Yarn Indicators

[reevesr1]

Dryfly,

Heading south mabye twice this week. I am scouring my garage for white packing cells- for both little dries (which I can't see for crap) and little nymphs. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

 

I also have some little white thingamabobs. I'll try them too.

[SteveM]

Thanks for the tip on the packing foam, Dryfly; definitely something I will use.

[Brownstone]

since you can cover a lot more water (highsticking, persay)...

 

It's "per se" - look it up .. while you got the dictionary out, look up pompous

[Guest bigbadbrent]

out of grade 9 jokes?

 

Did you have a bad day at playschool? seems everything i posted in here was my opinion....get over yourself

[SilverDoctor]

Although I carry indicators I seldom use them. I grew up being taught tight line nymphing and swinging wets. I will use them on occasion where I cannot suspend a nymph because of water conditions or distance, like rapid cross currents. I fish mostly by feel. That is with a tight line, proper line and mending control and concentration you can feel the pick up. Certainly not for everyone depending on your skill level.

 

We all fish differently. You may be more of a visual person. In that case indicators are great for you. I love to try new things and will often experiment with new equipment and flies. There is no single "best" way to enjoy the sport and maybe catch trout. Just a lot of different methods to try. Try the different methods and decide yourself what works for you.

[bowbonehead]

Indicators are great for beginners and are definitely an advantage in certain conditions and are a guides best friend as are hoppers with a bright post on them. The trouble is people don't take the time to adjust the depth, which on the Bow is always changing therefore they miss a lot of takes because they have to much line between the indicator and the flies in which case the fish picks up the fly and drops it before the indicator moves or they have too little line and the flies don't get down to the fish on the bottom (this is more of a problem fishing out a boat then wading as you have less time to adjust your depths as you float along) Fishing without an indicator once in while will teach you better "line control"which should in turn increase your hookups.

[DonAndersen]

Fisher26,

 

To get back to your original question. Yarn indicators are hands down quieter, cheaper, cast better and float very well. You just have to get the right type of yarn. Macrame yarn is about the best. It's available in a host of colors but not @ Michael's. Only smaller shops stock the stuff now. Creative Artists Dream Ltd. in Rocky Mtn. Hse, has some - Phone # 403-845-3704. You occasionally should dress your indicators with Gink. After some time, they will become "dirty". To clean, thread them on a spoon & hold in place with a cloths pin. Into the dishwasher - remove before the heat cycle. Each of them should last about 100 + trips. Of course, 100 yards of Macrame costs about $ 18.00 & makes about 1000 indicators

 

As far as naked vs indicator fishing - both have their place. Indicators will just make you better faster.

 

Been fishing indicators for + 30 years. Tried them all. From panfish corks>beach shoes>steelhead balls>Rowleys>foam and on and on. Yarn is better by far.

 

You should chose a color not to offend the fish. Hot pinks - reds - greens will sometimes cause the fish to spook. Try grey or black or white. Blend in with the background. NOTE: While I use the greys, black etc. occasionally, the bulk of indicators used are bright colors. I personally prefer a hot pink with a second choice of white. If using a dry/dropper system, my choice is a CFF for the top fly.

 

The CFF and now the BM were both developed using Macrame yarn and both serve well as fish catchers and indicators. Have used the CFF in size #16 as an indicator for fishing midge nymphs in skinny water. Was amazing to watch the trout sometime leave their feeding station to take the CFF.

 

For a discussion of indicators see:

 

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/dmanders/indicators.html

 

For the article that appeared in the Alberta Fishing Guide on the CFF see:

 

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/dmanders/cff.html

 

 

 

catch ya'

 

 

Don

[wheels]

Is there an issue with using a plan old white and red bobber? You know, the kind used for bait fishing in stocked ponds? Or is it considered taboo to use something meant for baitfishing?

[Jimbo]

Small yarn indicators only work with small nymphs (size 14 and smaller) that won't pull the yarn under the water. You can treat the yarn with floatant, or get the stuff called "Strike Indicaor Yarn" which is already treated. Small yarn indicators are not so much "floats" or "depth regulators" as they are simply markers on the leader. They work perfectly well in shallow water - which I think of as less than knee-deep. They also work well as markers on your tippet when you're fishing dry flies that are difficult to see. A tiny (1/4 inch across) piece of chartreuse yarn on the tippet about a foot from a tiny dry fly works very well.

 

Regarding fishing without indicators, I wrote a piece about this topic for Fly Fisherman magazine a few years ago. I suspect it's archived on that site somewhere.

[toolman]

Hi Jim,

Here's the link to the archived article on fishing without indicators...An excellent article.

http://flyfisherman.com/skills/jmnymphing/

[Glenbow]

Wheels,

I sometimes use the plain old red & white bobber (tiny one) and they work quite well. They will smash pretty good if bonked into rocks on the back cast (not supposed to do that anyhow), and they are always in my vest if I run out of other types or just want to quickly tie one on.

[birchy]

Try closed cell foam.

 

See here...

 

Item is about dry flies, but these work for nymphs....the main indicators I use on streams ... sometimes use Rowley indicators in lakes.

 

Cheers!

 

Clive

 

Thanks for the tip Clive!

 

I'll have free indicators for the rest of my life!! well.. as long as I'm a computer tech anyways!

 

*edit* - I did read this before when you posted it... but it didn't click in my head what "closed cell foam" was until I re-read it today.

[Hawgstoppah]

I've tried everything and keep going back to corkies. They float well, respond to strikes well, and don't get cuaght up in the wind or anything when casting (they go where ya put 'em). I just vary my sizes depending on river, etc. For the Bow about 1 inch... for Crow and mountain streams 1/2 to 1/4 inch diameter. Works great for me, I get my share of fish

 

It's more about drag free drifts than anything else, indicator or not. Do whats comfortable to you, but get the flies in front of the fish and drag free - and you'll be successfull anywhere.

