Indicator Origins
I found Ken Morrish’s piece on the evolution of strike indicators during the 1980s and 1990s very interesting. Though I, in my own way, was part of that movement, I wasn’t aware of the development undertaken by Dave Hickson and Dean Schubert.
My involvement in strike-indicator design began soon after I founded my wholesale fly-fishing tackle and accessories company, Sierra Pacific Products, in the early ’90s. I quickly learned I could achieve much higher margins on products I manufactured in-house than on those I purchased and resold to fly tackle dealers. Like every other novice fly fisher at the time, I was taught straight-line nymphing techniques and had little experience with strike indicators larger than 3/8 inch in diameter. As I became aware of this new trend, I set out to build a better mousetrap, so to speak.
I took an array of foam floats to fly dealers in Sacramento for their input. At Gary Eblen’s first shop, American Fly Fishing, I spoke to two guys working there: one named Dan and local guru Mike Monroe. I told them I wanted to develop an indicator that could be easily repositioned on the leader without encountering flies and weights each time. Dan had a great idea: Why not use the same concept as rubber core weights, with a slit in the indicator and a section of latex tubing to bind the leader and allow it to slide? Mike suggested that, rather than offering indicators in the tiny 3/8-inch diameter, I also offer sizes up to 3/4 inch, which eventually made me the first manufacturer to introduce large indicators into the fly-fishing tackle market. Strike indicators as floats or bobbers gradually became the preferred rigging for American fly fishers, particularly in the West. Marketed as “Tipper Indicators,” I sold them by the hundreds of thousands. In a way, Mike, Dan, and I were complicit in ruining fly fishing forever … just kidding.
I then developed the first indicator that created a 90-degree hinge in the leader to eliminate bow and allow the fly to drift at a rate close to dead drift. Again, unlike Hickson and Schubert, the concept came to me from a third party. I went on to develop three additional lines of strike indicators incorporating the hinge feature, including “Insta-Set Indicators,” named by Field & Stream as the best fly tackle accessory for 2011.
Hats off to Hickson and Schubert for developing the modern strike indicators from scratch. The continuing legacy, carried on by many fly fishers over the years, of the “build a better mousetrap” mentality has enriched the sport for us all.
Greg Vinci
Sacramento
Forgot One
I thoroughly enjoyed Richard Anderson’s piece in the Summer issue, “Reflections: The Fish I Remember.” However, I was disappointed to learn that he forgot one! In May 2000, I was working at Donner Memorial State Park. I had just finished graduate school and took a job as a park aide to spend more time chasing trout. Frank Pisciotta, a friend and one-time pseudo-relative (it’s a long story), had given me a tip: “Take your lunch break and head for the shallowest part of the lake—you might see some of the biggest fish sipping Baetis around noon.” I did and had a helluva lunch break.
Frank, also a friend of Richard’s (never related, as far as I know), introduced us. I ran into Richard on the Truckee later, regaled him with my story, and invited him to lunch at my secret spot. Richard accepted, and the next day we had a time catching large trout gently sipping mayflies in a body of water that—for those who know, know—has frustrated many an angler. It was one of my most memorable days, and I’m sure Richard just, ahem, forgot it. Then again, for as accomplished an angler as Richard, maybe those fish didn’t quite crack the Top 24. For me, they are near the top.
Thanks for continuing to publish writers like Richard Anderson, who reminds us to slow down and take it all in as we pursue fishy experiences throughout our state.
Greg Robinson
Auburn
Photon Torpedo
After reading Robert Ketley’s article, “Catchy Ideas Flash” (Spring 2026), Houston’s Tie1On fly-tying club chose the Photon Torpedo fly pattern, mentioned in the article and also known as the Upside-Down Crease fly, as the featured fly to be presented by a club member at the July 2026 gathering. After meeting monthly for more than 10 years to share a meal, socialize, and tie, the group has tied many patterns but never the Photon Torpedo, which several members recognized as a good candidate for fishing the Gulf Coast surf. As always, the gathering was a great time for all present and resulted in a wide variety of Photon Torpedoes being tied. Thanks to Robert Ketley and California Fly Fisher for bringing this unique pattern to the attention of Houston, Texas’s Tie1On.
Jim Richards
Bellaire, Texas
East Coast
So good to have this publication available again. I’m taking advantage of the richness of past articles that I’ve always considered timeless classics. I’ve returned twice this year to the Eastern Sierra and all the special waters there. It’s good to see so many wild trout and so much accessible water—of course, sometimes involving a hike. I’m lucky to split my time between coastal Massachusetts and my home waters of Vermont.
I share a funny YC story from three years ago, when I ran into him on a quiet Snake River tributary in Wyoming. We anonymously shared a glassy piece of water, sight-casting to 20-plus-inch fine-spotted cutthroats until midday. At first, we exchanged just a few sentences about not connecting with fish and the mystery of what they were eating. A few hours later, when we were both done, we talked about flies. He asked if I was using size 30s or 32s. It seemed like a bit of a joke, since I’d never heard of flies that small being possible. I went along with it, although I told him I usually max out at 24s because of my eyesight.
We talked as two fishermen for a while, and I never greeted him by name. I complimented him on making the world’s best waders—we had the same ultralight ones on. He gave me a “you know who I am” grin, and we went on to talk about my business world and his team’s work with advanced textiles and other materials. He was modest and talked about the design challenges of minimalism—how doing less can be more difficult than adding lots of features.
The conversation ended somewhat abruptly when I mentioned a local Wyoming outdoor brand. It was one of the coolest mornings I’ve spent on the water. He eventually drove off in his 30-year-old Element, now root-beer colored from the sun.
Stephen Kerns
Newburyport, Massachusetts
RESPONSES TO REEL STORIES
The second installment of our Reel Stories campaign posed a tough question: “Which native California fish—one you’ve pursued or hope to—needs our protection most?” Winner Lance Boling made the case for coastal steelhead:
All need protection, but I believe our coastal steelhead are in jeopardy. The short rivers running from the redwoods to the beach are being de-watered, eliminating critical
habitat.
– C. Lance Boling
The responses reflected the remarkable diversity of California’s native fishes—the most of any state in the Lower 48—with nine species earning votes. Steelhead swam away with the top spot, named by 41 percent of respondents, followed by California golden trout at 19 percent and Lahontan cutthroat trout at 11 percent. Learn more about the LCT in this issue’s California’s Native Trout column.
Carl’s answer earned him a LOOP Tackle Opti Reel. Enter the fall LOOP Tackle Reel Stories promotion for a chance to win a Ström Rod.
