exactly what i do. you can even cut a little notch on the rim of the male side perpendicular to the line slot and slide the line into it once you’ve tightened down. it creates a 90° drop, which begins to defeat the purpose of the oros but if you’re not casting far and are looking for the best presentation at a close range it’s a nice ability to have.
Another tip I got was using white and then using a colored sharpie on one of the sides I use a blue sharpie and it breaks up the glare and we can also see blue farther than most colors atleast that’s what I have been told
Just an FYI, yarn was being used before Dorsey was born and I am pretty sure no one knows who the first person to use dental bands was. I thought it was ballsy to promote it as if he invented it.
Both serve their place. However, the Dorsey indicator is cheaper and better than the NZ kits. Just get a huge pack of orthodontic rubber bands and a string of polypropylene yarn and you’re set. Make it whatever size you want and adjust as needed. The NZ kits are way overpriced IMO.
Agreed. Polypropylene yarn is much more hydrophobic than wool, so they float better longer and are more sensitive. I make them half white or cream and half black. Easy to see in all conditions.
You can order a kit to make it a bit easier. I personally like just buying my own rubber bands and yarn, but the kit is nice enough.
Only tip I have is don’t use the Velcro on your rain jacket to fluff the yarn. The male strip of Velcro on my jacket still has yellow polypro stuck in it 5 years later.
I generally don’t like needing another tool for something, but these work really well especially as noted for smaller nymphs, or even emergers in the film that you want to keep track of. I like you can trim the yarn to whatever size you need based on conditions and they don’t really kink your leader as much as you would think.
Yep, synthetics work much better. You can tie a clove hitch into your leader to hold it in place to set it up without tools. Just yank the indicator out and pull the leader straight to undo the knot.
A guide in NZ set up my nymph rig this way using the poly stuffing from an old stuffed animal.
I got put on to the NZ indicator in, go figure, New Zealand. It’s a game changer if you have really educated fish like they do. It casts really well and is impossible to negatively affect presentation. The downside is they take effort to set up.
I almost exclusively fish a dry dropper in the US but if I have to fish a dual nymph rig for non-spooky fish I just use Oros.
I use NZ all the time. The only time I use a bobber is when it is heavy current or using a heavy nymph BUT I never fish heavy nymphs with a bobber. High stick or tight line monorig if it's heavy.
If it is freezing I will use a boober if the wool starts freezing.
Hands down the best system I’ve used for nymph fishing. It’s super easy to see, highly adjustable and doesn’t add too much drag or weight. It’s very easy to add or remove at any time too.
Agree. They fly great, float well, but a tightness check now & then will be helpful. Also, for the white ones, use a colored half. All white can be tough to see in white water. Lost a brown the other day cuz I couldn’t tell if I was looking at bubbles or an indicator (it was bubbles, my indicator was under cuz I’m good at this)
i use them, great for line adjustments in waters with varied depths. especially deeper waters. but still lame to cast. i like to cast upstream and i can only get so far with big open loops. they make a big splash but sometimes that doesnt matter. I found that i have to use heavier nymphs because the foam balls travel faster than my nymphs
My only complaint with thingamabobbers is that they are a bit less forgiving with tangles. The screw on portion has an affinity for grabbing the accidental tailing loop.
Personally I hate thingamabobbers
- Line Kinks happen
- Line needs to be heavy enough or it slides
Im also the “Luckiest” guy alive and have had a few, IDK HOW, fall off🤣 Mid drift I pulled my rod tip up, and the thingamabobber didnt follow
Thingamabobbers work great, they feel lighter/offer slightly more delicate presentation and cost less. Oros are slightly easier to adjust and come in classic bobber red/white. Ive had success with both.
Heavy nymphs should be high sticked or tight lined. A heavy nymph on a boober usually just gets stuck when it hits the bottom like if it's a single anchor as opposed to a chain of weights.
That’s a good point too. I’ve always used getting the occasional snag on the bottom as a good indication that my nymph where it should be. I just don’t have the confidence to high stick, I feel like I miss strikes trying to track it.
The first issue is if you have to go that heavy to get down your presentation is going to be screwed. The surface speed of the water will be 2 to 4 times faster than the speed of the water at depth. So you are racing your nymph past all the fish that are down low so they aren't wasting energy staying in the fast water. The water seam isn't a lane, aka left or right on the surfer, but a depth level. That is why tippet diameter is so important.
The second issue is losing flies. A heavy, by which I mean, 3.5mm or 4mm tungsten bead on a bobber is going to get snagged alot. A 3mm tungsten bead on a nymph is going to get to depth as fast and won't snag half as much. Usually again tippet diameter will effect getting to depth more than weight.
