Strike indicators

mute

mute

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Sep 8, 2006
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Montco
I was just wondering what type of strike indicators you guys use. Ive always used a dry fly, but its just not cutting it for the choppy water and deep holes. I actually also used the stick on Palsa Indicators. Theyre great, can put them on before or after you tie your flies, except their only one time use. Im tryign to find ones similiar to that, but reuseable and adjustable/moveable.
 
Here's something that may be just the ticket for your purpose. I use balloons that are used to make water balloons - got a big bag of them in a bunch of different colors for under two bucks at a party supply store. Here's how I make balloon indicators:

http://www.itinerantangler.com/podcasts/video/
 
I like to catch fish and not being a pureist I will use what ever suits me for the water I am on. On big fast water early in the season I will use a small cork type indicator. I'll even squeeze on bright day-glow foam indicator depending on the water. Like I said I don't care too much about early season, I am not a good nymph fisherman.

Mid-spring I often switch over to a greased up Caddies Fly or a Parachute Adams with the hope that I will be double up while I am fishing. down below.
 
Dear mute,

I like the "Turn-On" strike indicators. They are fluorescent yellow and orange, come in several sizes, and can easily be moved up and down your leader or removed and reused.

The hardest thing to do is to remember what direction you twisted it on and how many turns you used. If you forget you can easily break the center rubber core but they give you a couple extra cores when you buy a pack of them. Once you establish a routine you won't have any problems. I've been using the same strike indicator for about 2 years now.

If I want a very small indicator I use the Loon putty, but it's difficult to keep it pliable enough in the winter and in the summer it sometimes gets gummy. If I want a large indicator I use the football shaped indicators by "Fish Pimp", or one of those freakishly large yarn indicators with the little rubber o-ring to secure it to your line.

Regards,
Tim Murphy 🙂
 
Thanks guys, yea Tim, im liking these twist on's. Can you tell me how those Fish pimp ones go on? Do you run the line through the hole twice?
 
Dear mute,

The Fish Pimp indicators have a section of surgical tubing and a slot in the football shaped indicator. What you have to do is insert your line in the slot and stretch the tubing until you can roll your leader under it so that the leader is on the solid part of the indicator and the tubing blocks it from working loose.

In theory it should work but I find that the tubing doesn't always stay in place. The leader tends to roll around a bit and I've cast off more than one or two of the Fish Pimp indicators but I still do use them with heavily weighted flies and in heavy water because they really float high.

Regards,
Tim Murphy 🙂
 
I'm hooked on the yarn indicators. I don't however, use the gigantic ones with the rubber o-ring. I found some at Cabelas that are much smaller and without the o-ring. I prefer these but I tie my own leaders which kind of eliminates the need for the o-ring because I have a series of knots to rest the indicator on. I think the rubber o-ring help keep the indicator in place on a knotless tapered leader and won't allow it to slide toward the fly while casting. I tried the flourescent stick on indicators when I first started nymph fishing and found they caused me a lot more problems than they were worth. A friend turned me on to the yarn indicators and I haven't thought about another type since. You can also tie your own indicators if you feel up to it. You can get a pack of poly for less than a $1.50 and it will tie more indicators than you'll use in 10 years. Or at least it should. I have used the same indicator all year so far and I use nymphs a lot.

Don't know if anyone else has had this problem but my dad uses the stick on indicators and he had problems with the line breaking where the indicator was placed. He was fishing Pine this fall and 3 different times lost a major section of leader and the fly from the indicator down. He said it seemed like the line disintegrated under the indicator. Fortunatley for him, it wasn't becuase a monster trout was on the other line.

Just a heads up if you use them. Would hate to see a trophy lost due to something like that happening.
 
