The Strike Indicator

Bobber or no bobber, that is the question!   This can be a lightning rod issue, but it really doesn’t need to be.  Just like anything else in this sport of fly fishing we love, it’s just another tool and it has its application. 

I’ve fished with quite a few guides over the years, and still do.  Guess what no guide in a drift boat has been without, you guessed it, a strike indicator.  Do you think they’d be using it if it wasn’t catching fish for their clients?

There are a few varieties of strike indicators.   Plastic bubbles, yarn, and foam.  On a float trip, I find the plastic bubbles (thingamabobber) work best.   When I’m on a walk and wade, I like the football style.

So, what’s the purpose of the strike indicator?   Its primary functions are to keep your fly at a specific level in the water column and of course let you know when a fish hits your offering.   Generally speaking, you want your fly to drift just off the bottom.   So, where you position your strike indicator on your leader depends on the depth of the water you are fishing. They are all adjustable in one manner or another for this reason.

A strike indicator is also a great tool for those new to the sport and for taking kids fishing.   I started out both my daughters on indicators.  They are a great visual to teach from.   I taught them about drag free drifts with indicators which is so important fishing a dry fly and not using an indicator!

At RiverBum, we have a wide variety on strike indicators to choose from.