Anyone not use indicators?
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Personally, I don't shun much in the way of fishing. Everything has a place, I have found. I've left the indicator guys behind on occasion and gone damsels with great success. On other occasions, I have gone to a lake where no-one has hit anything for 3 days and slayed on a brown v-rib chironomid under a florescent orange "bobber". The one method I haven't given enough time to, is chironomids on a sinking line (sans indicator), but that is for this year.
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Sometimes I use the straight line method of fishing chironamids, where I use a very aggressive uniform sink line and let it sink straight down. The takes are absolutely amazing because there is a straight connection between your rod tip and your fly. I like to use this method when I'm fishing deeper waters.
I sometimes fish "naked" when I've figured out what level they're cruising for chironamids for. It certainly is much nicer to cast without an indicator, but you have to maintain a very good watch on what your line is doing as some takes are very subtle.
As far as your bias against chironamid fishing...to each their own even though I don't quite understand your reasoning. If you read Chan's literature, he states that trout spend the vast majority of their time eating subsurface for these larvae. Being knowledgeable of all sorts of technique just makes you a more well-rounded fly angler...and probably catch more and bigger fish. In my experience, some of the largest trout that I've caught were on chironamids.
I'd be curious to fish with someone who refuses to try chironamids when they are keying in on them...which is the majority of the time. I would love to see if they will continue to persist with emergers and dries if they are getting just the little ones or getting skunked.
And that "beginner" angler will eventually ecome very comfortable, especially with success. And you don't have to cast very far to effectively fish chironamids.
I sometimes fish "naked" when I've figured out what level they're cruising for chironamids for. It certainly is much nicer to cast without an indicator, but you have to maintain a very good watch on what your line is doing as some takes are very subtle.
As far as your bias against chironamid fishing...to each their own even though I don't quite understand your reasoning. If you read Chan's literature, he states that trout spend the vast majority of their time eating subsurface for these larvae. Being knowledgeable of all sorts of technique just makes you a more well-rounded fly angler...and probably catch more and bigger fish. In my experience, some of the largest trout that I've caught were on chironamids.
I'd be curious to fish with someone who refuses to try chironamids when they are keying in on them...which is the majority of the time. I would love to see if they will continue to persist with emergers and dries if they are getting just the little ones or getting skunked.
And that "beginner" angler will eventually ecome very comfortable, especially with success. And you don't have to cast very far to effectively fish chironamids.
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GC...I don't always catch all the fish. ;D In fact, these days, I really enjoy taking good friends of mine to trophy lakes and watching them tie into the big ones. Last year, my most memorable moment was when I got a friend into his first double digit rainbow on his 4wt and felt my boat shaking in conjunction with his knees as he fought the fish nervously. ;D ;D Yes, I set him up with an indicator and he's not a novice angler...just hasn't spent much time with stillwater rainbows.
I use indicators not just to indicate a strike, but mostly so that I can adjust the depth that I'm fishing my chironamids as structure and conditions dictate. I usually have a long leader on, and I'd rather slide my indicator up and down rather than cut and splice all day. Now if someone can enlighten me of a better way of controlling depth without having to cut and splice all day by fishing naked...I would love to hear about it. :beerchug:
I use indicators not just to indicate a strike, but mostly so that I can adjust the depth that I'm fishing my chironamids as structure and conditions dictate. I usually have a long leader on, and I'd rather slide my indicator up and down rather than cut and splice all day. Now if someone can enlighten me of a better way of controlling depth without having to cut and splice all day by fishing naked...I would love to hear about it. :beerchug:
Indicators can be used to fish many things besides chironomids...it's kind of cool to chuck a micro leech or damsel etc (depending on season) in close to some lilly pads or shoal when stripping in can lead to multiple tangles...It's also a nice way to take a break from your preferred method and kick back with a good cigar!!!
I kind of get a kick out of finding new ways to try some of my flies to see if it works or not...Indicators, can't hate um or love um...just accept um and have fun with it..
I kind of get a kick out of finding new ways to try some of my flies to see if it works or not...Indicators, can't hate um or love um...just accept um and have fun with it..
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224 Posts
What I like about it is being able to fish two rods at once. I will throw out a chironomid on one line and leave it and grab another rod and cast with it.
I welcome the challenge of learning something new. As for me I'm just starting to learn to use indicators. I know the theory, I just need to put it into practice more often. :happy:
I used to be annoyed with them only because I didn't know how to use them (not assuming that those who don't use them don't know how!! :) but flyfishing is all about "tricking" the fish and going to where they are, this is just another way of hunting the ever elusive fish.
I used to be annoyed with them only because I didn't know how to use them (not assuming that those who don't use them don't know how!! :
) but flyfishing is all about "tricking" the fish and going to where they are, this is just another way of hunting the ever elusive fish. 
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