After some long discussions about strike indicator fly fishing and wanting to create the perfect presentation for certain fly fishers and situations, I sat down with Bob, a dear friend and fly fishing guru.  After offering me some interesting ideas about this, I went out and experimented, tweaked and came up with “The Bob B Mendicator System ”, a fly fishing indicator technique which has proven to be possibly the most effective way to use strike indicators since their creation. Notice I said indicators.

“You’ll be Blown Away by the Effectiveness of Walt’s Bob B Mendicator System.”
International Casting Coach and Fly Fishing Instructor
Stann Grater, representing the Orvis Company
 “Achieving the same presentations and success as the center-pinners get.
 This is a great way for fly fishers to get a natural drift while learning to be better at line control with drag free drifts. The Perfect Presentation Every Time!”

Keeping this simple, I use and instruct this method with clients and seminar attendees for both effective nymphing while helping them have better line control while mending to a perfect presentation.

Great for Salmon, Trout, Steelhead and more

Little Korkies
Best suited for this indicator method.
ask for Walt’s “Bob B Mendicator System at Malinda’s Fly Shop in Altmar NY.

10 thru 12 Foot Fly Rods
for longer drifts are suggested to achieve the best performances for this method and any other techniques needed to extend mending and reach casting.

Korkies are balsa, football shaped floats, available in many sizes with durable finishes of highly visible indicator colors. Other football shaped indicators will suffice. I recommend three sizes to be used with the or similar greased floating leaders. Long belly salmon, steelhead and trout tapered floating fly lines offer easier line control, further mends and easier roll casing for this technique. Slip on football shaped foam indicators work well also, especially within forty feet and closer. They are easier to make length adjsutments on the leader and easy to remove, but I find the korkies will cast better for longer distances.

Taking One and Two Indicator Techniques to the Next Level

Depending on water conditions added b or bb weight may be substituted with weighted or bead head flys. Adjustments and experimentations must be made to put the fly into the strike zone. Smoother water may require only a couple of b’s or one bb and use the smaller and mid sized Korkies. For heavy conditions I recommend the middle and larger Korkies. The Korkie closet to the fly is the "striker" and the other, above or closest to the fly line is the "Mendicator". It’s easy, set the hook on any movement on the striker and do your mending to the mendicator which in most all conditions must be kept above the striker while floating down stream. By mending and controlling the fly line to the mendicator, this allows: one (slow down your presentation), two (eliminate all tugging on the striker, which cause an un-natural drift), three (allows for set up time and better presentations in difficult to get to and drift areas) four, (slow down the surface current drag while presenting near perfect drifts in the much slower deeper currents) and more applications when you become comfortable using the “Bob B Mendicator System ”.

Making the Cast

Again easy, while casting be sure you allow the Korkies to straighten, both on the back and forward casts. When they’re on the water, immediately throw a hard roll cast to re-align the korkies into the fishing presentation (striker down stream of the upstream mender). This method will also make you a better line mender for other applications such as my “Vertical Tip Method”(a bit more complex timing & casting ), “Slack Line Mend” , dry fly fishing and more.

How to Put the “Bob B Mendicator System ” Together

Take a tapered or greased leader of 7 ½ foot (heavier water & deeper conditions, allows for longer tippet and more manageable casting lengths) 9 foot (for shallower water to 3' or 4', allows for more stealth)

Slide the tapered leader through the larger korkie first, then the smaller: for beginning and practicing, try keeping them about 18” apart help get the feel.
The best results and control are achieved with longer spreads of 22” to 34".
Keep the striker at the end of the tapered leader then attach a recommended tippet leading to your splits then to your fly. see drawings below

You Decide What Is Needed For the Conditions.....Tippet Length

Keep the fly distances anywhere from 12”-24” below the weights
Tippet Lengths: Setting the depth is usually 1.5 X the estimated or actual depth, be sure to be in the strike zone.
 (example 3’ depth x 1.5 = tippet length of 4.5’) if your dragging the bottom, your too deep!

Bob B Mendicator Method is designed to be casted with a fly line.

For those who like to use indicators

Learn to use your Peripheral Vision
Raise your mending ability to new delicate levels
Increase Your Line Control Ability and more
Better Presentations = More Hook Ups

To further advance my methods and to raise your fly fishing abilities to the next level,
give me a call to set up your time on the water.

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