Studies show anglers miss as many strike with them as they do without them, I wouldn't worry to much about having them. But I use a piece of old flyline over the leader knot as an indicator, but I feel most strikes before seeing the thing move.
 
mute,

I use the Loon BioStrike putty. You can use as much or as little as you like. Sometimes I use a tiny amount when nymphing or using teeny dries. And the best part is it's reusable.

beeber
 
I use the small round foam indicators that are held in place with a toothpick. I've used just about every indicator known and I absolutely love these indicators because they are easily adjusted to whatever depth you want. I have them in 3 different sizes the large for higher water conditions or very large nymphs, the medium size for most of my conditions, and then a real small size for extremely low water conditions. When using an indicator yes you do miss some fish but they also can help you catch fish in many situations too. I use an indicator about 99% of the time when nymphing. In my opinion it doesn't spook the fish at all because I've caughten some real mosters in about a foot of water while using one of these indicators. Just remember when nymphing when in doubt set the hook. If you see a twitch or bump or anything with your indicator that just doesn't seem right set the hook.
 
"I use the small round foam indicators that are held in place with a toothpick."

John I use the same ones except instead of a toothpick, I loop the leader through the ball and hold it in place with a rubber band through the loop. As you say, it's a great set up for changing depths.

Rolf
 
I use foam pinch-ons. However, buying them form a fly shop is expensive, so I went to a craft store (Walmart, AC Moore, Micheals) and purchased a 9x12 piece of foam with a sticky back. for 30 cents. I then cut rectangular sections of foam with my tieing scissors, and then knotches out of each side of the rectangle (desired place for the foam to fold). I carry 3 different sizes with me. I pinch them on tight and they are able to be moves up and down the leader. Plus they can be torn off at any time.
 
I'm with u on that one waterman. I bet I'd up my catch total by at least 25 fish if not 50 fish in a year if my indicator had a hook on it. I often wonder what they think that hot pink thing is floating down the stream but maybe just because they've never seen anything like it before they decide it must be something they can eat.

MKern I started out using those indicators but found out I absolutely hate them. For one you can't re-use them and I can not adjust them on my line. Once you pinch them in place they are stuck on your line and then if you try to adjust them they never seem to stick right again. I can't seem to see them as well on the water especially when you encounter high water conditions. I do carry along a pack of the stick on ones that glow in the dark for night fishing. If I can find my old ones I'll give them to you but I think I threw them all out. You are about the only one I've heard of using them but I guess its whatever you get used to.
 
If I had an indicator with a hook I would of taken 3 nice fish today at the Little Lehigh.
Click to expand...

Tim B (an irregular regular of the board) claims he carries a CDC fly that is spun up to look like an indicator for days like that.


To answer the original question, I like to use a variety of indicators. I think the water should dictate the type of indicator.

If I am fishing pocket water, I'll give high stick nymphing a try. If I have trouble with this, I may switch to a nymphing leader. I tie nymphing leaders to include the Cortland indicators. These are bits of bright fly line that I slip into sections of the leader. I put two bits of this line on, and if the lower one ticks upstream, I set the hook. Often enough, it's a trout. That's not to say it always is or even often is. But hey, if you set the hook 50 times and the 51rst is a trout, that's better than gettin' skunked! 🙂

On flat water, I like to use a dry fly or just the leader. If the leader or the fly goes underwater, that might be a fish too.

Sometimes also, I will use a bright colored nymph, like a green weenie or an egg. To the bend of this fly, I'll tie a pheasant tail or some other more realistic nymph. I can watch the attractor fly and if I see movement around the fly, I'll set the hook. If I get snaggs, I'll dump this rig. But it works most of the time.

When I use an indicator, I like the putty type of indicator from Loon. The only issue with this stuff is that it gets stiff and falls off in the cold. So I wouldn't use it in the winter.
 
Dear waterman,

There is no need for complicated flies, just grease a glo-bug with floatant and tie your nymphs off the bend if you want a strike indicator fly.

Don't ask me how I know it works I just know it works. :-D

Regards,
Tim Murphy 🙂
 
I use Loon's Bio-strike and its amazing. I can make it any size I want and it floats like a cork.
 
A size 12 drake . Doesn't matter what color it is. Caught fish with it any time of year, even in the dead of winter.
 
I've seen yarn indicators that have hooks tied into them. I'm thinking about trying it on the next on I make myself.
 
I've whipped a loop at the end of the fly line (just below the loop) with red thread. Because it's at the juncture of line and leader it won't act as a bobber, but it goes me a good look at the line "pause" I'll also tie on a # 12 humpty or Wulll and then a small nymph tied of the bend of that.
Coughlin
 
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