Feedback on indicators from Kiene's....

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We have all kinds of indicators so we can make people happy when they come in looking for their favorite ones.

Well I just ran a 12 months sell through with our point of sale system that tracks all of our products.

In the last 12 months many of the indicators we carry just have not sold much.

Some we have only sold 12 to 30 in that time.........


We did sell over 600 "Thingamabobbers" by West Water Products.

http://westwaterproducts.com/thingamabobber.html


We also sold over 600 "Sindicators" by Idylwilde.

http://idylwilde.com/wordpress/2010/02/new-sindicator-strike-indicators-guaranteed-to-make-you-more-awesome/


These both are the ones which look like small ballons.

I guess this is the tend now.


When we sell something, I mean to say that is what the public bought, which is driven a lot by what the guides use as well.

I am sure many still like the old yarn indicators and styrafoam ones and we have a dozen different kinds of them but not many are being used now.

.We are keeping a variety of what did sell but we are dumping some that are just dead now.

.

[rtb215]

I prefer the Sindicators over the Thingamabobers. They are a little easier to see with glare on the water.

[Chris Evison]

I guide and I've used them all. I am back to the Lightin Strike styrafoam ball indicator held in place by a toothpick. Easier, quicker to adjust the depth and doesn't leave kinks in your leader.

When nymphing I use straight chunks of tippet (9ft 4X to 1st fly and 18" 5X to bottom fly) and the trapped air technology ones slide on the thinner diameter tippet. The fix for this is a pain in the....rubberbands and toothpicks (I see guides doing this).

When I explain the pros/cons of the different indicators, most clients understand where I am coming from and switch to Lightin Strike of similiar indicators. A lot of clients tell me it is hard to find them as trapped air technology (come on, a bubble) seems here to stay.

That's my 2 cents worth.

Bill, if you have the 1 inch ball indicators let me know as they are hard to find in Reno/Tahoe area. PM me if you like.

[Bull_Dog]

Hey Bill,

I am with Chris on this one. We sold a lot of those thingamabobbers as well. They make it easy for you to sell them. Sold individually with no packaging and usually this means they get some coutertop space in a high traffic area. They were new and the staff were pushing them.

After experience with them I have switched back to the Lightning Strike inidcator. Way easier to adjust and paint.

I use straight tippet when I am indicator Nymphing and the Thingamabobber is hard to use in my set up. They do work better with tapered leader but i get way better drifts and my flies sink faster with straight tippet.

[Larry S]

Another vote for the Lightning Strikes. Use them for midge fishing @ Crowley. Some
of the guides over there are always pushing a new indicator every season, it seems.
Pretty much always stayed with the LS. Fish with a guy who insists on the yarn type.
Watching him cast convinces me to stay the course.
Best,
Larry S

[Clark]

Sorry Bill. You're gonna hate me for this.

I use water balloons.

50 for two bucks at any drug store.

Blow them up to the size of a sindicator or slightly larger, cut the excess with your nippers, attach above the knot like you would a sindicator or yarn indicator.

Upsides: Almost unsinkable and very sensitive. They make a really unique shaking movement on subtle takes. Easy to pack. Cheap and reusable.

Downsides: They are light, so they can be tough to cast in the wind. They are not very easy to adjust. The knot kinks your line similar to when using a sindicator.

Anyone else use em? I learned it from a guide buddy of mine that works on the Green and Provo rivers in Utah.

[Ben Kobrin]

A lot of the guys on the Trinity are using the Frog Hair adjustable/reusable. No line kink and and easy to change depth.

http://www.froghairfishing.com/fly-fishing.cfm?product=977

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Wapsi has the Lightening Strike indicators but there are all kinds of them.

http://www.wapsifly.com/lsindicators.html

[FISHEYE]

I fish indicators a lot on the Kenai with plastic nymphs (beads). I used to use the lightening strike. Most of the guides I know fish them by threading the leader through the tube and then putting the tube in the indicator.

Most are now fishing the thingamabobber and I am too. I have been attaching a short piece of 10-15# mono on the leader with a nail knot. I then make a tiny loop and add a very small clip. I clip the thingamabobber on. This allows me to slide it up and down a long leader so I can fish different depths more effectively.

[jimmy1]

Whats the difference between the "Thingamabobber" and the "Sindicators"?

[Chris Evison]

Only difference I can tell is that the sindicator's plastic is thicker.

[FISHEYE]

Same thing. There is now a patent on thingamas so we'll see what happens to the other brand.

[socallies23]

Thingamabober now has the cool new tooth pick attached they got smart changed the product so they could actually patent it this time. But im curious about dave whitlock indacator vs loni boles strike right indacator look the same but the whitlock models are way cheaper.. New Discovery channel series Indacator wars. Might just be as boring as some of the current shows?

[EricW]

Has anyone else had issues with the thingabobbers slipping on hard roll casts or cutting their tippet? The little half rivet sometimes has an edge, no idea why they put that in there. Would much rather have plastic that might eventually cut through than lose a rig or worse a fish.

[bubzilla]

Two inches of macrame yarn: $.02
One dental rubberband: $.01
The skill to use them correctly: priceless.

[catch&release]

Love the korkies or lightning strike with the tooth pick. Way better on tippet, I also use straight Floro for tippet, more sensative and sinks faster.

[DAVID95670]

The Instaset indicators are good in theory however they start to slip along the line and the hole for the straw part gets larger and larger. Had to shove a tooth pick into it to hold in place.