The Dorsey Yarn Indicator

How to make and attach the Dorsey yarn indicator with macrame yarn and orthodontic rubber bands.
For much more on nymphing and fly fishing for wild trout visit troutbitten.com.
For more on the the Dorsey Yarn Indicator, find the companion article to the this video at ... troutbitten.co...

[@johnshand6176]

Just made a dozen up for friends and myself so eager to try them out when next on the river. Thanks from down-under in NZ.

[@Troutbitten]

Excellent. Have fun with it.

[@paulus0109]

I was surching for this indicator. Seen a lot, this is the best one. Thnx ever so much!

[@Troutbitten]

Right on.

[@s.clarkberngard7261]

Good video. I like the blue background with written instructions. Looking forward to more

[@Troutbitten]

Me too

[@robinmuir7799]

Just bought some from your link to Flyfishing Cord - looking forward to using it. Thanks for the instructions and information.

[@Troutbitten]

Cheers

[@jimfreeman3636]

Welcome to KZbin. Looking forward to more good stuff.

[@Troutbitten]

Thanks Jim.

[@rtsole]

Thanks for the video! Would love to give this a shot

[@Troutbitten]

Sure thing. Let me know how it works out for you.

[@alaskanappalachian4394]

They work great

[@Troutbitten]

They work great.

[@jp410]

Hi TB. I tried this with the kit, hoping to use this system instead of a TB (the other 'TB') or airlock. The application is intended for a particular fishery where faster, deep pools and tiny midges are the name of the game. To get the midges down quickly enough, I need 2 of the dinsmore AB's (1.2 grams?) on there. In testing with a glass of water, I'm not finding that the dorsey stays afloat. I tried with 7 strands, cut it down to about 1.5 inches (folded over), and treated it with rain-x and let it dry. Even with gink, it stays afloat until I nudge it with my finger, then the shot pulls it down. Is this too much weight, and therefore would the dorsey not work here, or am I doing something wrong? Thank you. Your website is wonderful, BTW. It's a generous gift to the entire fly fishing world, for which I am grateful. I could go on and on about how good it is.

[@Troutbitten]

Hi JP. Thanks for the kind words about the website. I have a few thoughts. First, I think you'll have to test the yarn indy on the water and not just in a glass. The yarn gathers a bit of water in between the fibers as it floats. Then the water is ejected on the next backcast. Not sure how long you are letting in your water glass, but it won't float indefinitely like a bobber. Second, I regularly float about 1 gram of weight under a five strand yarn. So I'd think that your setup should float. But I'm not sure without testing. 1 gram is about the heaviest that I ever need to use. Lastly, you may be able to use less weight if the rest of your rig is set up to sink well and sink fast. Here are six ways to get your fly deeper. troutbitten.com/2019/03/03/five-ways-to-get-your-fly-deeper/ Make sense? Dom

[@jp410]

@@Troutbitten Thank you, very helpful reading. And yes, it makes sense -- here, in my living room, where there are no fish. We'll see later this week... :)

[@dw8773]

To me, this is the be-all-end-all of indicator systems, depending on the answer to this question: How well does the dental band hold the indicator in place, and does it hold up to repeated sliding up and down the leader? Thanks. (Your website is excellent, by the way.)

[@greytimothy]

Hi there. Thanks for the kind words about the website. The indy won't slide until you want it too. The yarn doesn't have any weight to pull it down the leader, so it doesn't slide. Know what I mean? And yes, you could slide it a hundred times without line or rubber band damage. Just have to make sure it's mounted properly and sliding easily. If it offers much resistance, than take it off and do it again. I've moved to 1/4 inch rubber bands, by the way, mostly because I use small yarn indys most often. One more thing: I cannot agree that this indy is a do-everything solution. Nothing is, really. The yarn is not the best choice for suspending tons of weight or in the biggest heaviest water either. It's also not the best solution for drifts that will end up far below your position. It is my favorite indy though!

[@dw8773]

@@greytimothyey, thanks for the reply. I should have written 'yarn' indicator systems. I didn't mean to imply that all my Hippity-Hops were getting tossed. ; )

[@greytimothy]

@@dw8773 Nice.

[@kendricklockett3902]

@@greytimothy I have found that when winter fishing in colder water that the rubber bands prematurely break down and break. Literally in one outing. Have you guys seen this same thing?

[@Troutbitten]

No. I fish all winter in very cold conditions. That doesn't happen to me.

[@seanearnest]

Great idea, looking forward to testing this out as an alternative to the NZ yarn system I've been using. Also I really like the guitar piece at the end of the video - who is the artist? Thanks very much! Seán

[@Troutbitten]

Thanks. Credit is to the artist in the description. Cheers. Dom

[@LokiLures]

Hello, In your article about indicators, you say that the fly’s trail behind the indicator. Understandable since the current at the surface is faster than below. Steelhead float guys, especially the good ones, trott their float, hold back the float, in an effort to get the bait,fly, whatever to present the fly first to the fish, at a speed more natural than the fast surface currents. Why don’t the fly guys do this. Thanks Learning loads from your articles btw.

