Trends occur with fly fishing just as with fashion, home décor and music. What’s popular one year becomes unpopular the next, then makes a comeback years later. And this cycle continues again and again. I remember in the 1990’s when indicator fishing was all the rage and I was told by countless western fly fishing guides the tightline tactics taught to me by Joe Humphreys won’t work out west. The opposite is true today as Euro-nymphing (aka tightline nymphing) is the hot tactic throughout the U.S. and indicator fishing is thought of as lower-level “bobber fishing.”
Indicator tactics involve using a float or suspension device to hold your nymph(s) at a certain height in the water column, as well as serving as an aide to see when a fish has taken your fly. It’s just one of countless tools used while nymphing. You can choose to use it or not. It’s a tactic I’ll use when I feel it offers the best chance to catch fish and I want to share a few tips for nymphing with indicators for beginner or intermediate fly fishers.
Tip 1: Use Adjustable Indicators
Fishing nymphs at the correct depth is important. An entire book could be written on this subject but the most important part is understanding that water depth is dynamic as you move from spot to spot. In addition, scarcity of food as well as the amount of bug activity are two variables that will determine how far a trout is willing to move vertically in the water column to feed. In other words, sometimes trout will feed closer to the stream bottom. Sometimes they’ll feed mid-column. Sometimes just below the surface. And sometimes they’ll do all of the above. Experience and situational awareness will hopefully provide enough clues to guess where fish are feeding.
As it relates to indicator tactics, having an adjustable indicator is helpful as water depth and fish behavior is constantly changing. When a deeper presentation is needed and I slide my indicator higher up on my leader, expect my rig to occasionally — approximately 10 percent of the time — get stuck on the stream bottom. If fish are feeding higher in the water column and my indicator is positioned closer to my fly, then that percentage moves closer to zero.
There are countless adjustable indicators available today so choose the one that best fits your needs.
Tip 2: Find the Tipping Point
Match the buoyancy of your indicator with the weight of your nymph rig. Without geeking out too much, I want to mention that finding the “tipping point” is useful when indicator fishing. The idea is for your bobber to indicate a strike anytime a fish takes your nymph. The goal is using a buoyant enough indicator to hold your nymphs but sensitive enough to get pulled under when any additional pressure is placed on the rig (e.g. hitting stream bottom or the take of a fish).
Many anglers use larger indicators because they’re easier to see but larger indicators are also more buoyant and may not easily register a strike, especially when fishing with lightweight nymphs. So, I reserve using large indicators solely for when I’m fishing heavy nymphing rigs and need added floatation but stick to smaller indicators when fishing lighter rigs. My suggestion is to find an indicator system you like and purchase multiple sizes of that indicator style to deal with varying weighted patterns. It doesn’t have to be exact but having a dynamic system helps as trout will quickly spit out a fly the moment it feels unnatural, so the longer it takes to see a strike, the greater the chance you’ll miss the opportunity to connect with the fish.
Tip 3: Use Weighted Flies Instead of Split Shot
Using weighted flies instead of split shot will reduce tangles. Although I carry split shot, I try to reduce how often I use it for one reason: it increases the chance of tangles. Adding split shot between indicator and nymph creates a hinge, producing a whiplash effect anytime an erratic casting motion is made or when a hooked fish rolls on the surface. No matter how good of a fly caster you are, adding split between your indicator and nymph increases the likelihood of tangles. This is why my preference for weight is using a tungsten beadhead fly (e.g. Euro nymph) instead. And yes, tungsten patterns are more expensive to buy or tie but I find the reduction in tangles is worth the extra cost.
Tip 4: Go Dry-Dropper
Use a dry fly as an indicator when trout are feeding both at and below the surface. This is called a dry-dropper rig and it is my favorite indicator method as you can double your chances of catching fish — either with a dry fly on the surface or with the nymph below. Plus, a dry fly indicator looks and lands more naturally on the water when compared to most fluorescent, plastic indicators on the market.
Still, I reserve this approach to times when trout are actively feeding both below and above the surface. This can include periods during hatches when trout are taking both nymphs and adults. Though such times can occur during all 12 months of the year, I still stick with traditional indicators while nymphing during non-hatch times. Why? Because dry flies require constant maintenance to keep them afloat and they are less adjustable. If you do use a dry fly as an indicator, don’t forget to use larger dry flies (e.g. a large Chubby Chernobyl) when fishing heavier patterns and switch to smaller dry flies (e.g. an X-Caddis) when fishing lighter rigs to help you find the “tipping point.”
Tip 5: Bobber Up. Or don’t.
If you simply enjoy fishing one tactic more than another and are willing to miss out on some success when another tactic could prove to be more beneficial, that’s just fine. In truth, indicator fishing is one of my least preferred fly fishing tactics, but I’ll gladly employ this tactic when it’s my best chance of catching fish. I’m not above using “bobbers” while nymphing and if your goal is catching fish in all fly fishing scenarios, then you need to learn to “bobber up” too. Fly fishing success is not about following trends but knowing where and when to use all available tactics.
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