[jonny5]

I would say without a doubt that right now, on the Bow, you will catch more fish without indies than you will with them. The fish are still sitting in shallow water - a friend of mine landed over a dozen trout today fishing hopper-droppers, all less than 3' deep.

 

Agreed, up until about a week ago I was pulling most of my fish out right were most people would have been standing... No indicator. Had a couple of really good days too. In fact I think the fish in heavily fished areas are probably put down by indicators but that could just be superstition.

[jonny5]

yeah i get the no indy theory, i just love bombing a cast 50 feet out, can't quite keep in contact without an indy to do your work for ya.

 

I dont know of anywhere were you can get the super small ones yet, i know they are made, just havent been delivered. Troutfitters should have them in the future at some time, as i asked tyson today about them..dunno what other shops carry em

 

Try at a fishing shop that sells walleye gear. Check for something like a floating lindy rig.

[hydropsyche]

 

I tried these last weekend. Ended up taking it off and putting my tried and true corky back on. I found they bob way too much. I want my indicator to flow smooth and not bounce around. Maybe the super small ones would serve me better. Yarn indicators don't suffer from that bobbing affect.

 

Going without an indicator gets you more in tune with the Force (sixth sense, right JimM?). I agree there are times where no indicator is the best.

 

I've been looking for yellow and blue mono. I read an article where you tie up your own leaders with the top section blue, then yellow (or pink), etc to clear at the bottom. I idea is you can see your leader in the water (the deeper the better) and can see when it does something weird. I haven't tried it yet because I can't find the mono.

 

Anyone have any idea where I can find colored mono or color my own?

[toolman]

I like the Rio Kahuna LT indicators. It is a piece of high vis.(orange)/ high floatation line, 12" long, with a mono core, that is connected between your fly line and the leader. Simply pinch/pull off, a couple of inches of the soft outer coating at each end, to expose the mono core. Tie a perfection loop in the mono core at each end and use loop to loop connections to place it between the fly line/leader. Grease the Indicator with floatant gel/paste to keep it floating high on the water.

[albannachxcuileag]

Drbulltrout hit the nail on the head!

 

I don't use indicators such as shown here but prefer to rely on a bushy dry fly either top droppered or fishing the nymphs New Zealand style from the dry fly hook. OK, changing your fishing depth means replacing the tippet from fly to nymph but this is much more preferrable than plonking one of those luminous monstrosities on the water and calling it fly fishing. That is similar to what we did as kids using a bubble float to hang the flies from a spinning rod!

 

Yarn indicators and floating putty are better than those other items but the dry fly gives you extra hooking potential as the fish just might rise to investigate it and end up taking it.

[reevesr1]

Anyone have any idea where I can find colored mono or color my own?

 

Hydro,

You can get hi vis gold stren (the most visible mono I know of) at Wholesale. I bought some to experiment with an all mono high sticking technique I read about and seeing it was absolutely no problem.

 

I've been using Thingamabobbers for a little over a month. Wouldn't even dream of going back to anything else. I know it is time of year related as well, but my hook up rate has skyrocketed since I switched.

[Harps]

I like the yarn indicators, but Clives foam worked good last winter. I do have a bunch of putty I used for steelhead nymphing, it worked alright as a visibility thing.

 

These yarn indicators sound like the rowely type. They release under pressure.

http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbetter/strike-indicators/

 

Cheers,

[hydropsyche]

Hydro,

You can get hi vis gold stren (the most visible mono I know of) at Wholesale.

 

I've been using Thingamabobbers for a little over a month. Wouldn't even dream of going back to anything else.

 

Thanks for the sourcing.

 

If you are fishing in choppy water, the bobbing affects not only your visual queue's, it can affect the action on the fly. Not so much on the slower water I know you've been fishing lately. Another example of having to adjust *everything* for the water you are fishing. Or maybe its just a matter of what you are used to (the 6th sense).

[Guest bigbadbrent]

Honestly,

I know what you mean Hydro, but i find that the negative affects of the bobbing, is outweighed by the benifits of them. They're absolutely my favourite indicators, ever. I wont be going to any new ones, unless they make these ones any better.

 

They'll be exceptional lake fishing, bobbing is always a good thing for lakes

[hydropsyche]

One thing for sure, they can float a tank. I hear they are considering using them to raise the Titanic.

 

They are also indestructible. You can step on them and they bounce right back. Pretty cool.

[reevesr1]

I was taught to nymph by Maxwell and Toolman. Unless I misunderstood my lessons, the indicator doesn't really float anything. It should be 1.5 to 2X the water depth to the top fly. Personally, I like it better closer to the 1.5 part of that, but the bottom line is that I don't think the indicator bobbing has any impact at all on the top fly, which in my case is either a worm or a big honkin' stone fly, quite often after a weight or a swivel. So it becomes a matter of sensitivity more that floatability. It can help drag the fly along through small hangs, I guess, but in reality as soon as the indicator changes speed at all, I set the hook anyway.

 

I fished some choppy water today. Worked like a charm.

 

The only downside to the thingamabobber in my mind is it does not cast quite as well as a Rowley, and it can hang line from time to time. Small price to pay for the increased sensitivity IMO.

[hydropsyche]

You're right, It's not supposed to float the rig but due to the uneven bottom, sometimes it does (as opposed to a less bouyant corky getting sucked under and telling you the depth is not set right).

 

Another problem I have with those, and yarn, is adjusting it up/down. For some reason, I can't loosen the loop and slide the leader through with ease. With a Rowely or corky, its easy.

 

This is starting to sound like I'm arguing with you! I'm not. I guess I'll have to give them another go.