1. Clinch knot to the fly line.
It is a very nice combination to have a welded loop fly line, and simply tie in a clinch knot right to the fly line. This mono is likely to be as heavy as 25 pound test, and thick, so it should not cut into the coating. It slips through the last guide fairly innocently, just like a nail knot would. Here come my opinions....
Pro: Easy to set up, works as advertised, I do it myself at home.
Con: None, with the limited exception that your welded loop breaks.
2. They run about six to eight inches of 25 lb mono from the clinch knot to the second knot in the system. On this six to eight inches, is where the Thingamabobber resides.
Pro: The thick section here provides good turnover, and the robust mono secures the indicator down tight with no slippage. Also, this dedicated section does still result in the curlie-cue from the Thingamabobber, but it's so stiff and so short, you don't feel as if you ruined anything.
Con: At home, I use as much as two to three feet between indicator and the end of my fly line. This is so that when I mend, I don't continually pick up the indicator, yet I can throw fly line directly behind it in the same seam. I don't mind if I move it a little bit. However, I did notice that I had less drag that influenced the indicator between fly line and indicator, obviously due to the shorter distance. I may shorten my range a tad.
3. A 3/4" Thingamabobber.
Pro: It's a great tool. No maintenance, always floats, and was secure. It held up heavy rigs when we skimmed the bottom and just flat out did its job.
Con: I use yarn at home, having had some frustrating outings with 1/2" Thingamabbobers. I may try the 3/4" on my home waters and it probably gives that extra flotation that I found in yarn.
4. Blood knot (first of two in the system) to the top of a tapered leader.
Pro: You want to use a blood knot here, not a surgeons knot. I have hundreds of hours on the river with these two knots and I can't believe people compare them. The blood knot is the king.
Con: Tough to tie with cold hands! Also, this requires snipping off the perfection loop at the top of the tapered leader to facilitate the blood knot.
5. 7 and 1/2 foot, 3X tapered leader
Pro: I did NOT like this idea at first. I was schooled that straight fluoro in this section gets you down faster and is less spooky to the fish. This was a mind blower to me. But, I will tell you that it turned over the rig very well, which is tough to wield. Casting was easier for me with it. Also, let's be honest, if dries started popping, you could rip your nymphs off and add a foot of 4X and a foot of 5X and jump right into a BWO hatch since you have a tapered leader as a foundation. I also thought the length between the indicator and split shot was too long for shallower riffles but found that as long as the indy was tight to the shot, it didn't matter as much as I thought it would.
Con: I still don't think it's as stealthy. If the river is gin clear, I'm not buying that it won't spook more fish. The Bighorn was not gin clear the week I was there, and it's not the Catskills. And any line that is thicker under the surface will drag more. However, the sink rate is probably not an issue like I thought it was. It probably all gets solved with one size up in shot. Overall, a great topic to overthink.
6. Split shot - usually a pair
Pro: Don't rely on weighted bugs, use the shot to grab the bottom and slow down your system (otherwise, just fish dry-dropper). It's not about sinking, it's about slowing the indicator at the surface to a pace equal to the more frictioned riverbed. Surprisingly, they still use lead shot out west, though I use tin back home.
Con: Obviously it sucks to fly fish with split shot. At times we used a pair of size BB (flow was 4000), but, this is what makes an indicator rig work. It takes experimentation based on your river and its flow. In the vast majority of cases at home, I start with one size 1 split shot. For your reference, the most popular sizes from smallest to largest are 4, 1, and BB.
4. (Again) Blood knot. This is also a good place to instead, use a small tippet ring and put a clinch knot in it. If you are a part time bass fisherman, you can probably even get away with small barrel swivel here (goodness are you allowed to suggest that on a fly fishing blog?)
7. About 12"-16" of 3X fluorocarbon
Pro: Strong as steel
Con: I said "too heavy" and I was wrong. They ate the bugs anyway.
8. "The first bug"
Typically, I think related to the 3X, this was about a #14 or #16 attractor "teaser" type bug. Pink and orange scuds were popular in this spot. The theory is that the fish may not eat this particular fly, though they did, but that it sets up a visual to your second bug.
Pro: It attracts, and it takes fish
Con: None
9. 4X fluorocarbon tied to the bend of the first fly, about 16", to the back bug
Pro: Strong as steel
Con: I said "too heavy" and I was wrong. They ate the bugs anyway. Lengthen this portion to 20" or so, if you find that foul hooking fish is an issue and that may solve it. About the bend of the hook, that works fine if your hooks are barbed. If they are barbless, go with the eye of the hook.
10. The "back bug"
This is a more realistic, hatch matching type of pattern. On the Bighorn it was typically a sowbug or a sunken trico pattern. But the idea is that it was to be a representation of the natural, and likely, smaller. All pro, no con.
Notes
This is not a rig that can be used everywhere. This is designed for a long cast upstream, proper mending, and a kick out of line to float well downstream to get a lengthy, drag-free drift of your bugs. The water type is typically a low-gradient, generally uniform current often found in tailwaters with a gravel bottom. It's good "big water" strategy, but not something I'd try in rocky pocket water where the tightline methods are far better.
Is this fly fishing?
I am going to take an unprovoked shot here at FIPS-Mouche and their rules of engagement. They have ruled this to be "not" credible fly fishing and thus, it is banned in their competitive circuit. No indicators, no weight on the leader. Now, to each their own, certainly we are all entitled to our fair opinions and I am a respectful person.
I also Euro-Nymph a lot, and I love it. I also recognize that when I nymph in this manner, I am using six inches of fly line out of my last guide and I'm using bugs with tungsten weight built into them. Casting is a relative term, it's more of a flip and drift. It takes a lot of concentration and physical work, and in my opinion, is an art in and of itself. FIPS-Mouche requires that your mono leader is no longer than twice the length of your fly rod. Truth be told, you don't even need fly line. Is it fly fishing?
I want someone to watch an experienced indicator nympher - for which they typically use a lot of fly line and unweighted bugs by the way- and tell me it's not real fly fishing. A good indicator nympher is a master at line control, various casts, and mending and must be a superior reader of the water. There are so many skills involved to fish well with the indicator that I couldn't possibly list them all. Anyone that reduces it to "bobber fishing" is entirely uneducated or inexperienced with this method. No, it isn't as romantic as fishing through a blue quill hatch. But yes, it is fly fishing.
I enjoy both methods. All methods. I don't judge. To me, if a hearty soul is out in the cold Euro Nymphing a riffle, indicator nymphing a run, stripping a streamer, or waiting on the bank for that ever-hopeful 3:30PM midge hatch on a January afternoon with the goal of a single fish, we are one.
Conclusion
I hope that helps anyone that is interested in giving this method a try with the upcoming colder weather. Take advantage of streamers and the last dry flies of the season while you can, but this technique serves well now and through the winter. Questions (or comments) are certainly welcome!
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