Strike indicators in cold water

[bigfin56]

In Alaska, we fish with indicators and heavy weight (split shot) more than any other kind of fly fishing. I've used most kinds over the years and they all have advantages and disadvantages. I settled on yarn the last few years. But ... All the guides and pretty much most of the locals that use indicators have switched to thingamabobbers. I used them this fall for the first time and as goofy looking as they are, they seem the best choice to me. They cast better than most including yarn, require no maintainence, are easy to put on, stay in place, are easy to move, and are easy to remove and last for ever. The Kvichak River guides from two different lodges told me they put one on the leader and leave it there all season unless they have to change the leader. They said they wouldn't use anything else. I tried it and, well, they seem to work great. Your milage may vary.

[JohnScott]

I've prefered homebrew yarn indicators for the past several years. Very inexpensive to make, come in all sizes and colors that I like, stay where I put them, last a loooooonnnng time, and float "all day" with only a small amount of floatant at the start, and in any weather.

The owner of one of the shops in Missoula gave me a small thingamabobber the other day to try. Yes, indeed - easy to put on the leader, seemed to want to stay in place, floated very well with a couple small nymphs on, very visible ( light pink ), and lasted about fifteen minutes until the leader caught up on the edge of the shelf ice and I had to break it off, including the thingamabobber.

George told me he uses them regularly. The only thing is - the banks of at least one famous Montana river are brightly decorated with a huge number of them. Makes me wonder what the long term impact will be to the aesthetics of the places we fish, even if no impact on the fishery itself ??

John

P.S. I had a good laugh the other day. Watching a local fly fishing program about the Big Horn. Ancient and venerable local guide explaining how they had to use 9' of tippet out past the indicator because all the fishies there are indicator-aware and indicator-wary. He didn't specify what kind of indicators.

[Rocketfish]

My best and favorite SI is a Foam Hopper. No regular SI for me.