Leader strike indicator ...

I remember reading about a strike indicator on this forum that was pretty neat. Seems a colored piece of mono (20 or 30 lb test) was used as the actual indicator. I think the ways it works was something like this ....... take a 2 foot piece of colored mono, wrap it around a small tubular piece, like an ink pen or golf shaft, freeze it, and then put it in boiling water. Once finished the piece of mono has "set" and looks like a spring. I am not sure from this point how or where to attach this "spring" on the leader.

I am wanting to try to fish without indicators for no other reason that it would be something new for me. I know this "springy" leader is still an indicator of sorts, but I've thought a lot about it an wonder if it works as well as I hope.

Does anyone use this particular method? Could you steer me in the right direction with setting this up on the flyline.

Thanks in advance.

Greg

Greg,

Sorry, I have never heard of that one. I do have to wonder how effective that strike indicator would be based on the description. If it looks like a spring then it most likely acts like a spring, meaning it stretches or uncoils when you go to set the hook. That would take away a lot of force that you would normally be hitting the fly with, and a delay in setting the hook having to wait until the spring uncoils.

They make nymphing lines with orange tips (about one foot) and some leaders are now coming out with a red butt section. I suppose you could just tie in a nice colored section of old fly line between the leader and actual fly line to use as an indicator.

Personally, I just use a strike indicator.

Let us know how that coil works out if you make one.

Larry ---sagefisher---

Oddly enough a good friend of mine was just over the other day and brought a book that showed this very method. The "spring" is actually only about 2-3" long so it doesn't take away from the hook set at all. I have not tried it myself but it looks interesting.

Steve

It's called a "french slinky"strike indicator. There are videos on youtube

These indicator systems are called "sighters". They are placed in line either between the fly line and the leader or between the butt section of the leader and the transition zone of the leader.

Early sighters were either fluorescent dacron backing or bright yellow Stren mono. The backing was wound around a pencil or dowel and striped with a black marker so it had a barber pole look for better visualization.

They can be used uncoiled or coiled. They are are used uncoiled when you are direct line Euronymphing as a "sighter" to focus your attention on for subtle takes. It reacts by twitching on a take.

The are used coiled when nymphing skinny water. You treat the sighter with fly floatant so that it floats as an indicator. For this purpose it is usually placed in the leader after the butt section.

To make the coils, you wrap the sighter around a dowel, and then boil it for about 10 minutes and then freeze it for 24 hours. The diameter of the dowel determines the diameter of the coils.

The problem has been visibility so improvements have been made with specifically designed products rather than plain mono. The sighters of colored mono like yellow Stren that you describe is version 1.0. We have moved way beyond that now. Next came bicolor mono as version 2.0. Mono is translucent so bicolor opaque sighters were developed as version 3.0. Now these have been improved with the version 4.0 "drops" bicolor sighters that have spheres of contrasting fluorescent UV activated paint on the contrasting bicolor line.

Here's the basic bicolor sighter material that is now used. It comes in varying diameters so that it can be incorporated into different thickness of the leader design.


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...ea_bsi_600.jpg

Here is the "drops" style sighter that has bright fluorescent optic colored UV activated glue drops along the coiled indicator either commercial or home made.


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...dicator025.jpg


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...c/IMGP1093.jpg


The following article describes how to use the sighters in nymphing for spooky fish in shallow water.


http://www.flyfisherman.com/2012/03/...-skinny-water/

That is an icefishing trick that is used with the Stren Golden mono. The coils straighten slightly with light hitting fish such as bluegill and crappie. It is only used with very light ice jigs and similar small lures. Kind of neat to see it adapted to flyfishing.

I love this site for several reasons, not the least of which is the helpful information you all so readily share. Big thanks for the helpful hints and information.

Can't seem to find the nymph indicator in the US, wonder how you could make those little glue dots?

This is where I get mine:

http://www.wflies.com/Tippets.html

Interestingly enough, folks have been using a similar leader system in Northern California for many years -- I imagine elsewhere as well. Take two colors of Amnesia (15-30#) and tie three sections (red-chartreuse-red is typical) 4-5" long together with double uni- or blood knots. Those knots shine when fishing, almost fluorescent, and you can get a pair of 200' spools of Amnesia for about the price of 18' of the Bi-Color indicator.

Good for pocket water and other situations that call for tight-/short-line presentations, but not quite as versatile as a bobber, but YMMV. Not sure what the advantage of the slinky method would be, but have been meaning to try it eventually.

Will try that - looks like just what I need to ditch the bobber.