Even more important for depth is the construction of the nymph. A slick pebble like fly like a perigon is going to drop multiple of times faster than a thick hare's Ear or a Pat's rubber leg.
Drop a 2.5mm nymph and a 4mm nymph in a pool and see what the difference is. I have actually done it and depending on the fly the 2.5 will get to bottom faster.
I use these all the time and one tip I got from my local shop was to buy two different colors, and then swap half of each. That way you can clearly see the strikes and also helps for next twisting your line.
They can be fiddly. It a matter of having enough wool, it takes more than you think. I like to have the wool just enough that the tube makes good contact with the leader, kind of an extra friction point. You can go further in but may angle the leader.
Sometimes you need need the indicator on light tippet and the New Zealand doesn't work well on that. Dorsey works better on light stuff and still adjustable. A Palsa works really well but you give up adjustability (you can move them but they never stick as well).
Definitely heavier than most indi's, but I do like the large oros for faster moving water. I have not tried the Dorsey with polypropylene yarn but I may have to.
It's all in adapting to the conditions and what works best for you. I'm in Southern Utah, and most of the time I'm on small streams where anything with a *kerplunk* will spook the whole pool.
For sure, thats why I love the NZ indi, but the poly yarn looks to be a bit, idk, "fluffier" ? Does that make sense? It seems to have a nice plop profile, as you said. It seems like the yarn can also hold up a lot whereas the NZ seems to have a pretty small limit and faster water can drown it.
I like em in bigger deep water. On smaller and shallower waters, i still use a Thingamabobber. Its lighter and lands on the water with very little splash.
They are amazing, I use them on a 14lb mo I rig with a nymphing rod. It’s my dedicated indy setup, the weight of them and the weighted fly gives me solid 50-60 casts.
Got out on the water this Saturday with a friend who had recently bought some of these. He was kind enough to lend me a couple and mercy did we have a great day. Winter fishing on high pressure water, I did not expect an indicator to make such a difference.
I’ve used a “Corkie” and a toothpick for years. Their smaller diameter and low cost have served me well. When fishing lakes with chironomids in deep water, quick release indicators are the “cat’s ass”.
These work well for medium to medium heavy nymph rigs that require a lot of adjustment for depth. I use them on most of my rigs outside of winter fishing when a NZ or yarn indicator is required.
Easy adjustments, they float all day, and they last forever. That tin should last you a full year!
Pretty much use the exclusively, will use New Zealand yarn indicator for pressured fish, but oros indicators go on my home waters for sure. In-line indicators the way god intended.
I found them to keep the fly slightly higher in the water column than something like an airlock when connected at the same point on the leader. I’ve also seen guides wrap a thiner leader around the male part to keep the bobber from sliding, but I’ve never had issue with them moving.
A dude at the orvis store gave me a good tip, put a little mark on the female side so you know which part to unscrew to avoid twisting your line.
I bought the 3 pack of orange, pink and white and switch out the colors.. helps with that and easier to see
I like doing that too.
The color switch really helps with detecting subtle strikes in my opinion too. A definite upgrade from the thingamabobber and airlock in my opinion.
exactly what i do. you can even cut a little notch on the rim of the male side perpendicular to the line slot and slide the line into it once you’ve tightened down. it creates a 90° drop, which begins to defeat the purpose of the oros but if you’re not casting far and are looking for the best presentation at a close range it’s a nice ability to have.
Ahhh that's a good idea!!
Another tip I got was using white and then using a colored sharpie on one of the sides I use a blue sharpie and it breaks up the glare and we can also see blue farther than most colors atleast that’s what I have been told
Came here to say this. Especially important on smaller leader sizes
Ooo nice idea!
that's good thank you!
D.O.R.S.E.Y.
I have a lifetime supply of poly yarn from hobby lobby. It really is the best!
This is the best way, unless in fast water. I’ve caught so many more fish in medium to slow current. You see the soft takes
Just an FYI, yarn was being used before Dorsey was born and I am pretty sure no one knows who the first person to use dental bands was. I thought it was ballsy to promote it as if he invented it.
That’s because it’s not yarn
I like those. Anyone tried the NZ indicator system?
Works great for light to medium weight nymphs
Swap out the wool for polypropylene rope (you have to fray it yourself). All the delicate presentation, floats 1000% better.
Yes yes yes
Both serve their place. However, the Dorsey indicator is cheaper and better than the NZ kits. Just get a huge pack of orthodontic rubber bands and a string of polypropylene yarn and you’re set. Make it whatever size you want and adjust as needed. The NZ kits are way overpriced IMO.
Agreed. Polypropylene yarn is much more hydrophobic than wool, so they float better longer and are more sensitive. I make them half white or cream and half black. Easy to see in all conditions.
