If you're remeasuring the depth every time your strike indicator slips down the line, check this out. Bobber stoppers aren't just for stopping bobbers, as the name suggests. On a fly rod, we can use them to mark the position of the indicator for a quick and easy reset after catching a fish.
Bobber stoppers aren't for everyone and I get that. A lot of fly fisherman don't even like to use indicators, let alone small pieces of rubber on their setup. It depends on your preferred style of fly fishing. For me, I only use bobber stoppers on my indicator rig, more importantly, my Chironomid line.
I position the bobber stopper above my indicator. Yes, you heard me - above the indicator. This bobber stopper isn't actually 'stopping' anything on my set up!
I use them for other reasons.
Well if you're not using it to "stop" this so called bobber (I prefer strike indicator), then what the hell are you using it for?
Easy! As I mentioned above, I use them to mark depth. Which in this case means, I use them to aide in a speedy reset of my strike indicator after I catch a fish (or a log). Throughout the year, I do a lot of Chironomid indicator fishing and having the confidence and the tools to quickly reset an indicator at it's previous marked depth will keep your fly in the water longer.
Life WITHOUT a Bobber Stopper:
Before the days of using a bobber stopper I used a few different techniques to reset my indicator after hooking up with a few fish. (Don't tell my girlfriend I hook up with fish)
The most common technique was using my arm's wing span as a measuring tool. Each time I caught a fish, I would remeasure my depth, set the indicator and cast. This became time consuming.
There were times of marking the leader with a permanent marker and forgetting which line was supposed to be the correct depth. Inaccurate, to say the least.
And if you really wanted to waste time, you could reattach your forceps to the fly and remeasure the depth all over again.
Life WITH a Bobber Stopper:
Lets paint a picture.
We anchor down and crack a beer. We determine our depth and set our strike indicator at the required depth. We slide our bobber stopper down the line, so it's directly above the indicator. Cast. Watch for that indicator to drop. Boom! Set our hook. Reel in the fish. Take our Instagram photo and release the fish. We simply reset our strike indicator below the bobber stopper's position. Cast out again. Take another sip. Watch for that indica--- to drop.
Do you see where this is going?
It's QUICK! Stop wasting time remeasuring your depth after every fish. Use the bobber stopper as a marker, that's all. Not sold yet? The bobber stopper doesn't even get in the way of the rod's guides when you're fighting a fish. Cast, catch, reset and then repeat. Man, I should really sell these things for a living.
For as long as we use the slip strike indicator on a fly rod, you can count on our friend the bobber stopper to be close by... or directly above, I mean.
Check out the video below for more information on how to get the little bastards off that tree stand and onto your tippet section. We also demonstrate how to reposition the indicator underneath the bobber stopper after you hook up with a fish.
FISH ON!
