The Best Strike Indicator System for Fly Fishing | Andrew Harding
The New Zealand Strike Indicator system has been a favourite of mine for so many years. Why? It simply works!
The standout feature is the ability to easily adjust the depth you’re fishing by sliding the indicator up or down your leader to perfectly position your nymphs at the desired level in the water column. This allows you to adapt instantly to changing river conditions or trout behaviour. So often, those lazy, big, spotted browns can’t be arsed moving off the bottom to take a nymph — but put that nymph at their eye level, and its usually game on!
Another great advantage is how subtle and adaptable the system is when targeting wary, spooky trout. You can trim the yarn with one quick snip of some sharp scissors — with minimal wastage — to create a smaller, more subtle indicator for spooky trout on crystal-clear small streams or go as visible as a Tongariro winter-run shuttlecock!
The new fully synthetic hydrophobic yarn is another major improvement, repelling water so effectively that it stays dry and buoyant cast after cast. It rides high on the surface, even in turbulent, roily whitewater heads, ensuring exceptional visibility and strike detection. A good quality floatant such as Loon Fly Dip or Aquel further enhances its buoyancy, especially on the traditional natural wool yarn often sold with the kit.
What I really appreciate is how incredibly sensitive the system is — even the subtlest takes transmit through the yarn, giving you instant feedback when a fish gently mouths your fly. It’s that precision that helps turn missed opportunities into solid hook-ups. The wool yarn is also refreshingly eco-friendly compared to foam or plastic indicators that can easily be lost downstream. Everything in the kit is reusable, long-lasting, and purpose-built for anglers who care about leaving rivers just as clean as they found them.
The streamlined packaging reflects the system’s simplicity and functionality, providing everything needed to assemble and maintain your indicators in a compact, eco-friendly kit you can simply chuck in your vest or backpack — although I often just keep mine in a chest pocket, such is how often I use it. The level of customisation, combined with superior flotation and adjustability, makes the New Zealand Strike Indicator an indispensable tool for Kiwi and Australian anglers who value precision, versatility, and stealth on the water.
If you haven’t tried the New Zealand Strike Indicator system yet, do yourself a favour and rig one up on your next outing. Once you see how easy it is to adjust, how cleanly it casts, and how reliably it signals even the lightest takes, you’ll wonder how you ever fished without it.
Written by Andrew Harding