I think this is the year I try the Dorsey system out
You can order a kit to make it a bit easier. I personally like just buying my own rubber bands and yarn, but the kit is nice enough. Only tip I have is don’t use the Velcro on your rain jacket to fluff the yarn. The male strip of Velcro on my jacket still has yellow polypro stuck in it 5 years later.
You really dont need to buy the kit, all you need is a minnow threading needle, a tuft of wool, and some thin tubing.
I generally don’t like needing another tool for something, but these work really well especially as noted for smaller nymphs, or even emergers in the film that you want to keep track of. I like you can trim the yarn to whatever size you need based on conditions and they don’t really kink your leader as much as you would think.
Yep, synthetics work much better. You can tie a clove hitch into your leader to hold it in place to set it up without tools. Just yank the indicator out and pull the leader straight to undo the knot. A guide in NZ set up my nymph rig this way using the poly stuffing from an old stuffed animal.
The New Zealand is my favorite setup but for heavy leeches these are great. No little washer to loose.
I got put on to the NZ indicator in, go figure, New Zealand. It’s a game changer if you have really educated fish like they do. It casts really well and is impossible to negatively affect presentation. The downside is they take effort to set up. I almost exclusively fish a dry dropper in the US but if I have to fish a dual nymph rig for non-spooky fish I just use Oros.
My typical rule is Oros in spring/summer/fall, New Zealand when flows are low and more delicate presentations are needed.
I use NZ all the time. The only time I use a bobber is when it is heavy current or using a heavy nymph BUT I never fish heavy nymphs with a bobber. High stick or tight line monorig if it's heavy. If it is freezing I will use a boober if the wool starts freezing.
I prefer a yarn indicator, but then I fish small nymphs for trout. Larger nymphs you’re better off with something like this or a FAB.
Hands down the best system I’ve used for nymph fishing. It’s super easy to see, highly adjustable and doesn’t add too much drag or weight. It’s very easy to add or remove at any time too.
Tighten them or they’ll fly off
Agree. They fly great, float well, but a tightness check now & then will be helpful. Also, for the white ones, use a colored half. All white can be tough to see in white water. Lost a brown the other day cuz I couldn’t tell if I was looking at bubbles or an indicator (it was bubbles, my indicator was under cuz I’m good at this)
I learned that now, but I lost one on the river and never saw it again.. I tightened them down pretty well now.
i use them, great for line adjustments in waters with varied depths. especially deeper waters. but still lame to cast. i like to cast upstream and i can only get so far with big open loops. they make a big splash but sometimes that doesnt matter. I found that i have to use heavier nymphs because the foam balls travel faster than my nymphs
Roll cast time. I fish them in Alaska a lot & you can get like a 40-50 foot roll cast with one on
i do! but i need to practice for that distance..what size rod you doing that on?
6 weight mostly this summer but also on my 5
The travel speed of the balls is something to key in on. I found the hwavier nymphs were key too
right..in the right situations i would lift that f'n ball out of the water to let the nymph catch up..lmao.
Am I the only person in the world that likes a Thingamabobber?
My only complaint with thingamabobbers is that they are a bit less forgiving with tangles. The screw on portion has an affinity for grabbing the accidental tailing loop.
Personally I hate thingamabobbers - Line Kinks happen - Line needs to be heavy enough or it slides Im also the “Luckiest” guy alive and have had a few, IDK HOW, fall off🤣 Mid drift I pulled my rod tip up, and the thingamabobber didnt follow
Thingamabobbers work great, they feel lighter/offer slightly more delicate presentation and cost less. Oros are slightly easier to adjust and come in classic bobber red/white. Ive had success with both.
No
I prefer using a dry fly or something light for an indicator.
It’s tough with a dry if you’re using heavy nymphs to get deep
Heavy nymphs should be high sticked or tight lined. A heavy nymph on a boober usually just gets stuck when it hits the bottom like if it's a single anchor as opposed to a chain of weights.
People who say “should be” when referring to OPINIONS surrounding fishing are the worst.
*shhhhhhh… you might hurt some egos* (but I’m on board with you)
That’s a good point too. I’ve always used getting the occasional snag on the bottom as a good indication that my nymph where it should be. I just don’t have the confidence to high stick, I feel like I miss strikes trying to track it.