[@Troutbitten]

Hi there. Thanks for the question. You've hit on one of the most misunderstood concepts in nymphing. When the rest of the rig is set up well, and the cast is good, the indy is NOT influenced by the surface current nearly as much as it is bossed around by the weight below (fly or shot). We all see the indy slow down sometimes, right? That's because the weight finally gets to the strike zone. That's the only thing that can slow the indy down. The indy goes the speed of the surface when the line on the water pulls it. Drag is what causes that. So take the drag out of the system, with a good tight line rig, and there's no need to hold the indy back, as you describe. Those kinds of manipulations put us out of touch with the nymph, and loss of contact is the last thing we want. Here's more: troutbitten.com/2017/02/14/tight-line-nymphing-with-an-indicator-a-mono-rig-variant/

[@mikejames663]

Excellent tip.

[@Troutbitten]

Thanks

[@robbiesflytyingchannel]

Very cool video!

[@PleiHoBei]

Simply outstanding way to present new information. Well lit....camera on tripod and you took the time to let me see every step clearly. Well done!

[@Troutbitten]

Cheers

[@Troutbitten]

Cheers

[@royboggs3849]

You move your fingers & hands as if you’re doing a sleight-of-hand maneuver. 😀

[@dw8773]

lol...and the music fits perfectly!

[@Troutbitten]

Magic

[@Troutbitten]

Cheers

[@sugriv3405]

Genius 🙏👌👌

[@Troutbitten]

Cheers

[@williamwojcieszek4320]

When would you use this vs air lock (which also slides pretty easily)? And conversely when is air lock preferable? Thx

[@greytimothy]

Hi William. That answer needs details. So I'll refer you to a couple Troutbitten articles that lay it all out pretty well. Here they are: troutbitten.com/2017/03/30/dorsey-yarn-indicator-everything-need-know-little/ troutbitten.com/2017/12/05/your-indicator-is-too-big/ And here's the indicator archives on Troutbitten: troutbitten.com/tag/indicator-fishing/ Hope that helps. Cheers. Dom

[@Troutbitten]

Hi there. I use the Dorsey as my first option, because it's so sensitive and it shows things that no other indy can. But when I want weight in the system, I add a hard indy, like you mentioned. Put an Airlock or a Thingamabobber on a gram scale, compare it with a split shot or a tungsted beaded nymph, and you'll see what I mean. Anything other than yarn carries a fair amount of weight, so that weight affects your casting -- good and bad. More here: troutbitten.com/2018/10/17/nymphing-how-to-read-a-fly-fishing-indicator-what-you-might-be-missing/

[@jds4935]

The leader has a kink and doesn’t walk nicely straight?? Is there an indicator that can slide through the eyes of the rod?? 🙏

[@Troutbitten]

The Dorsey does not kink the leader. That's something I love about it. No leader damage. No indy should be sliding through the rod. In my opinion, that's a bad move. I would rig so that never happens. I would fight fish in a way so that never happens. If you really do want an indy to go into the guides, a small Dorsey is probably your best bet. Can't think of another indy that would slide in and out better. But again, I would avoid that. Here's the full article on the Dorsey yarn indy: troutbitten.com/2017/03/30/dorsey-yarn-indicator-everything-need-know-little/

[@jds4935]

@@Troutbitten Thank you very much!!!

[@Thalarctos.]

Excellent !!

[@Troutbitten]

Cheers

[@martincorcoran8263]

Brilliant

[@Troutbitten]

Cheers.

[@norincofan1949]

how does this compare to NZ wool indicators? setup looks really similar, just changing the plastic tubing out for rubber bands

[@Troutbitten]

They're pretty close in performance. But this yarn indy is more versatile/adjustable, doesn't require any special tool, floats better without paste, is cheaper and is more sensitive. So . . . in some ways, maybe not that close. :-) Cheers.

[@williammcguire3426]

Dominic any chance you could put your thingamabobber hack on your youtube channel? Thanks in advance!!!

[@Troutbitten]

Yeah, I'd like to do that someday

[@Jurry1983]

Where can i buy this product? Thanks

[@richludt2962]

Check out the Troutbitten.com website that way you don’t have to buy 30 yards of the braid.

[@Troutbitten]

Right

[@Troutbitten]

The article on Troutbitten links to materials. There are dirt cheap.

[@yeahoksurenoprob]

What is with the psychedelic music? lol

[@chriskladky5698]

You have never nymph fished on mushrooms? Maaaannnnnnn!!!!

[@Troutbitten]

The best

[@Troutbitten]

There ya go.