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Strike indicator logic?

4K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  juro 
#1 ·
Can anyone please explain to a rookie:

I assume that a major purpose of a leader is to make the connection between the line and the fly as invisible to the fish as possible. Don't strike indicators tend to defeat that purpose? :confused:

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
#2 ·
you'll get a lot of differeing opinions on this but in my opinion a strike indicator doesn't do anything the end of your fly line won't ( if you are attentive)
I think it is a rare occasion where a strike indicator will scare a fish.

Now here is where a lot of people will dissagree with me. I think indicators are a huge crutch and people rely on them far too much and as a result the development of their skills suffers. The reason they are so popular is that they are a no brainer to use and are effective even in the hands of total novices. Why? because they require no skill. Skill can be applied to them to make them more effective but skill is not necessary.
In my opinion indicators are for 1. beginners and 2 for people who only care about catching as many fish as possible. 3 have limited uses in specific situations for skilled anglers.
 
#4 ·
roballen2 said:
you'll get a lot of differeing opinions on this but in my opinion a strike indicator doesn't do anything the end of your fly line won't ( if you are attentive)
I think it is a rare occasion where a strike indicator will scare a fish.

Now here is where a lot of people will dissagree with me. I think indicators are a huge crutch and people rely on them far too much and as a result the development of their skills suffers. The reason they are so popular is that they are a no brainer to use and are effective even in the hands of total novices. Why? because they require no skill. Skill can be applied to them to make them more effective but skill is not necessary.
In my opinion indicators are for 1. beginners and 2 for people who only care about catching as many fish as possible. 3 have limited uses in specific situations for skilled anglers.
You obviously haven't had much experience with fishing with an indicator. In addition to telling you when to strike, an indicator keeps the nymph(s) at the right depth. Also there is NO way you can see a take from the line when it's 60ft away. It's hard enough with an indicator sometimes. The situations where you can see the take on the line represent just a small fraction of nymph fishing techniques overall.
No offense, but I spent 2 years in New Zealand where fishing with an indicator is as common as fly fishing itself. Dry fly fishing is easy compared to some of the advanced nymph fishing WITH an indicator.

Back to the initial question. The indicator is just a small floating device, like a fly. The fish will not make the connection between the floating little thing on the surface and the nymphs floating along the bottom.
 
#5 ·
Yet there is a certain aesthetic about fishing without a bobber, especially in steelhead and salmon rivers. Could you imagine putting on a big indicator ad split shot when fishing the Dee? The Skagit in April? It just doesn't fit most angler's perception of the experience.

I see the wisdom in how trout anglers put weights and bobbers on their lines but almost 100% of the time it's to make fishing easier, not harder. I find your comment fascinating that in New Zealand dries are too easy so people use indicators and nymphs!

This tells me I need to go experience some of this 'easy' fishing :)
 
#6 ·
Juro,
they/we (I'm a half 'kiwi' since I'm married to a kiwi girl) don't do it cuz it's easy, they do it because the fish is mostly feeding below the surface and along the bottom. Why present a dry when the fish isn't feeding on dries? I believe in matching the insects that the fish eat, and if it's feeding on mayfly nymphs I present a mayfly nymph. If it's rising to a caddis I present a dry caddis, and so on.

My point is there is much more to nymph fishing than the 'watch the tip of the line' technique. It is an art in itself that takes years of fishing to master fully. I've seen fishermen strike when I didn't even see the indicator move slightly. So to say that indicators are for novices or lazy fly fishers is to insult these fine and very skilled anglers. To say such a thing is a proof of great ignorance, at best.

And let me know if you're going domn under! :)
I live there for 3-4 months of the year when it's winter up in the cold north.
 
#7 ·
Trout application

I often us strike indicators when nymphing deep. Deep means leaders 12 to 20+ feet long in both moving and still waters. The main purpose for me is to help position the fly deep and help in managing the floating fly line. With a softer tip rod (vs. fast action) , the feel of the take can still be detected before the the strike indicator "indicates". There are times when large trout will actually try to eat the indicator, if that happens, usually in shallower water, say up to 6 feet deep and very clear, then I switch to a fly indicator, a large dry, hopper or similar with a dropper nymph, anywhere between 6 to 24 inches below the dry indicator. I've caught many fish on either fly!
The indicator does not defeat the purpose of hiding the fly (your question) unless it's very large and the fly is very close to it, like it would be in shallow water.
 
#8 ·
Obviously there is a big disconnect between the steelhead guys and the trout guys here.

I don't use them when I fish steelhead (couple times/year)

I am convinced you will catch many, many, more trout if you use them. I don't think they spook fish in most conditions particularly fast water. Slow water I agree the bushy dry or terrestrial makes a better indicator.
 
#9 ·
This is too funny!!

To use indicators, or NOT to use indicators - that is the question!!

Hmmmm... not that many years ago, dry fly purists would hassle you if you weren't fishing dry... and upstream!!! (And I was one of the worst - then I got older, and a little smarter!!)

Me? I now just believe in having fun.

If it's legal, don't knock it. Hell, I can find more to complain about on lack of fishing courtesy these days.

So go out fishing, have fun but fish legally, and have a little concern for your fellow fishermen!! And C&R is a good way to go!!

BobK :D
 
#10 ·
Disconnect between trout and steelhead anglers?

In the midwest, I think you'll find more steelhead than trout anglers fishing with indicators. In cold water, slow currents, and when the fish are taking only nymphs deep in the water column, experienced anglers here seem to prefer the indicator presentation. I think it's all to easy for people to be judgmental based on their own experiences and conditions, and I think it's a gross oversimplification to imply that indicator use implies some allegiance to 'the numbers game'. If that were the case you could well argue we should all be fishing dries year round, and that using any type of sink tip or sinking line is falling prey to 'the numbers game'. So are you steelheaders ready to give up your tips, surf guys your intermediates and baitfish, and trout anglers your nymphs and streamers? You guys need to fish more if the best you can do is get on here and get righteous about technique. Maybe you ought to go fishing with some people who prefer different techniques than yours, and instead of judging, open your mind and pretend for a bit that they might have good reasons too. Open your mind and keep learning...it's much more fun that way.
Carl
 
#11 ·
We've gone around this a million times and end up in the same place - nowhere!

IMHO People should fish the way that makes them feel good within the bounds of the regs. Bait, chum, unbrella rigs, whatever as long as the fishery is healthy enough to withstand the pressure.

Voicing one's preferences (what makes them feel good) is simply waxing poetic, but implying that others do same is not their place.

However people should not take offense to others waxing poetic either.

To each his/her own.

Peace,
Juro
 
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