Strike Indicators

[Wildbrowntrout]

I know many of you use dries, or Czech nymph instead of nymphing with an indicator, but I was wondering what color of indicator everybody uses. I use thingamabobbers, and I always use white because it seems like a bubble or some sort of foam on the water. I guess it's just weird the way I think of it, but is there a color better than another?

 

[Jessed]

I don't use anything. I'll rig my line like you would when using a indacator but simply not have one. Cast upstream and keep tension and slowly strip in line with the current. I will run a nymph or wet fly under a dry fly here in there. Especially when there keying in emergers and drys .

 

[nomad_archer]

Wildbrowntrout wrote:
I know many of you use dries, or Czech nymph instead of nymphing with an indicator, but I was wondering what color of indicator everybody uses. I use thingamabobbers, and I always use white because it seems like a bubble or some sort of foam on the water. I guess it's just weird the way I think of it, but is there a color better than another?

I am still new to this journey we call fly fishing so I haven't use a white thingamabobber yet. I just started using thingamabobbers about two weeks ago and went from catching no fish to regularly catching fish. For me I seem to catch fish while using the red thingamabobber. The yellow and pink haven't produced but I have a small sample size of 4 or 5 short outings. I wish they made a natural toned set that could be used in clear water.

 

[Dale49]

Nomad,

Thingamabobber does do - it's a clear, somewhat see thru indicator. They also say it glows in the dark.

 

[sgrim]

I use a very small piece of green Biostrike.
The only issue I've ever had is that it will occasionally draw a strike on its own.

 

[BrianMyers67]

The 1/2" orange thingamabobbers seems to attract small bass. They like to take swipes at it but don't seem to bother other colors all that much.

 

[nomad_archer]

Dale49 wrote:
Nomad,

Thingamabobber does do - it's a clear, somewhat see thru indicator. They also say it glows in the dark.

Thanks! I was thinking greens/tans but I will have to look for the clear ones next time I am out shopping for fishing gear which seems to be every week.

 

[krayfish2]

I use the bright yellow or neon orange versions. Easier for those with bad eyes to see. I'm sure some fish have been spooked but I abcatch plenty so I'm not too concerned about it at this point.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

When I use them at all, I also use the smallest white ones most of the time, for the same reason you cited. In pocket water and foam lines, it makes sense that white would be unobtrusive. I should put a hook on the orange and yellow ones for the number of times a brookie or even brown has taken a nip at them.

The little Palsa pinch on ones are effective for midges too, especially fishing a creek with pretty uniform depth.

 

[Bamboozle]

Use a color YOU can see and don't worry about the fish.

They will either be spooked or not regardless of color. If I had a quarter for every time a "wild spooky" fish has slammed a chartreuse indicator, I could buy a new Winston Air.

I believe the splash freaks them out more than anything else, even though stuff falls into creeks all the time and fish don't starve to death. The difference there is your indicator splats and your fly goes by the fish two seconds after the splash. It's one of the reasons folks like yarn versus bobbers.

If you are looking for natural looking indicators, use twigs or cigarette butts when fishing in suburban locations. I doubt either will make a difference but they are cheaper than Thingamabobbers.

 

[Toofish]

Make my own!!
http://globalflyfisher.com/node/14118
Hope this helps.
Sean

 

[Six-Gun]

Coming from start in fly fishing fast mountain water that has a lot of white churn, I prefer the smallest-sized orange or pink thingamabobbers. The white ones get lost too easily in the foamy water to be very useful in those conditions, so I use the alternative colors purely out of habit, even when fishing PA/OH. The pink one occasionally gets smacked by a hungry trout, which is interesting to say the least.

 

[curtrein]

Fish pimps! If you can find them...

 

[PennKev]

If you are really worried about, start with a white TB and color the top red, orange, or whatever with a magic marker. Alternatively, start with a bright colored TB and color the bottom black.

 

[ROVERT]

I've caught numerous trout on thingamabobbers. Pink or orange. The fish hit them and I instinctively set the hook. On the ones that I have caught, the leader has slid through the mouth and they've been hooked by the point fly. One day on Penns I caught more fish in this manner than how I was intending to for an hour or so. Then they started hitting what they were supposed to.

 

[Wildbrowntrout]

So, from what I'm hearing, the best thing to do is to not use an indicator. I'm fishing for spooky wild browns, and by reading the posts on here about the splash and then the fly, it all makes sense now. I was out the other day with an indicator and couldn't draw a strike, but as I was leaving, with no fly on the leader, I saw a nice pool that I couldn't pass up. I just tied on an olive Czech and had a hit, but missed the set. I'm going out again next week sometime when it's cooler and I will see what happens. Although, I do like the idea of clear indicators!

 

[Wildbrowntrout]

Also, I have had trout hit the indicator, and when I set the hook, like previously said, they just spook.

 

[PennKev]

Wildbrowntrout wrote:
So, from what I'm hearing, the best thing to do is to not use an indicator.

If the best method for the situation is one that doesn't use an indicator, then yes. But an indicator is not inherently bad IMO. There are so many other things you can screw up that will prevent you from catching fish. Usually if an angler is not getting hits, it's because of terrible drifts. The reason so many are seeing instant success from tight-line techniques is because the line management needed to execute the technique does not include any of the stuff they are doing wrong when they are dead drifting.

 

[PennKev]

Wildbrowntrout wrote:
Also, I have had trout hit the indicator, and when I set the hook, like previously said, they just spook.

You don't say.

 

[Wildbrowntrout]

I've had situations where the stockers try to take the indicator and then still take the fly afterwards. Wonder what your hooksets look like... Do you knock the fish out with the indicator Pennkev?