Indicator Chernobyl

Here's a great fly that I've used for a couple of years now. It does double duty as a fish catcher and an indicator. Here's the materials you'll need:

• Uni 6/0 tying thread to match foam
• Size 8-10 standard dry fly hook
• 20# monofilament, or similar
• 3mm sheet foam in desired colors
• medium round rubber leg material

First lay down a thread base, and attach your monofilament (I'm using 20# here, but any heavy mono should be just fine)

Then loop around your tags ends and secure them to the shank. You should end up with a couple of small loops at either end of the fly. I like to put some super glue over these wraps just as a little insurance.

Secure your two 1/4" foam strips just above the barb of the hook.

Then attach your rubber legs (I make mine 1" long) and your indicator foam to the top. I usually let everything run wild for the moment.

Pull the top foam strip back out of the way and create a segmented body with the bottom strip. This helps to break up the footprint of the fly as well as further secure it to the hook shank. I've also put a palmered hackle under the foam to further break it up, but the fish don't really seem to worried either way.

A hook eye length back from the eye attach the top strip, legs and your indicator foam (I usually use the same strip)

Trim everything up

Take the corners off and whip finish. I just take my whip finish up over everything in the tie off point just shy of the eye.

Here's a few that I tied up. Hopefully I'll be able to get out and use them along with these nymphs tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes. This has been a great pattern in pink, black, tan, and black & tan (with tan for the bottom foam strip and black for the top). The mono allows you to use this fly as an adjustable indicator a la Mikey Wier (his video describing the system can be found here). Of course, you could just tie it on and go old school with it. Whatever your preference, hope you can tie up some and get out to enjoy the water.

-Kidder