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3. A good day on the battenkill

caught 2 16 inch 1 13 inch and a little over a dozen
10 inch also missed numerous hits I like to fish nymphs
strictly by feel no indicator and not dropped off of a
large dry I enjoy the extra challenge but you do get your
misses this way they were biting on beadhead caddis emergers
some fish were rising and eating hatching caddis these caddis
were about a half inch long and a dark greyish brown never
tried any dries I was having too much fun on nymphs hopefully
I will get a chance to try after work a few times this week
otherwise I can look forward to next weekend
thanks for stopping by and listening to my fish story
Todd

Nice, Todd. I'm starting to fish more without an indicator strictly for aesthetic reasons (sometimes I feel like "indicator" is really just a euphemism for "bobber"). There are certain situations in which I catch more fish with the stealth of this approach, but I know I probably miss some strikes as well. Also, when the water is such that it sinks my flyline or the glare from the sun is so bad that I can't see my line, I often feel as though I have no choice but to fish with an indicator. Still, there's no better feeling than detecting a really subtle strike by using what I like to describe as voodoo (my brother likes to call it "vibes"). Good stuff.

By the way, I started tying my own indicators from deer hair (chartreuse is best for me), and it makes it feel less bobber-like.

-Shawn

thanks for the cudos shawn Iam not the most experienced fly fisher but I really enjoy being on the river my old baitcaster doesn't like it so much though for 4 years it has been rusting away it feels extremely jilted by my Orvis T3 I just cant help it my flyrod has won my heart by the way amazing rod I can feel the slightest of takes with 40 or 50 feet swinging
down the bank with it problem is my reactions sometimes arent as quick as
the little brownies that I love so much

here is an indicator idea that i have latched onto big time because it is so subtle for those days you just can't see the greased tippet well enough: olive antron yarn. tie an overhand knot in the last inch of the skein, cut it off an inch further down, and there you are. put it on the tippet wherever you want with a lark's head around the little knot.

if you need more visibility, use two or three pieces of yarn. i put on floatant to make it stand up or lie down. by adjusting the quantity and shape, you can cover all sorts of difficult visibility situations like foam specks and shadows, or the worst of all: foam specks at dusk. fish think it's just another leaf-ish bit of trash; occasionally i change its shape so they don't become suspicious.

i like using antron as well , fairly stealthy , i am always trying out different ways to attach it to the leader so that it can be adjusted to fish at different depths. whats a larks head?

it's a nifty knot that lets you put a loop in the middle of a line. you can pull the loop tight, and then loosen it again with the safety pin you keep on your vest. here's a link to a perfect illustration:

http://members.aol.com/goodheavens/lark.html

I was using a brown yarn indicator this morning myself, just for the reasons Casey and Turboboy mention. Thanks for the knot, Casey.

Who needs beer after work?
Ahh,friday night,the work week is over. I got home and had dinner,and instead of cracking open an ice cold beer,I decided to relax in a different way. I threw my fly rod into the car.A half hour later I was dropping my favorite nymph into the water.Oh,my favorite nymph,it is an olive beadhead caddis emerger,I guess I would call it my go to nymph.Once againthe trout were rising to dark greyish brown caddis.This didn't phase me because they were also jumping on my nymph.An hour and a half later I was making my way out after catching and releasing two fourteen inch and four ten to eleven inch browns.I made my way through the woods into a dark field which about two million fireflies had lit up for me.Well thats it for me,have a good weekend everybody, tight lines.
Todd

It would be very easy to become jealous of you, Todd; what a wonderful way to relax after work.

I do have a suggestion for those times that you need some type of wet/nymph strike indicator, but either the pattern or the water conditions warrant a truly delicate approach – something you may need working with midge patterns, or low water summer conditions. Grease lightly the entire leader, but exclude the tippet. The pattern will sink along with the tippet; the remainder of your leader will act as surface support keeping all off the bottom. The junction of the tippet and leader will act as an extremely sensitive strike indicator, with little disturbance to the fish. You may wish to paint that knot junction white with a Mean Streak marker. When you are tired of the greased leader, wash it off with Lava hand soap. Just as an added benefit – the greased leader will pick up easier and cause less surface disturbance in pocket water than one that is untreated. I fish a lot of pocket water, and this system has worked well for me for a number of years.

John

Great advice; thanks, John.

Thanks John if Iwas going to use any kind of indicator I think I would use your advise but I enjoy nymphing by feel I may miss a bunch but it just feels great when I can beat the little guys to the punch Todd