Go to strike indicator?

[1hook]

I'm looking to experiment with some different strike indicators this winter. I've been a thingamabobber guy for awhile but I'm ready to move on and try and some new stuff. I've used some yarn ones in the past but the ones I used always seemed to sink. The obvious criteria is Floatability, easy to cast, sensitive, and maybe most important easy to adjust.

This New Zealand system has got me interested but I'm open to all suggestions. What's your go to indicator?

[Lotech]

If I'm fishing in a river or stream, I very seldom fish the bottom (and that's my loss). So I would use a sub-surface fly and use a bright colored furled leader as an indicator. If I'm fishing in a lake I'm probably trolling so and indicator isn't needed because I will feel the take.

[dpenrod]

a big dry fly. After fishing indicators and watching fish come up and hit the indicator itself, i switched to a big dry with a dropper and now catch on both. figure i double my chances of a hook up with the dry . I have a homemade version of the new zealand style indicator and if you are set on using an indicator, give it a try. easily adjustable, which is the main thing for me.

[sagefisher]

1hook,

I have tried many different strike indicators over the years because I do a lot of nymphing.

Frog Hair makes an indicator that won't kink your line because the indicator is threaded onto the leader before you tie on the flies. They have little rubber snubbers that are supposed to hold the indicator in place but I had problems with that and the indicator moved down the leader as you cast.

I use thingamabobbers but they kink the leader a lot. If you don't have to adjust the depth very much they work ok but if you do adjust the depth a lot you will get many kinks which can act like coils an hide some of the strikes you may get. These also will slip down the leader every so often.

I used to use the foam glue on systems but they muck up the leader and don't adjust at all, you end up ripping them off and placing new ones on leaving these white places on the leaders where the glue was, plus they would come off fairly often and float on down the river.

Yarn type indicators that use the 'O' Ring system never seemed to float well for me, absorbing water and going sub-surface and they also kink up the leader a lot and will also move down the leader every so often.

Tipper type strike indicators where you pull your leader thru a slot and twist the leader around a rubber type object in the center of the indicator were decent, kinking the leader a little, but they seemed to come off a lot, way to much.

I must admit I never tried a soft putty type substance, seemed to me it would be messy and I don't want that kind of a mess on my fingers.

There are the ball type indicators that use a stick or tooth pick shoved into them to hold the indicators. These have to be applied before you rig up like the Frog Hair ones. I have used them but I really don't like the stick where it sticks out of the indicator, my tippet seems to wrap around it every so often fouling the line.

Thingamabobber came out with an attached plastic spike where you threaded the leader through the hole like the Frog Hair the shoved the plastic spike into the hole like the toothpick styles. I tried these, the spike would slip off and I ended up cutting off the spike an just using it like a regular Thingamabobber.

I have tried the balloon system but it also kinks the leader and will often leak air especially in very cold and icy conditions.

Most of the guides I float with use a Thingamabobber style system and I just have to deal with the kinked leader.

In other words, no system is perfect, all have some negatives attached to them but they are so effective that I will continue to use strike indicators.

Hope this helps answer your question.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[herefishy]

I'm going to try the little balls more this year, I use a rubber band looped thru the loop of the leader that I push through the hole - sounds funny, but simple and floats pretty well. I've also made up quite a few of the yarn indicators that don't use an o-ring, rather just a loop of yarn with thread passed around the middle about 15 times and tied off. I had a lot of these last year that I didn't get around to using till I lost them. Love Thingamabobbers, but am not convinced they don't scare the fish, especially the way I cast.

[Panman]

For many years I used corky's for indicators. They are cheap and easy to use. Just remember to anchor the corky at the desired depth with a round tooth pick. This place has them. :http://www.fishusa.com

Tim

[Jayatwork]

There is a new indicator I want to try. It's called Airlock and solves the kinked leader problem with Thingamabobber type indicators. http://www.fishairlock.com/

[sagefisher]

herefishy,

In most situations I don't believe the Thingers scare fish. Every year I get a number of 'hits' as the fish come up and strike at the indicator. I think if they ever do scare fish, any strike indicator would do so. But then, you never know.

Larry sagefisher---

[herefishy]

But Larry, you haven't seen me cast -

[narcodog]

I don't use indicators but I have heard great reviews from folks that have used the NZ system.