[clark]

What are everyones views on fishing a sight indicator ? Personally i catch the bulk of my fish with a team of three flies under an indicator but what do you guys think ??? 

[andrewp]

Hi Clark, I think you have got a bit of a hot tattie here, people either like or loathe them.  Personally I loathe them I prefer to watch the end of my fly line as an indicator, while I was fishing Midmar last Sunday I watched a chap fishing with an indicator, he had a fair bit of line out, I watched as his indicator went under, he struck so hard, missed the fish and his entire fly line went behind him and ended up in a tree, whether it had a trouts head attatched to his fly I am not sure, he was only one of many anglers I have seen striking fish this way while fishing indicators but to each his own,and as long as you enjoy your fishing, thats what matters.

[clark]

Well i can say for sure that i wont be ripping any trot heads off in the near future !! lol thanks for the reply,
clark

[Iain Goolager]

Hi Clark,

A hot potato indeed, there is no doubt that a team of 'flies' fished under the bung account for a large quantity of fish taken from fisheries therefore is here to stay.
I guess that when challenged by a 'purist' it can be argued that there is no more natural reprensentation of buzzers than when fished in a way that makes them travel in a vertical plane - the bung used in a chop allows a team of buzzers to fish very realistically.
I have fished the bung - maybe, four times and it didn't sit well with me. I've always had a problem with the asthetics of it - seeing what can only be described as a water skiing slalom course bobbing around a fisherys surface always makes me wince. Also IMHO minkies, blobs etc, fished under a bung is as far removed from innovative fly-fishing as you can get.  **ONLY MY OPINION** This said many people like to take fish this way and if the practice is performed in a gentlemanly manner then fair play.

I have float fished for Trout, Perch and Pike to name a few and there is no doubt that watching the float dancing around prior to disappearing is very exciting so I'm in tune with visual aspect of the method.

One last thing - the indicators I used were home made, a blend of black and green poly yarn folded through the centre of a small 'O' Ring and whipped at the base to finish off...idea was from some web site or other.

One last, last thing - many people, myself included, will advocate the use of a buzzer/s under a suitable dry fly which will always give you that extra dimension.

Tight lines bungers and non-bungers alike.

Iain

[clark]

Very good points made thanks alot !
clark

[Mike Barrio]

Hi "clark"

As a junior angler you have lots to experiment with over the coming years and much to enjoy

Make sure that you take the time to read the rules at each fishery that you visit ( far too many anglers don't ) then do your very best to fish within the rules and treat the trout, the environment and other anglers with respect .......... and you will not go far wrong

Enjoy

Best wishes
Mike Barrio

[clark]

Thanks Mike really good point made i will definately remember that !
clark

[Jay Scott]

I used to use a lot and then turned away from the idea prefer much more to watch the line now when buzzer fishing however i do use them in some circumstances eg. Kingennie yesterday fish all feeding right below the surface little wee olive beetles of some sort, couldn't get anything to work they started to shy away from my CDCs so a strike indicator with small olive buzzer about half a foot under seemed to do the trick. I see a lot of people using "large" fluffy indicators and bunny leech underneath striking so hard i'm suprised the fish isn't on the bank in one, can't be good for the fish and i would use do it again  just presonal preference i reccon as long as they aren't breaking the rules or damaging fish.

Cheers,

Jay

[fishfingers]

hi clark,i think if you are taught to fish with indicators or bungs then it may be hard to break the habbit,only way to do this is leave them at home,the likes of mike sandy or most anglers at haddo would im sure only be to glad to show you other methods.sorry but i would not use these but i dont object to any anglers who do.like j scott at kingennie on sat he didnt have the choice it was hard going on that day,he almost won the competition this way as i failed badly,because i refused to use this method,im pretty sure that the force of the strike with this method rips the scissors from the fishes mouth, but i dont have any proof,iv noticed this on fish at most fisheries if you look closely,i also had alot of line complete with flies wrapped around me at insch fishery by another angler,lol, no harm done though.i must give them a try sometime tho see if you have to strike this hard,i love the feel of a touch on my line when the fish bite,but like mike says if your not breaking fishery rules,then enjoy whatever method you see fit to catch your fish,ENJOY.

[salar35]

You either go fly fishing or you go float fishing. I guess that it is down to personal perception about what is right and what is wrong in fly fishing today. Shoot me if you ever find me using one.

[Hamish Young]

I fish a "New Zealand" dropper a lot these days when buzzer fishing.

The 'rig' is a good parachute style dry fly (a well tied klinkhammer is ideal) on a three foot leader. A dropper (really just a second leader, but that's semantics) is tied off the bend of the dry fly. The buzzer goes on the end of the dropper...... I don't consider it as horrible/vulgar as a fish pimp (for example) and as I get good results on the dry fly (especially from May onwards).
I consider it a two fly method rather than fishing a pure indicator per se. Also highly effective on rivers.........

Does this mean I'm using a sight indicator - yes, I suppose in a way it does  Does this mean I should be nailed to a cross for being anything other than a purist I don't think so It's a useful addition to the anglers armoury, another tactic worth learning.

Would I use a fish pimp or another float out of choice Hell would freeze over 1st 

[salar35]

Hamish.......spot on.......a guy I saw on the upper Don in the last two weeks had something that could only be described as a miniature fluorescent-orange plastic float, with a couple of standard wet spiders dangling underneath (interesting casting style!), whereas your set-up does precisely the same but using natural attractor flies throughout.

Nothing to do with purism but all to do with angling aesthetics. Auld Walton described our sport as an "art", and fly fishing which consists of nothing more than watching for a bung or float bobbing or disappearing, doesn't sit at all comfortably with that. It's a stage which Clark will grow out of, so he shouldn't fret. Long live the traditionalists.

[Rod Mackay]

Interesting one this... thought it might be

I'm definately not opposed to strike indicators on their own, it's when they're combined with an over zelous angler that you get problems.   

Personnaly, if I'm struggling to see takes on buzzers I'll put on an indicator to improve my chances.  However I don't feel the need to strike any differently with an indiicator on, but the amount of people you see trying to pulll the head off a fish as they strike is frightening

Not sure this is related to the indicator though.  I've seen people striking far too agressively fishing dries as well.  For me I think we just remember the people doing it under an indicator.

Salar / Hamish, I have to agree, it is something to do with the aesthetics.  Wish I didn't need to use them sometimes.

Hamish who are you calling vulgar?

[clark]

Well I agree with everybody! but i must admit I only really use sight indicators because i cant detect the takes when am not using one  I promise i shall try! Onward to the fishery !!!!!!!!!!

[Barry Robertson]