Adjustable Yarn Indicator Demo Video

[Phil31]

In the thread discussing furled leaders I mentioned to Viking Lars about this type of indicator I like for heavy nymphing set ups so I made this video showing how it's made. Check it out and see if you like it.

Also forgive me for the use of the term 'water loading' More accurate and 'cast correct' terminology would be 'water anchor'

[Paul Arden]

I like that Phil. That “NZ Indicator” I first came across here maybe 20 years ago from one of the regulars of the time, Rudi Ferris. We always called it the Ferris indicator. The plastic tube was the ink tube part of a biro pen. I’ve certainly used it and agree it can be a bit clunky and prone to slipping.

With regards energy transfer two other thoughts come to mind. One is that with the Ferris indicator the leader is looped up inside the tube and so isn’t straight. Also the plastic adds weight.

I bet your one sits on the water better too, not unlike fishing a dry on a dropper length instead of tying the nymph off the bend.

I’ll definitely give it a go when I’m back on the river.

Incidentally is any French Nymphing the Tongariro yet? When I think of all the big gorge fish I couldn’t get down to….

Cheers, Paul

[Phil31]

I like that Phil. That “NZ Indicator” I first came across here maybe 20 years ago from one of the regulars of the time, Rudi Ferris. We always called it the Ferris indicator. The plastic tube was the ink tube part of a biro pen. I’ve certainly used it and agree it can be a bit clunky and prone to slipping.

With regards energy transfer two other thoughts come to mind. One is that with the Ferris indicator the leader is looped up inside the tube and so isn’t straight. Also the plastic adds weight.

I bet your one sits on the water better too, not unlike fishing a dry on a dropper length instead of tying the nymph off the bend.

I’ll definitely give it a go when I’m back on the river.

Incidentally is any French Nymphing the Tongariro yet? When I think of all the big gorge fish I couldn’t get down to….

Cheers, Paul

Thanks Paul, yes it really does float well especially if you use the right yarn and treat it with selleys water shield (silicone spray). They sit up perfectly and do a great job of detecting strikes.


French Nymphing! Yes french/euro nymphing has become very popular and I have been enjoying it greatly in the past couple of years. However given the local regulations we are not allowed our leader to exceed 20 foot leader (from fly line to fly) meaning we aren't using traditional french leaders which are often about 15-20 feet long and tapered. Though my current setup is definitely a close cousin of french/spanish nymphing. I fish with about 10 feet of monofilament and sighter and then I have 10 foot available for tippet depending on the depth I'm fishing and typically have about 8-9 foot of tippet though varys with water depth and speed. Also there may be times where I marginally breach the 20 foot total but hey I don't think anyone losing sleep over my occasional 21 foot leader.

Alot of people here call the typical Tongariro setup czech nymphing but in my opinion of all the European disciplines it probably least resembles Czech Nymphing as I'm often fishing a good distance from myself usually with a fair bit of fly line out of the leader (the fly line is very thin 0.55mm to avoid drag). But I don't go on about that too much as I sound. like a hair-splitting know it all. In saying that a lot do stick to a very short lined approach which is probably quite reminiscent to Czech nymphing, but on a river like the Tongariro I like to have the long-distance option.

I have caught some absolutely beautiful fish on the Tongariro and other rivers on it and in the right conditions like yesterday it just does not stop when you've become familiar with the method. I was very lucky to be taught euro methods by a Slovenian competition nympher which did wonders for my progress in it.

And it's great in those gorges, in some of those pools (the type where your on a ledge over the fish) it can be great fun.

[Paul Arden]

That’s interesting. My three fly NZ leaders were often 22’ total. But absolutely; with FN I was thinking 10m or more, all mono. Especially on those bigger rivers. The size of those bombs on straight mono would cast huge distances.

I also don’t see the Tongariro style as being at all similar to Czech Nymphing. There is a collapsed cast style which is similar – but indicators are often banned, so it’s collapsed leaders for depth and then induced on the swing. Of course it’s all scaled down; the flies are tiny by comparison and the fish are smaller too!

Cheers, Paul

[Phil31]

That’s interesting. My three fly NZ leaders were often 22’ total. But absolutely; with FN I was thinking 10m or more, all mono. Especially on those bigger rivers. The size of those bombs on straight mono would cast huge distances.

I also don’t see the Tongariro style as being at all similar to Czech Nymphing. There is a collapsed cast style which is similar – but indicators are often banned, so it’s collapsed leaders for depth and then induced on the swing. Of course it’s all scaled down; the flies are tiny by comparison and the fish are smaller too!

Cheers, Paul

Yea the less than 20 foot leader rule is relatively new. About 5 years ago it was introduced. 10m of mono would be great but our zero weight fly lines are the next best thing to keep us within the regs.

With the collapsed cast method you mention would that be done casting across stream as opposed to upstream?

