#19 Strike Indicators for Fly Fishing

Strike indicators for Fly Fishing, what heck are they and Why So Many?

As you are learning how to fly fish and have read my prior articles on the different types of fly fishing that are available to you as a fly fisherman, in this article we are going to talk about Strike Indicators for Fly Fishing.

 If you recall Nymphing is sub-surface fishing technique that uses an imitation of a small invertebrate form of aquatic insects as the fly. Since you are fishing this pattern underwater, and closer to the bottom of the river which sometimes requires the use of a small amount of weight, you might not be able to see the fish take your fly underwater. Usually, an underwater take is nothing more than a very subtle bump on the line and can be very easy to miss.

To increase your chances of hooking a fish, you can use a “Strike Indicator”. These indicators do a great job of detecting that subtle bump on the line to alert you that a fish has picked up your fly. Today’s advancements of sport have come a long way since the days of using a small piece of yarn that we attached to our leader, back in the day.

Today’s modern indicators are now made with better materials and superior designs that are very nice at being able to detect the slightest bump on your line. A fish can take in a fly and reject it in a spit second. If you are using a quality strike indicator, you have a better chance of detecting this strike.

I’m not going to go over all of the manufactures of strike indicators but merely give you a quick primer on this topic. Let’s take a look at some of the various types that are available to you:

Indicators today are made of the following materials:

·        Cork indicators

·        Wool indicators

·        Hollow plastic balls

·        Oval slip on indicators

·        Foam stick on

·        Floating putty indicators

As you can see from this partial list of indicators you have more than just one to choose from. Today I’m going to try to demystify these choices for you and give you some information as to which might be right for you, and your fishing situation.

CORK INDICATORS

Cork indicators are made of Cork, just as the name suggests. They are small cork spheres with a small rubber loop that allow you to attach your leader to. The pros are Cork does an excellent job of staying nice and high and dry and does not sink due to being waterlogged. These indicators come in several sizes from as small as 3/8 of an inch up to ¾ of an inch, the large sizes do a good job with large or heavy flies. The cons of these types of indicators is they tend to hit the water hard or make a “plop” sound. In small and calm water this can be a problem. The attachment can kink your leader, when you remove them, and they can be difficult to adjust for depth.

WOOL INDICATORS

Wool indicators are just as the name suggests, they are small pieces of wool that can be attached to your leader and used to detect a strike. Wool Strike indicators are growing in popularity, and for good reason. They can be cut to sizes for use on small streams where a light presentation is a must or left bushy to use where the water is more turbulent and deeper.

This indicator system works by using a special tool and sections of plastic tubing to pinch a section of your leader. The Wool is the strike indicator, and how much of it you apply to your leader will determine how it performs. There are pre-made Wool indicators from several Companies, so you don’t have to make your own. Some of the downsides to using a Wool indicator is the Wool can sometimes become tangled in your leader or fly, which can be a real treat to untangle. So overall easy to see, a little more work to attach, and increased tangles. If the Wool becomes waterlogged you can simply add some dry fly floatant to the Wool to regain floatation.

TWIST LOCK INDICATORS

These types of “Twist Lock” indicators have been around for a few years and are a popular choice with many fly fishermen. It is a small foam ball that has a small screw or twist lock on one end so you can simply slide your leader through the groove and tighten the screw lock to secure it to your line. The pros of this is that it rides high in the water, detects strikes well, and comes in easy to see colors and sizes from small to large. Since it uses a screw to adjust depth, this is quite easy to adjust. The cons are that the foam ball will make a plop when it hits the water, the screw can sometimes damage your leader, and my personal complaint is you can sometimes drop the screw end of it in the water, leaving you with a useless indicator.

THINGAMABOBBER

If you’ve ever used a strike indicator there’s a good chance you’ve used a Thingamabobber!  It’s a simple design and is essentially a hard plastic hollow ball that you attach to your leader for use as an indicator. The pros are that it will not sink, even in turbulent water, and cast fairly well. They do a great job of detecting a strike and are especially easy to see. They come in 3 sizes from small to large and come in several colors making them easy to see. The cons are that again it will make a plop when it lands on calm water, sometimes the way it attaches to your leader can cause the leader to get a kink in it, and they are fairly easy to adjust for different water depth.

OVAL SLIP ON INDICATORS

These oval slip-on indicators have been around since literally the dawn of time itself. These are nothing more than a small piece of hard foam, with a small slit in the side, and a small piece of rubber tubing in the slit. To use these, you simply put your line in the slit and turn the rubber tubing a few times and that’s it, you’re attached. They come in several sizes and are painted in a two-tone scheme to be more visible. The pros of these are that they are made of foam, so they float well in the water, and detect strikes well. You can adjust the depth fairly quickly without too many hassles when you are on the water. The cons are that sometimes the rubber tube can fall out and leave the indicator useless, if you do not twist the tubing well enough they will fall off when you cast.

I personally like these indicators, because they allow me to go from Nymphing to Dry fly in just a few minutes. I do not need to re-rig my leader, just remove the indicator, remove the weights, and attach a dry fly and I’m in business.

STICK ON INDICATORS

Stick on indicators are just like the name suggest, they are just a small piece of foam with adhesive tape on both sides. To attach you peel the tape and stick the halves together with your leader in the middle. It’s that easy. The pros are that casting these is very easy due to their small profile, they are very easy to attach to your leader, you can buy them in several bright colors for easy visibility, and they do detect the strike. The cons are that since you used adhesive to attach it to your leader, it will leave glue on the leader, this is a single use item, you cannot adjust the depth, you will have to use a new one. These small foam dots, so they can sink in turbulent waters.

My personal pet peeve is watching these used pieces of foam float by me on the river because the person upstream dropped it or just threw it in the water. If you use these, please dispose of them properly.

PUTTY STIKE INDICATORS

This is a fairly new product on the market; this is a biodegradable hi-vis putty material. It is fairly easy to use, just wet your fingers and break off a piece of the putty. Simply roll into a ball and apply to your leader and create an oval shape. When done simply remove the putty from your leader and return it to the container. These putty indicators come in a variety of bright colors to suit your needs.

The pros of these putties are that you can quickly add it to your line, you can mold the ball into the size that you will need, the hi-vis colors are easy to see, and if you are fishing in calm waters, you can make a very small indicator, to minimize the splash when it lands on the water. When you are finished you can return it to the container to use again later. The cons are that they can fall off your leader during a cast, you need to use a large amount if you are fishing heavy flies, and it does not have the same buoyancy as a cork or plastic ball.

I have used this product in the past and I believe it needs to be used in the right place at the right time. If you are Nymphing in calm or skinny water for spooky fish, this is the product you should use.

Thanks for reading along and listening to my ramblings and rantings. I hope this will help you in making a choice for your unique fishing needs. Now go out there and get an indicator and catch a fish.

Tight lines

Gary, AKA LaMachine

Again if you have any questions or comments please reach out to me