The Top 10 Do's and Dont's when Indicating for Steelhead

The Top 10 Do's and Dont's when Indicating for Steelhead by John Nagy
(スティールヘッドのインディケータ釣りで，やるべき10とすべきでない10)

http://www.johnnagysteelheadguide.com/2012/03/top-10-dos-and-donts-for-indicating-for.html

Steelheader "indicating" on a Lake Erie tributary
“Indicating” will always be the mainstay technique for steelheaders to consistently catch steelhead on the Lake Erie tributaries as well as most Great Lakes tributaries.

目印を使った釣りはGreat Lake同様，Lake Erieの支流のスティールヘッド釣りで一定の釣果を上げるための主技術になるだろう．

The “right-angle-floating-indicator-technique” or RAFIT is an indicating method that uses a super buoyant floating indicator like a Lil’ Corkie to form a right angle in the leader (at the indicator/leader contact point). The floating indicator allows you to “suspend” the fly, at or just above the stream bottom. Very slow, long and drag-free drifts (along the stream bottom) can be achieved with the RAFIT method.

RAFIT(正しい角度で流す目印の技法)は，リーダ(リーダとインディケータの接点)に正確な角度を作るためにLil’ Corkieのような髙浮力インディケータを使う．ウキは，川底からフライを浮遊させる．ゆっくり，長く，そしてドラッグの無いドリフトはRAFITで達成される．

There are a number of reasons for the popularity of indicating for Great Lakes steelhead. These include the small size and confining nature of most Great Lakes tributaries which makes steelhead “finicky” after entering them. They often key in on small egg patterns and nymphs, dead-drifted precisely along the stream bottom (which indicating is ideal for doing). Also, the Great Lakes tributaries generally run cold during the course of a steelhead season (on average 45 degrees F and below) making steelhead somewhat lethargic. Most of the time they will not move much for a fly (particularly during the late fall through early spring) and prefer to hold in slow current areas close to the stream bottom or along a current break like a shale ledge. Dead-drifting flies through these “restricted strike-zones” is deadly for catching drag-conscious steelhead.nFinally, the small size of most Great Lakes tributaries makes “short-drift” type presentations (like the RAFIT method) the best approach for drifting through tight areas (with extended drifts) like small pools and runs, stream bed depressions, along rock ledges, behind boulders and adjacent to bridge abutments. This presentation also works well in most water depths and current speeds.

Great Lakeのスティールヘッド釣りでインディケータがなぜ人気があるかに対してはたくさんの理由がある．それらには，川に入ってからスティールヘッドを気むずかしくするGreat Lakeのたくさんの支流の小さく限定された自然を含まれている．それは，小さなエッグやニンフで，小川の川底を正確にデッドドリフトさせるためのキーになる．また，シーズン中，支流ではスティールヘッドを不活発にするほど水温は低い(平均45F以下)，ほとんど，フライを追わない（特に，晩秋から早春）．川底近くの緩やかな流れや岩盤の端のような水流の境界に沿って定位するのを好む．この限定されたストライクゾーンにデッドドリフト・フライは，ドラッグに敏感なスティールヘッドを釣るために効果的だ．Great Lake の支流はRAFITのようなショートドリフトが有効で，小さなプールやrunに向いている．このプレゼンテーションは深く早い流れでも効果的だ．

The following is a top 10 list of the Do’sand Don’ts of Indicating for Steelhead:

インディケータを用いたスティールヘッド釣りで，すべきこと，やってはいけないことのトップ１０

1) Do use a “tandem” fly setup when indicating. Try an egg fly (top fly) with a bead-head nymph as the bottom fly. The egg pattern acts as an attractor (particularly especially in stained water) with the nymph as a “teaser”.

インディケーターを使うときは２頭立てのフライを使え．トップはエッグで，ボトムはビーズヘッドのニンフを使え．この場合，焦らしとしてのニンフ，エッグはアトラクタとして働く．

2) Don’t let your floating indicator “get ahead” of your fly when indicating with the RAFIT(right-angle-floating-indicator-technique) method. A line mend and periodic “checking” of the buoyant float will keep the float (which is drifting in the faster water surface) in-line with the fly (which is drifting along in the slower stream bottom current). This will prevent fly from being pulled off the bottom and drifting faster than the bottom current.

