Bobber Don't Lie

While I know I promised some beginner advice, this isn't going to be one of those discussions...

I love indicators for steelhead fishing. Yes, I know they're just a fancy name for a bobber, but these really aren't the red-and-white buoys of your bluegill fishing childhood. Canadian pinners call them "floats" so let's go with that. With a proper float, you can tell so much -- correct depth, optimum drift, and (most critically) detect a strike. For Winter steelheading with lethargic fish and subtle takes, it's the only way to fly.

I started off with Thill Ice n' Fly floats. They detect strikes just fine, and you can see your drift, but they give no real sense of proper depth. Plus, in low clear water, I think the fish can see them. So these have now been relegated to summer nymphing for trout, where they seem ideal.

Then a friend turned me on to Redwing's Blackbird Phantoms. Much better. Run the line through the surgical tubing pieces, then slip the float into them top and bottom. Tall, skinny profile means they give you accurate depth, easy drift, and that narrow shape means even the slightest strike shows up. Available in a wide range of sizes up to 7g rating. All good. For fly line indy fishing, I think this will remain my go-to float.

But now I'm intrigued by the idea of slip floats and how they would work on my center pin. With a slip float, the line goes through the float with a rubber stop affixed above and below the float. This lets the line slip through the float as needed. Hmmmm. Intriguing. The Drennan Piker seems popular with center pinners on bigger water. I like the idea of having some "give" in the system. I think I may need to pick up a few and play with them.

Nice to be past the basics now and into the fine-tuning. It's one of the things I enjoy about an outdoor pastime. Once you know the fundamentals and can then begin to build actual prowess.

-Sean-