#1 goal this year. Become less dependant on the Thingamabobber!

[bigslackwater]

The thingamabob definitely has a time and place but I'm afraid I've depended on it for too long in too many situations. I was using it with a whooly bugger and this year I've found I can fish buggers and streamers with much better success without. I'm still trying to figure out nymphing without it. Indicator putty is now my go to before I reach for the bobber. I feel that the putty works more as an indicator (something to watch) and less like a bobber (something that suspends). My biggest challenge is sight and feel. It's a whole different approach with and without a thingamabober so if anyone has tips that may be helpful for me or other beginners, please chime in. Thanks!

 

[Toofish]

Try using a yarn indicator, will show speed and bottom ticks but will not hold up your fly.
Hope this helps.
Sean

 

[klingy]

Try tying in a length of 6 or 8 lb gold stren into your leader. Allows a tight line approach that I've found to be more sensitive than any type of attached indicator. Keep a slight belly in the line and lead the fly with your rod tip. At any stop/change in the motion of your line, set the hook. This method also relieves a lot of indicator adjustment on-stream, as you can just watch the colored section of line no matter how far off the water it is.

 

[Brownie101]

Have you tried high-stick nymphing? I've never used a indicator with buggers.

 

[azjackstraw]

I like to use a big dry fly, ant or hopper pattern when nymphing. I always tie a few in pink and yellow. Easier to see and doesn't seem to spook the fish as much as putty or yarn. It also increases your odds, since sometimes I've had hits on the top when the fish were low.

 

[evw659]

adding to what Klingy said, a good rule of thumb is to place the sighter(gold, chartreuse, pink etc...) about 3-6 ft(usually 4 or 5) above your top fly if your using a two fly rig. This not only allows you to detect takes much more effectively, but also allows you to control the depth of your drift a lot better. I've found that if you don't have a sighter or another piece of line in your leader that is discernible from the rest of the leader, you can't easily read the depth at which your nymphs are drifting.

 

[JackM]

With a known length of leader to the fly, the fly line connection to the leader will allow you to estimate the length of leader that is out of sight under the surface. A relatively tight line is always helpful, if not necessary, in order to detect strikes, whether or not you have an indicator/bobber. Excess slack between bobber and fly will conceal hits just the same as without.

 

[PennKev]

There is no one way to fish that will always work well. Indicator nymphing and high-stick/tight line methods both have limitations. Location, condition, hatches, etc should determine your approach. Get proficient with many methods and use them as the situation warrants.

Kev

 

[lv2nymph]

^^good advise^^

 

[bigslackwater]

Yep, I totally agree. That's why I said less dependent rather than give up on it. I will still use a thingamabob in certain situations...just not in most situations like I had been doing.

 

[JackM]

You can become dependent on a good thing very easily and forget that it is not needed most of the time you use it. A metaphor.