I've found on tough days when they aren't feeding too much, a way I'm often able to get a take is by casting across stream maybe slightly up to about 1 o clock and letting them come down and around in a swing type way. Slightly different to how I would usually let them swing /rise on a normal upstream cast as the fly is intentionally swinging across and up in a similar way to how you would swing a streamer. Basically a Euro Nymphing method of the Leisenring Lift and it has resulted in some nice brown trout on tough days.

This I'm sure is nothing new but speaking of collapsed casts I try to deliver the majority of my casts when euro nymphing as a tuck cast. The nymphs sink very well and you are immediately in a ready to fish/contact position as oppose to laying line out flat, lifting the rod and stripping line to get contact.

[Paul Arden]

Yes similar techniques if not the same.

Across and slightly upstream. It’s easy to collapse, particularly on a roll cast, either by doming the power or using trajectories. It doesn’t matter if the flies don’t collapse into the seam as intended, because you just keep repeating the cast until it does. The fly/flies should land near the end of the flyline and not straight.

Then as the current takes everything past you make an out-stream Reach to put a curve in the line. It should look like a J. The faster the current the tighter you want the J. The slower the current the wider the J. You’re really controlling the speed of the eventual ascent.

As the nymph is approaching the fish tighten up. This causes the fly to curve up in front of its nose and induces the take. I spent ages casting a heavy bright orange nymph that I could clearly see. Throwing slack and pitching it into seams to see how it would (or would not) dive to the bottom, really trying to understand the currents. When the fly pitches correctly into a seam with slack, it dives straight to the bottom. Which is what you want of course!

Often you need a few upstream mends to keep the fly sinking and not dragging up and across. Then follow the fly with the rod tip and tighten up. You’re always fishing to a point when you think, or know, the fish are downstream.

With FN on the other hand I’m truly fishing the fly all the way through the drift because I’m almost in contact with it at all times. And I can manipulate it as it swims. With the collapse cast this isn’t possible because of the amount of slack required to sink the fly with the floating lime on the surface. FN for me is much more exacting and consequently (for me anyway) more intense. I never fish an indicator when FN. I either watch the fly, the fish or the leader in that order.

I’m not a master of either technique. I fish with some guys who are masters of one or the other and I know the difference! I’m sure one day I’ll really put the time into it. Like everything it’s a bit of a numbers game. Maybe when I’m old and senile and need comforts like a bed…

But the thing that really struck me when I was learning FN at the beginning, was all the big gorge fish that I didn’t catch in SI NZ. And only because I couldn’t get the flies down. I’m pretty sure I would stick them nowadays.

If we are ever in Europe at the same time I’ll introduce you to some mates there!

Cheers, Paul

[Phil31]

Yes the first method you mention sounds very similar to what I know as the Leisenring Lift which is probably the best way I know of to induce strikes from fish that aren't really feeding. In my opinion it really is creating an art of fly fishing when it comes to inducing takes.

I find the Taupo Fishery a great place for French/Euro nymphing. It is a nice change from indicator nymphing and watching the sighter/leader to detect strikes has actually helped me in a lot of sight-fishing situations. Another misconception I notice here around it is most people will say "you feel the takes" but I have found you will be missing a lot of strikes if your just basing it on feel and sometimes all you see is your leader hesitate, straighten or stop. IMO if you are only feeling takes you are really limiting yourself to downstream takes or particularly aggressive strikes. When I first started striking everything I was mind blown at how subtle they could be.

I really have to get myself into a mental 'zone' when it comes to strike detection. I went away from Turangi and did no Euro Nymphing for four months and when I got back I almost found it hard to get back to that mental 'zone'. I knew I was missing strikes. Before I left I would often strike something so subtle that I wouldn't be able to tell you what it was that triggered me to strike and I would have a fish on. It's taken me a while to get back to that mental 'zone' but I know I'm still missing more strikes than I was. I guess like any sport it can take time to regain form

That would be great to meet some other Euro nymphers in Europe. Not surprisingly I find the Europeans generally know it best. Especially when compared to the "Euro nymphing is nothing new, I've been doing it since the 70's" brigade.

[Paul Arden]

Yep it’s interesting I’ve fished many waters where the fish won’t eat without the lift, even when feeding voraciously. I think they tune into the movement as the trigger to eat. There is a lot of stuff being washed downriver but the stuff that moves differently is food.

I sat under the shade of a tree with a bunch of fish below that I could see. I ran the fly through hundreds of times to see what they would do (intentionally not hooking them). The first few drifts some fish were interested in the free-drifted nymph. Most weren’t. But if I “jiggled” the nymph I could get them all to come and look time after time. After a while they would come and inspect and not eat of course. And then eventually it was rare for them to show any interest.

I’ve played the same game here with fish on the lake too. Interesting difference between fish species. Jungle Perch and other small fish juvenile fish will repeatedly come after the nymph time and time again. Juvenile baby gourami very quickly work out that there is some dickhead up there playing with them

Cheers, Paul