Indicator Flies

Cowlitz Bottomfeeder

Cowlitz Bottomfeeder

Life of the Party
Using a large dry fly as an indicator is often an effective way to fish the upper and lower parts of the water column. The hopper/dropper tactic is well known. On a popular lake, I noticed that Rainbows would occasionally come up and check out the indicator. I often considered using a foam fly with rubber legs as the indicator and yesterday I finally gave it a try. Four Rainbows ate the dropper and two ate the Chubby Chernobyl. I dislike tying a dropper on a barbless hook, because the dropper comes off in the net, so I cut the eye off a standard dry fly and lashed it to the shank of an intact hook before tying the fly.

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cool solution!

I've personally never had the situation where the dropped knot slides off the bend, but regardless, I like this thinking.
 
I like the ingenuity, but I suspect that will tangle too much for my liking.

I only fish rivers, but I usually just attach the dropper through the eye of the dry fly. When fishing two flies, I always use constant tension casts (eg. water haul, Belgian cast, helicopter cast, etc). That almost eliminates tangles entirely, regardless of how I've set up my rig.
 
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Cowlitz Bottomfeeder said:
Using a large dry fly as an indicator is often an effective way to fish the upper and lower parts of the water column. The hopper/dropper tactic is well known. On a popular lake, I noticed that Rainbows would occasionally come up and check out the indicator. I often considered using a foam fly with rubber legs as the indicator and yesterday I finally gave it a try. Four Rainbows ate the dropper and two ate the Chubby Chernobyl. I dislike tying a dropper on a barbless hook, because the dropper comes off in the net, so I cut the eye off a standard dry fly and lashed it to the shank of an intact hook before tying the fly.

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Innovative!
 
You can also use a "trailer hitch". In place of the cut off hook, use a doubled over piece of 15lb maxima to make a loop hanging off the back of the hook, as the first step in tying. Easy, sturdy loop to loop connection. Also great for heavy tool nymphs, like stoneflies.

Here's an example.
www.paflyfish.com

Trailer Hitch

Make them out of twisted wire - easy tie in point for trailer midge or PT - give it a shot
www.paflyfish.com www.paflyfish.com
 
jaredoconnor said:
I like the ingenuity, but I suspect that will tangle too much for my liking.

I only fish rivers, but I usually just attach the dropper through the eye of the dry fly. When fishing two flies, I always use constant tension casts (eg. water haul, Belgian cast, helicopter cast, etc). That almost eliminates tangles entirely, regardless of how I've set up my rig.
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If the wind is blowing 20 mph it’s going to tangle regardless of your casting ability. Especially if you’re casting at a bad angle to the wind. The problem is exacerbated by long light tippets and weight or beads on the fly. Basically it’s a cost benefit analysis. Do you gain something by fishing two flies or does it cost more time than it’s worth? I wanted to prove the concept so it worked for me. And when I got done it was tangled at the indicator fly.
 
Cowlitz Bottomfeeder said:
If the wind is blowing 20 mph it’s going to tangle regardless of your casting ability. Especially if you’re casting at a bad angle to the wind. The problem is exacerbated by long light tippets and weight or beads on the fly. Basically it’s a cost benefit analysis. Do you gain something by fishing two flies or does it cost more time than it’s worth? I wanted to prove the concept so it worked for me. And when I got done it was tangled at the indicator fly.
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Have you ever seen the "euro style dry dropper" technique? The dry fly is tied on a tag, so it can move independently of the (heavy AF) nymph. Tippets are usually 6-7x. It is pretty much the worse case scenario, for tangles. 😂

Constant tension casts are the only way to cast these rigs. Anything else will tangle instantly. It is very effective, but definitely falls into the "not worth it" category, for me.

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I use a stimulator on a 6" dropper for the indicator fly. Takes fish floating, and I can still see it fine submerged where it takes just as many if not more fish.
 
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jaredoconnor said:
Have you ever seen the "euro style dry dropper" technique? The dry fly is tied on a tag, so it can move independently of the (heavy AF) nymph. Tippets are usually 6-7x. It is pretty much the worse case scenario, for tangles. 😂

Constant tension casts are the only way to cast these rigs. Anything else will tangle instantly.

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Yes I’ve actually fished that style of leader for steelhead. Not my fave though because it was such a pain to retie the leaders. It was effective though. You could fish a regular size fly and a small one for the finicky steelhead at low summer flows.
 
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