The recent little thread about strike indicators started me thinking. Which is most effective? They all will detect a strike, by effectiveness I mean mostly "ease of use".
For me... The most effective is a dry fly--I get so many strikes at the indicator from these stockers that having a hook in the indicator is definitely an advantage. Personally, I have more luck with the CDC&Elk in a size 14. It's also a nice fly for pure dry fly fishing. The next most effective is the slip on/slip off foam (or cork) type. The toothpick that's used to wedge it in place is the biggest problem with tangling. Next is the yarn type, I prefer the adjustablility of the loop-type over the tie on bit of yarn. The main difficulty is keeping it from sliding up and down the line. The one-time foldover foam type comes next. It has virtually no adjustability, which I find important in the variable depths of the river that I usually fish. The least effective, for me, is the putty type (Biostrike, etc.) The putty is constantly coming off the line. It is difficult to detect a strike when the indicator "disappears". I've never tried striped/multicolored leaders or a colored leader/fly line knot, so I can't speak for their effectiveness. Inasmuch as the water I fish most is a tailwater and inclined to discolor when lake turnover occurs as well as rain, anything that requires visibily underwater is not too useful. Though when the water's clear, it could be good. The problem that I find is that the more effective the indicator, the more likely in will tangle. In other words, a dry fly is the most likely to tangle Neal Gilchrist [EMAIL PROTECTED]
