* Disclaimer: This article may offend the sensibilities of anyone who could pass for the caricature of a fly fishing purist. *

In a day and age when more musky-sized, triple-articulated, over-dressed streamers are tied on than blue winged olives, it is often overlooked that there are more subtle approaches to take with a baitfish imitation. Small streamers catch fish. Unweighted streamers catch fish. Streamers fished on a dead drift or gently twitched at infrequent intervals catch fish.

And streamers drifted under a bobber… under a strike indicator catch fish.

Why take a tactic that is already a step away from traditional fly fishing and add another deviation to the mix? Well, first of all it works. Second, as long as the technique falls within legal methods there is really no reason to scoff aside from principle. But again, and more importantly, it works.

Before I get into the particulars of this strategy, I want to give credit where credit is due. A few days ago I read a Meat Eater article about ice fishing for pickerel. Meat Eater is always a solid source for all sorts of outdoor information, and I especially  appreciate the approach to fly fishing topics that sounds different than the majority of voices inside the main of the industry. In this post, the author explains how triggering  a suspended jig can be for toothy fish under ice. Reading it, I was reminded of the aforementioned bobber/streamer technique.

While I’m positive I didn’t innovate anything, I found myself using what I had in my vest to get my fly to where I was confident a trout was holding. On a large mountain stream, there was a deep eddy that looked fishy. Heavy streamers got sucked into the main current as they dropped, and light flies didn’t get into the right part of the water column before the line caused drag.  By putting the weighted streamer 18″ under a thingamabobber, the fly stayed where the fish were holding long enough for them to get a good look.

Slow spring creeks or other streams with thick vegetation are another good spot to fish this way. You can guide the indicator along the channel, keeping the fly up against the weeds or undercut banks without it getting hung up.

I’ve used the same tactic in still water. Marabou still undulates and incites fish even when not retrieved. If you spot fish cruising, you can adjust the length between indicator and fly accordingly. When on a lake or pond, using jig hooks is helpful so the fly has a better chance of orienting horizontally.

Lastly, as mentioned at the top of the post, dead drifting streamers catches fish. A dying or crippled baitfish doesn’t need to move a lot to look lifelike. If you’re casting it at any length, using a strike indicator can help you indicate strikes. There’s nothing special about the rig at this point, it is just doing what it is meant to do.

All said and done, using what you have in your vest and thinking outside the wicker creel might help you reach one more fish.