Using Your Indicator

Using Your Indicator

When fishing Indicators, we are all looking to achieve a "drag free drift" right? Well.....maybe a little drag can be a good thing. Especially when drifting streamers.

(Flies shown:  Little Crappie Fly, Guinness Trout, Golden Retriever, Ralph's Little Pine)

Dredging large weighted nymphs and Buggers with any mix of shot, anchor flies and any your choice of indicator is most commonly a pursuit aimed at attaining a dead-drift presentation. Meaning no outside influence is imparted on the fly. It drifts as naturally as possible along the bottom.  The fish are holding deep through the winter months, holding tight and not willing to expend unnecessary energy. They are selective....you want natural.  It is a very effective way to pull large fish through the cold months. 

But there are times when a dead-drift is not the most effective method, and managing the drift of your indicator to "apply" drag to the fly can be the ticket.  Many folks struggle to keep a wooly-bugger or small weighted streamer freely drifting under an indicator, but if you observe a drifting Bugger suspended, it will drift nose down  with some movement of the marabou tail.  Looks good and is effective. ....BUT.

Mend your line downstream and impart tension on the indicator and it becomes a manageable tool once downstream of your fly. Observe the fly in that position and the fly will "swim".  It now becomes a live minnow, struggling yet still swimming. The takes can become aggressive.

Once tension is applied to the indicator, any tailed nymph or streamer will swim  wherever you guide it through the water-column.  

While the majority of the time a natural drift is the way to go.  Just keep in mind when fishing  streamers beneath an indicator, applied drag can be as effective or even more so than stripping to impart action.

See you on the water!