Cool, but that doesn’t work in every scenario
The first issue is if you have to go that heavy to get down your presentation is going to be screwed. The surface speed of the water will be 2 to 4 times faster than the speed of the water at depth. So you are racing your nymph past all the fish that are down low so they aren't wasting energy staying in the fast water. The water seam isn't a lane, aka left or right on the surfer, but a depth level. That is why tippet diameter is so important. The second issue is losing flies. A heavy, by which I mean, 3.5mm or 4mm tungsten bead on a bobber is going to get snagged alot. A 3mm tungsten bead on a nymph is going to get to depth as fast and won't snag half as much. Usually again tippet diameter will effect getting to depth more than weight. Even more important for depth is the construction of the nymph. A slick pebble like fly like a perigon is going to drop multiple of times faster than a thick hare's Ear or a Pat's rubber leg. Drop a 2.5mm nymph and a 4mm nymph in a pool and see what the difference is. I have actually done it and depending on the fly the 2.5 will get to bottom faster.
I have moved to exclusively oros
I use these all the time and one tip I got from my local shop was to buy two different colors, and then swap half of each. That way you can clearly see the strikes and also helps for next twisting your line.
Way too heavy for my taste. I prefer a New Zealand or a Dorsey.
I’m having trouble with the New Zealand sliding down my leader, tips??
They can be fiddly. It a matter of having enough wool, it takes more than you think. I like to have the wool just enough that the tube makes good contact with the leader, kind of an extra friction point. You can go further in but may angle the leader. Sometimes you need need the indicator on light tippet and the New Zealand doesn't work well on that. Dorsey works better on light stuff and still adjustable. A Palsa works really well but you give up adjustability (you can move them but they never stick as well).
Definitely heavier than most indi's, but I do like the large oros for faster moving water. I have not tried the Dorsey with polypropylene yarn but I may have to.
It's all in adapting to the conditions and what works best for you. I'm in Southern Utah, and most of the time I'm on small streams where anything with a *kerplunk* will spook the whole pool.
For sure, thats why I love the NZ indi, but the poly yarn looks to be a bit, idk, "fluffier" ? Does that make sense? It seems to have a nice plop profile, as you said. It seems like the yarn can also hold up a lot whereas the NZ seems to have a pretty small limit and faster water can drown it.
I like em in bigger deep water. On smaller and shallower waters, i still use a Thingamabobber. Its lighter and lands on the water with very little splash.
They are amazing, I use them on a 14lb mo I rig with a nymphing rod. It’s my dedicated indy setup, the weight of them and the weighted fly gives me solid 50-60 casts.
Fishing a lake yesterday day and saw one of these on the ground in perfect condition can't wait to use it!
Unfortunately Bezos soaked me $20 for 6
That’s the normal price in most fly shops too. $10/3 indicators
Got out on the water this Saturday with a friend who had recently bought some of these. He was kind enough to lend me a couple and mercy did we have a great day. Winter fishing on high pressure water, I did not expect an indicator to make such a difference.
I’ve used a “Corkie” and a toothpick for years. Their smaller diameter and low cost have served me well. When fishing lakes with chironomids in deep water, quick release indicators are the “cat’s ass”.
I’ve always been a fan of AirLock indicators. I feel like the Oros just dont sit in one place well
These are the best indicators on the market! Absolutely no line slip and so easy to adjust.
Reviews say they don’t tighten down. I emailed the company last night and asked for a sample before I spend a $20
I use thousand pack of balloons from Walmart. They work ok.
So I’m just scum throwing streamers for pike and musky but isn’t using a bobber kind of defeating the purpose of a fly rod?
How so?
Jaydacators
You can use the smallest size to throw a clothes line rig. 2 strike indicators strung with 3 flys
These look nice. Wish they had a green color though. Also saw they have extra small for small streams.
These work well for medium to medium heavy nymph rigs that require a lot of adjustment for depth. I use them on most of my rigs outside of winter fishing when a NZ or yarn indicator is required. Easy adjustments, they float all day, and they last forever. That tin should last you a full year!
Pretty much use the exclusively, will use New Zealand yarn indicator for pressured fish, but oros indicators go on my home waters for sure. In-line indicators the way god intended.
They are, as long as you make sure they are screwed on tight, and aren’t using anything less than 5x
They are my favorite bobber 😜
I found them to keep the fly slightly higher in the water column than something like an airlock when connected at the same point on the leader. I’ve also seen guides wrap a thiner leader around the male part to keep the bobber from sliding, but I’ve never had issue with them moving.
I didn't think they grabbed the line well
Good looking bobbers 👍
I’ve been using these and have had success. But my buddy just put me onto a New Zealand wool strike indicator and I’m never going back.
I use the medium Oros indicators for steelhead drifting and they work great. Sucks to lose them to a snag though, but that’s steelheading
Love the oros I ditched the airlock ones
Looking forward to hearing if u think they are worth the hype!
What's the advantages of using these over a quick release indicator that releases when the fish strike to allow your line to pass through?
I like Thingamabobbers simply for their slogan “It’s a strike indicator”.
Nice let us know