RAFIT(right-angle-floating-indicator-technique)では，インディケーターをフライの前に流すな．フライ･ラインのメンディング，ウキの定期的で，フライをゆっくり川底に流し，ウキを水面上一直線に流すことができる．そして，フライがボトムからの引っ張りと川底より速く流れることを防ぐことになる．

3) Do use a long section of knotless tippet material when indicating. This permits for easy floating indicator adjustment on the leader without removing the indicator. Softer/flexible varieties of tippet material also are more conducive for forming the right angle in the leader in the RAFIT method.

目印をするとき，結び目のない長いリーダを使え．インディケータを取り除かなくても位置調整が楽になる．柔らかく柔軟なティペットはリーダを正しい角度にするために役に立つ．

4) Don’t use too short of a leader when using the RAFIT method. The right angle formed in the leader requires the leader to cover more distance (versus bottom-bouncing without a floating indicator).

RAFITでは短すぎるリーダを使うな．リーダを正しい角度にするためには，リーダがより深い水深をカバーする必要がある．

5) Do keep split-shot close to the fly when indicating. This placement will get fly down quickly in tight/fast areas (although clear flows though may require you to “back” shot of some to keep from spooking fish).

フライの近くにスプリットショットを付けろ．これでフライをしっかりと素早く沈めることができる（クリアな流れでは魚を脅えさせないようにバックショットを必要とするけれど）．

6) Don’t make adjustments to the indicator to fly distance irregardless of the water type fished. In the RAFIT method, .indicator adjustments are necessary to compensate for varying water flow depths and ultimately to get the fly down to the steelhead and drifting in front of their face. Winter steelheading often requires very small indicator adjustments. Under these conditions, one or two inches can make all the difference for a hook-up (not only for the indicator adjustment but also where the fly is drifted through) the specific to hook-up with steelhead who seem to have a case a “lock-jaw”.

水域にかかわらず，フライとインディケータの距離を調整するな．RAFITでは，インディケータの調整は様々な水深に対応して，フライをスティールヘッドの位置に沈めて顔の前に持っていくために必要だ．冬のスティールヘッド釣りではときどき小さなインディケータの調整が必要だ．このようの状態では1-2インチの違いが．hook-upと，石に引っかかったように思えるスティールヘッドのアタリを全く違ったものとして区別する．

7) Do use a more moderate action fly rod when casting indicator rigs with tandem flies and split-shot. Moderate action fly rods allow for larger/slower casting loops and less rigging tangles. Longer fly rods also allow for easier line mending and floating indicator checking.

２頭立てフライでは中程度の柔らかいロッドを使え．中程度の柔らかいロッドは大きなループのキャストでも小さなキャストでも，もつれが少なくなる．

8) Don’t pay attention to what the floating indicator is doing on the water surface. Abrupt stops and hang-ups usually mean the float to fly distance is too long (fly/split-shot is hanging up on bottom) and needs adjusted. Small hesitations in the drift of the indicator like a slight bump, stop, dip or slow sinking of the indicator usually means a strike.

水面でインディケータの動きに注意を払うな．突然の停留や漂いはフライトフロートの距離が長すぎることを意味し，調整が必要だ．インディケーターの僅かな引きずり，停止，ヘコみ，沈みはアタリを意味する．

9) Do use the correct size floating indicator for the water conditions (surface water current) being fished. Smaller indicators for low flows (which have slow surface currents) and medium to large-size indicators for medium and high run-off flows (which have faster surface currents).

正しいサイズのインディケータを使え．ゆっくりとした流れには小さなインディケータを，中･大きなの流れでは大きなインディケータを使え．

10) Don’t recognize when it is time to not use a floating indicator. Extremely shallow, fast runs are best fished bottom-bouncing without a floating indicator (but a small semi-buoyant “strike indicator” may be necessary for strike detection). Also, wide/long gravel runs and pools are more efficiently fished and covered by swinging flies. Indicating large rivers and big sections of water (that do not have any specific structure like a boulder or shale ledge to attract holding steelhead) can often feel like trying to find a needle (or in this case), a steelhead in a hay stack!

フローティング･インディケータを使わない時を意識するな．極端に浅く，速い流れはインディケータ無しで，川底を這わすのに最適だ．また，広く長い砂利底の流れではフライを流して，効率的に釣ることが出来る．大きな川では干し草の山から針を探すようなものだ．

For a more detailed explanation of the "RAFIT" method for catching Great Lakes steelhead (including step-by-step technique drawings) refer to John Nagy’s Steelhead Guide Book.