I was BS'n with Osprey today and I remember something I was gonna post on here. How many of you fly fisherman out there use strike indicators? I use them, I have some plain yarn ones I tie on with floatant on them, but I mostly use small corkies with yarn in the middle to lock it in place on my line. I could NOT believe when i saw on a few websites and in a few fly fishing catalogs I have that these stupid little corkie and yarn indicators cost almost 75cents-$1 a piece. I've been making my own for years for a mere 10 cents a piece. Man, I wonder if the "elite" fly fisherman are working for the government. You know, pay $1000 for a $75 dollar toilet. Worse thing of all, I've met people who actually PAY for these things. MAN, too damn funny. Just had to share that with you all. If I may offend any of you who pay for them I'm truly sorry, go to sportco and pu 10 for a buck and buy a bundle of yarn and start making them.

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[This message has been edited by Steelheader69 (edited 06-08-2000).]

69,

I tried using a small corky as a fly fishing bobber about 12 years ago, but found that it cast funny. I seem to have trouble adding anything on my leader. I can cast and occasionally use a lightly weighted fly, like a stonefly nymph. But I just don't go for the Montana style, where some guides take what almost amounts to thin pencil lead and wrap it on a nymph. I know they just lob and don't actually cast such concoctions, but it just takes the fun out of it for me.

I have wondered if it's possible to assemble a combination fly and strike indicator/bobber that would work for steelheading on small streams. It seems like the fly would have to be heavy, and the indicator would have to be bulky, rendering the whole mess a disaster to cast. I think spin anglers have come up with the solution with jigs and floats on long and light spinning rods.

I try to be open to new ideas, but admittedly I have my preferences for how I like to fish, and am not a fan of lobbing.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Lets face it, most everybody would rather swing flys than nymph for steelhead. The problem I find is that the best swinging water is the tailouts. Now take the Sol Duc in mid April, how many aluminum boats clank across the tailouts each day? It dosnt take many to spook the fish out of the prime spots. So you can either sleep in your boat at the ramp to get first water, or you figure out a way to fish the "non fly water" with a flyrod. Nymphing is the awnser. I will fish two lead eyed glowbugs 16 inches apart under a yarn indicator(BOBBER) I like the yarn better than corkies, more sensitive to the light take. I like the lead eyes better than split shots, less to foul up. Put the flys out parallel to the boat, get your boat to the same speed the float-Indicator-bobber and have the caster mend to maintain the dead drift. It works!
I get alot of greif about this method, which is accepted in every other trout fishery in the country. It is not any diffrent than the way guys fish with jigs and floats. I have heard all sorts of reasons that this way of fishing is unethical, but I boated more fish this winter than ever before. I hear "you might as well gear fish" and my fav "Its not about how many fish you hookup" said by a guy who is a guide and has to convince that to his clients every day. I like casting a flyrod and fighting fish with a single action reel. Its a little harder to cast this rig, but it hooks fish

I usually use a foam hopper as the indicator. Floats good and you might even get a fish on it instead of the nymph.

Any thing added to your leader that is heavier or more wind resistant is going to foul up your casting. So do the best you can. Also try not using floating lines with long front tapers, they just make it worse because they are designed for delicate presentations. And look into right angle leaders. I think there is instructions for one in Deke Meyers book. Have used split shot for years in deeper holes (yes it sucks casting) for summer fish with good results. All this said I do prefer to swing a fly, but sometimes in certain places you cant get deep enough. Now I use bead heads, cone heads, or barbells on my flys to get down. A weighted nymph in summer (4s to 8s) can be a killer. And having fished with Jim Teeny years ago I know how good flys can be if presented deep and slow enough for Steelhead.

Well, it's funny how a BB can go astray. Actually, all I was saying was that I had seen how much they want for corky strike indicators and that I've made them for a hell of alot cheaper. I use bulky yarn with fly floatant sprayed on it and large dry flies with nymph droppers. But, it's all in how you handle your flyrod on what you can do with it. I've never had a problem with a corky indicator, but I only use it on 8/9 wt. I use yarn on my smaller 4/5 wts. Normally, I won't use split shot, I use a weighted fly (usually with barbell eyes). Oh well, it's nice to see the imput.....

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