Question concerning strike indicators

[Jonn Graham]

This season I am forcing myself to fish more bottom flies. Question..................how many of you use strike indicators when fishing bottom flies?

 

thanks

[Andy C]

I use them in fast water areas around boulders and quick fastwater chutes and runs, also good below dams and heavy riffles. In slower water I prefer a sink tip. Can be especially good at certain times of the year.

[Rob G]

Tim Holschlag recommends a strike indicator placed at junction of leader and flyline for streamers or any fly that sinks (not just bottom bouncers), he feels it helps more with those light bites. There is no doubt, in theory, it should help identify more takes. That being said, I only use them in faster water where your leader is not as likely to be taut. And truth be told, I only rarely use them because I tend to strip streamers most of the time where there is no slack. Now, when drifting nymphs for trout and even when trying to fill the cooler with bluegill, I'll use them all day.

[John Gillio]

I pretty much use them the same as Rob does. Sometimes with a hellgrammite pattern.

[Guest rich mc]

I use the round Styrofoam balls with toothpick. used mostly as depth control device when holding a fly above weeds or wood cribs for crappies and gills. rich mc

[Tom L]

Seldom use a strike indi in stream fishing, even with bottom (weighted) flies. Preferred to do the swing, the strip, and the Riesenring Lift. Some situations that I do use an indi is when forced to fish upstream in snag prone areas (e.g. below a dam) or in a very slow current area that doesn't have enough flow to swing the fly and a slow presentation is needed (e.g. cold temp).

 

In stillwater, an indi can suspend the fly in certain depth just as Rich had said.

 

btw, I'm working on some presentation techniques for the bulletin.

[Rob G]

Btw, Jim Z. turned me on to this idea of inexpensive "bobbers" or "strike indicators", just put a small slit down to the hole and take a piece of toothpick or rubber band in order to secure to your leader. Really cheap, can have different colors and sizes available for different lighting conditions.

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Live-Bait-Floater/701935.uts?WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

 

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=710048&destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fproduct.jsp%3FproductId%3D701935%26type%3Dproduct%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26searchPath%3D%252Fcatalog%252Fsearch.cmd%253Fform_state%253DsearchForm%2526N%253D0%2526fsch%253Dtrue%2526Ntk%253DAllProducts%2526Ntt%253DCabelas-Live-Bait-Floater%2526x%253D23%2526y%253D5%2526WTz_l%253DHeader%25253BSearch-All%252BProducts%26Ntt%3DCabelas-Live-Bait-Floater%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&WTz_l=YMAL%3BIK-110801

[Gavin]

Use them all the time when trout fishing....the Thingamabobber is top dog, though I carry several varieties...For heavy nymph, nymph & streamer rigs......the 3/4 inch Thingamabobber works well..rig as follows...3' of 20lb tied to fly line...bobber slides on that...6-9' of straight 8lb fluorocarbon...add 12-18" of tippet to first fly...start with 2 BB shot on the knot above the fly...add a second fly...usually lighter than the first. Best to roll or switch cast that kinda junk...Usually use a 10' 5wt...or my 9'6" 8wt...11' or a switch rod would be better. Add lead till you catch or snag up a bunch.

[jude]

I've never used one. I just watch the fly line like a hawk. I have to admit it's getting tougher as my eyesight gets worse.

[tgoodmanii]

Just listened to the Orvis podcast. He had Joe Humphreys on and apparently he almost never uses a strike indicator. Interesting podcast episode.

[Tim A]

I only use them fishing nymphs or eggs upstream along seams or into plunge pools. Like Tom, I'm almost always swinging or leisenring fishing w/o indicator or stripping streamers. Definitely no need for an indicator when there is any tension on the line. Swinging or stripping flies, you're gonna feel the take.

[Jonn Graham]

Thanks to everyone who chimed in concerning strike indicators. I think I will continue to fish without them most of the time when fishing bottom flies.

[Colt Johnson]

I never use them. However, I do typically mark the tip of my fly line with an easily identifiable color. Whenever I am fishing a sinking fly (whether it is a #18 midge for trout, #12 nymph for bluegill, or a #6 streamer for smallies) I tend to watch the tip of my fly line which essentially acts as an indicator.

[Gavin]

The need for the bobber seems to present itself more often when trout fishing deep, fast water..but it does work for smallmouth...Zonker about 10' under a cork with a smaller dropper is a great way to catch smallmouth & trout were they mix up in the winter time.Bring at least a 7wt for that.

[Andy C]

Or a 1/32 oz hair jig

[Mike G]

I've never used one. I just watch the fly line like a hawk. I have to admit it's getting tougher as my eyesight gets worse.

Before I forget...

 

 

Incorporating a section of this high vis mono into your leader gives you strike indicator without the addition of a "bobber" to the line. Yellow and orange fly lines can perform the same function. (Last summer on spinning gear, I began using fire green 8# Fireline with an 8# Flouro feader. Like fly fishing it gave me a line I could easily see with a leader to fool the fish. I wish I made the connection earlier.)

 

BTW I suspect we miss some strikes that a float will detect. Fishing crappies a few days ago, I used a float part of the time. I noticed several instances when my float which normally was vertical suddenly tipped over on its side. I interpreted those as strikes and tightened the line on a fish. The fish had moved up after it took the bait. Without the float I would not have detected the bite. And even a bottom weighted float would have stayed upright giving no sign of a strike.