indicator fishing

[1fly]

Indicator fishing certainly can be productive. Has it been anyone else's experience that it is either on or off? Have you been able to catch midging fish with this?

[LorenWilliams]

1fly,

When you do elect to use an indicator setup over a static leader presentation?

[1fly]

I don't have a good method of determining that at this time. I usually set up an indicator rig on a seperate rod. If it is not working in a few minutes, I will change to horizontal presentations.

[irish1]

I have not been able to keep the indicator on my fly line, I keep tossing it off. I tie on a floating fly and a dropper. The down side is that this setup is static and is a PITA to change.

[jovalle]

I've used a midge pattern indicator fishing out west trailing behind a SJ worm to great success, though in the east I've primarily fished midges on PA chalk streams where you can see the take, alleviating the need for the SI.

Generally speaking, I tend to use the SI when the target water is a bit further away from me eliminating the ability to straight line/czech nymph, and also when the water visibility is too low to see a fish take the nymph.

As the experts on this board will tell you, the challenge or key to nymphing is getting the placement of the fly correct in the water column to where the trout are feeding and that is where the SI rig really excels in its flexibility. Dropping a nymph off floating fly really limits the conditions in which you can nymph (unless you're dropping the fly with five feet of tippet and split shot ala indicator nymphing), though you can have great success pulling out rising fish with an emerger or nymph of whatever hatch is going on as a dropper.

General advice on keeping SIs on the leader is to use a bit of yarn and a double loop (pass the yarn through one loop, then the yarn and loop through another loop in the leader) or buy one of those yarn indicators with a rubber o-ring already installed and just pass the loop through and over the indicator. They may slide down the leader, but you won't loose them.

Regardless, if in the NW CT area, try to take one of Aaron's nymph clinics, after which you'll start to wonder if its really interesting to pull ten trout an hour out of the same run.


Also, as I was typing this, I didn't realize it was in the stillwater board...thus some of the above info is irrelevant. All of this said, rarely if ever use SI's on stillwater, that's too much like a bobber for my taste, and generally in stillwater I'm of the opinion that imitations should have some action to them to replicate the insects.

[professori]

I do considerable stillwater fishing here in BC, and th most consistent fishing for most fly anglers in this part of the world is chironomid (midge) pupa under an indicator. I fish with anywhere up to a 25' leader and start with the pupa about a foot off the bottom of the lake. Chironomids are the probably the single most important trout forage in stillwater (scuds are a close second). The key to success is to have patience. When I cast out a fly, I will count down for about a minute, then very, very, very slowly (nope slower than that) retrieve my fly. at the first movement of the indicator, I raise the rod tip and usually have feisty Kamloops Rainbow on the other end. 20 -30 fish days are far from uncommon. In the last couple of years, a number of anglers have been finding good success suspending leech patterns below an indicator as well.

In BC we are not allowed a 2-fly system, so a strike indicator is usuall a small corkie style with a peg holding it in place. Very easy to adjust, very hard to lose.

[AaronJasper]

I would love to fish those lake! You can only use one fly?

[professori]

Yeah, one of the quirks of our province. only a single fly rig allowed anywhere in the province. However, if you are in a boat and alone, you can use 2 rods. Go figure.

[Davyfly]

Now that is a total BS regulation, l would love to know the reason why this is the case.

professori. I would like to know if you are using a 25ft leader and a indicator that will not pass into the top guide how you are landing fish, about the only way l know how to do it is to hand line the fish.
Which is the way l do it for my customers here when we fish long systems during high water flows with indicators, and these guys are not like the fighting fish in your lakes.

I will frequenty use very long leader systems when stillwater FF, but choose not to use indicators, good old mucilin does the business for me, to be honest l have never fished a stillwater that has a one fly rule.
In the UK we can use as many as we wish, as a rule 3 or 4.

I am looking to pay a visit out there and spend some time with Brian, all being well.

Davy.

[professori]

Davy, yeah the one fly reg is frustrating at times. If you do come out this way and spend some time with Brian, be sure to ask him what the rationale is. I have heard many thoughts, but not an official explanation. As for strike indicators, for years I hand lined fish on a long leader, but Phil Rowley introduced slip strike indicators out here andd I haven't hand-lined a trout since. http://swittersb.wordpress.com/2009/...ly-fisher-but/