Stillwater…what indicators do you use when midging at say 20+/ - feet…there’s a problem with reeling a fish in:(.
ducksterman,
I have never fished midges deep and I have only fished an indicator with a midge in shallow water. This is some info that I found on fishing midges in still water:
Quote: Midging with an indicator can be quite successfull on many of the alkaline lakes of the Sierras. It is a Chuck and Sit presentation that is sometimes helped with a little twitching. Midge Hatches can occur throughout the year and at any time. The primary area that most fish feed on midges is where they hatch near the bottom. The midges will make a slow upward journey and spend some time at the surface morphing from an emerging pupa into an adult. Use a 2 midge rig with the midges spaced about 12- 18 inches apart on a floating line with a 9 foot fluorocarbon leader using fluorocarbon tippet material as light as you can. A split-shot between the midges will help keep the leader straight and bring the rig to the bottom sooner. The dropper fly should be about 6 inches from the lake bottom. Attach a hemostat to the dropper fly and let it sink to the bottom. Locate the position of the leader at the surface and attach the indicator about 6 inches below this point. This will assure that the dropper fly will be 6 inches from the bottom. Start with a pupa dropper and an emergent pupa as a top fly. If the hits are on the top fly, switch the dropper to another emergent pupa and raise the rig to about 18" off the bottom. If the hits are on the bottom fly, switch the emergent to a pupa pattern. Color selection of the midges will also play a factor.
Choices of indicators vary considerably. The main thing you want from an indicator is a clear view of it and a good response to subtle hits. Large indicators are difficult to cast, but within the lake, you will not need to make any long casts. Therefore, choose the size of indicator that should be sufficient to float the leader at the proper depth and be able to withstand the wind chop that might present itself on the lake." End Quote
Doug
Hi Ducksterman, I use a Rio fly line with a built in end loop that is bright orange.
Failing that you can tie a short piece of mono off the end of you fly line and then drag it between your thumb nail and fore-finger to make it twist up. It will show up realy well on still water but will easily wind through the guides and normaly go back out again without any trouble.
You will need to play around with diferent mono’s as they do not all twist up up the same, you need it to look like a short pigs tail, as short as you can get away with and still see at casting range.
All the best.
Mike.
FlyGoddess has an OUTSTANDING little video for deep nymphing stillwater… I will let her show it off:D
Duck -
Haven’t seen Joni’s video, but I have seen her demonstrate the type indicator she uses. There is a way of “pegging” it in place so that when you get a fish on, the indicator comes loose and can slide down the line as you strip / reel line in. Joni uses this system fishing to 20-30’ as I recall.
You might want to send her a PM to give her a heads up on this question / thread.
John
Here’s a link to a supplier of the indicators. They look like small bobbers, with a hole through the middle, and a peg that fits in the hole. the peg has a hole in it as well. You peg it at the depth you want to fish, and when the fish strikes, you set the hook, and the peg comes out of the indicator, and the unit slides down the leader, leaving the fight unimpeded. Type “indicators” on his search engine, then click on the item number.
http://www.flydesk.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SRCH&Store_Code=TF
I have been using those indicators for a couple of years. I read an article by Phill Rowely about them. Great setup. Just make sure to mark on the leader somehow where the indicator was, especially if fishing that deep, so you keep fishing in “the zone”. Because they ride so high on the water, loop knots tied to the hook eyes and a little wind chop, paint a huge bullseye around the midges. I have also seen these types of indicators at Wal-Mart, that is where I get mine.
That’s the one!!! I really enjoyed Joni’s video, too! I need to find some of those indicators for when she guides me on the berry when I make it back home 
Thanks , actually I have some of those slip indicators…given to me by Joni…
I started the thread the way I did for several reasons:
Couldn’t remember the name of them or where to get them…
Thought others might be interested…
Really wanted to see if someone else would have another method…
The hollow tube insert is firm and tapered and I am wondering where one could get them…I’d like to make some indicators myself…should be easy to do…Incidentally the peg doesn’t pull out the doubled over line does…I think that’s why the peg is hollow…and also the taper leavs room for the line doubled over along side…
I think I’ve seen Joni’s video on another forum but can’t remember for sure…
Anyway, thanks for the info guys…
Here’s the link to Joni’s video…google is amazing:cool:
If I try to get lower than 12 ft I go without an indicator…but that is just me.
Hey Guys, that indicator of Joni’s is HUGE, can you get them in a much smaller size?
All the best.
Mike.
Mike see the link…comes in 3 sizes if I remember correctly.
I mean Lew’s link…
Wow…we have our own movie star ! Great instructional vid…
thanks for posting the link ducksterman !
Cheers,
MontanaMoose
These work good.
How?..
I have used the technique used by guys like Brian Chan where an extremely fast sinking line is used. You put some kind of weight on the end of the leader and let it sink all the way to the bottom and mark the line a foot up from that. You then cast just that amount of line out and wait (if you use too slow a sinker, this takes awhile) until it sinks directly straight up and down under the rod tip. An extremely slow retrieve is used to bring the midge up through the whole water column. Very effective, but you have to be patient.
Here is a site that explains it: http://www.lindyfishingtackle.com/pages/Thill.shtml
You can even fish in the dark, until your batteries die.
Doug
Not the same float. Note the hole and small rubber band thing. You run your leader through the hole before you tie your fly on. You make a small loop and peg your line with the rubber band. When a fish hits, or you set your line the line comes from under the rubber and the float is allowed to slide the length of the leader.