a piece of greased hi-viz mono tied into my leader, but haven't had time to try it yet.

I've experimented with european style nymphing and "high stick" nymphing without much success. I feel like, at least in the stream that I usually fish, I can't get close enough to the fish to go without an indicator - I always spook them.

How do you fish your nymphs?

 

[PennypackFlyer]

Try using a dry fly as an indicator. This maybe the ticket to not spooking the trout. Depending on the depth of the water you'll have to figure out the length to tick bottom in placing your nymph etc.

 

[dsmith1427]

+1 on the thingamabobbers. They are inexpensive and don't get saturated. I bought one pack of them a year or so ago and still have all of them.

 

[BradFromPotter]

Soak whatever color glo bug yarn you want to use in Hareline water shed or liquid silicon.

 

[CRB]

I use yarn indicators for steelhead and nymphing drifts when searching streams for the locations of fish. I feel they are superior to thing-a-bobbers for number of reasons, they indicate 90* drift, land with leas disturbance and are much more durable. The color, that find I like the best is white, witch i feel is less intrusive on the water film. When they sink simply dry them out between fingers, puff and preen apart. The addition of a past silicone will allow 2 steelhead flies a weighted nymph and dropper egg fly with about 3 to 4 bb size split shots staggered along the distance of the line being suspended.
the biggest reason they are superior yarn indicators are very simple to make and very cheep.

 

[djs12354]

Jeremy,

Although a relative newbie, I have tried to get away from using strike indicators when nymphing. This is unless I am working an area where I think I need to suspend or I have no choice but to make a much longer cast than I can follow the way I wish to with the rod tip and tight line.
I'm learning to watch the line where it enters the water and the slight curve as you lead the flies downstream. YMMV.

Dave