I will review the yarn strike indicator this month as part of my ongoing strike indicator review blog post series. Overall, I think the yarn indicator is excellent for most nymphing scenarios and my review of it is described below.
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
The biggest advantage of a yarn indicator is that it is incredibly sensitive to fish strikes – its triangular shape makes it incredibly easy for trout to pull it underwater with very little resistance. This makes the strike indicator very responsive to fish strikes, and gives you more time to set your hook because a trout won’t spit the nymph from its mouth as quickly because it feels less resistance. The second biggest advantage of this indicator is that it creates almost no disturbance as it lands on the water’s surface, and thus spooks a lot less trout. Since it is so light and roughly triangular shape, it lands softly on the water and the point of the triangle drops underwater slightly preventing a lot of splash. It is also advantageous because it is easy to cast long distances because it is very light, which also results in fewer tangles. The vibrant yarn colors and large surface area of the yarn also makes it very easy to see as it floats on the river’s surface.
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of a yarn indicator is its tendency to become waterlogged and sink underwater. You can minimize this tendency by applying liquid floatant directly to the yarn which will decrease the amount of time it takes to become waterlogged. Since it’s very easy to pull underwater due to its triangular shape, you also can’t add much weight to it without it getting sucked under the water’s surface. Furthermore, because it is so light and has a big surface area, it often becomes a “kite in the wind” on windy days and can make casting difficult. And like all strike indicators with the rubber ring, it’s hard to adjust after you put it on your leader. Your leader tends to bind tightly and dig into the rubber ring after you cast it for a while, making it difficult to adjust after a few casts.
WHEN AND WHEN NOT TO USE IT
Considering the advantages and disadvantages, the yarn indicator is excellent for using a standard nymphing rig with very little weight. It’s terrible for a Provo River bounce nymphing rig because this rig type uses a lot of weight and drags the strike indicator at about a forty-five degree angle to the river’s surface, subjecting it to get waterlogged more easily. It’s an excellent option for slow to moderately fast water where the water surface isn’t as rough because it will not get waterlogged as quickly. It’s also excellent for slow water because it makes almost no disturbance as it lands on the river’s surface and doesn’t spook as many trout. One of my favorite times to use a yarn indicator is when imitating emerging insects. When I fish emerging flies, I normally am not using much weight because the fish are elevated off the bottom. I also like using a yarn indicator in small streams because I’m not using a lot of weight and won’t spook as many fish with this indicator in close quarters.
More information on trout nymphing can be found in my guide book SIMPLE NYMPHING FOR TROUT IN RIVERS & STREAMS.
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