Gear Reports - Thingamabobber
Manufacturer: Westwater Products
Product: Thingamabobber
Retail Price: $1.25 - $1.75
Tester: Kurt Johnson - Trout's Sponsored Angler
Rating: 5 / 5 - A Must Have
Date Tested: Oct. 01, 2008 - Mar. 30, 2009
Test Area: Colorado
What they say:
The Thingamabobber is a new design in strike indicators from WestWater Products. Its design was inspired by western guides who use small balloons as strike indicators for their buoyancy and sensitivity. Already a favorite among guides who have tried it, the Thingamabobber combines all of the best strike indicator elements in one simple design. It is buoyant, easy to cast, ultra sensitive, durable, and affordable. The Thingambobber comes in a variety of colors and 1/2", 3/4" and 1” diameters.
What we say:
When I first heard about the Thingamabobber strike indicator I thought “Great, another strike indicator on the market and better yet, one with the term “bobber” in it – which makes me feel a little uncomfortable.” But after trying it, the truth is this little piece of gear works great. In the past, I just cut my yarn, tie it on my leader with a rubber band, apply some floatant and comb it through the strands. Pretty simple right? Well, the Thingamabobber is even simpler: Make a small loop in your leader, pull in through the eye of the Thingamabobber, loop around the neck, and pull tight. That's it, no floatant, nothing. The Thingamabobber has a small rubber lining in the eyelet to keep the indicator from sliding - so no on-stream maintenance. Since the indicator is so bouyant, it allows fly fishers to use a 'suspended rig' whereby your flies are suspended from the strike indicator and remain suspended in the water column.
Last minute thoughts:
I highly recommend these indicators - they are highly visible, sensitive, and provide positive hook-ups!!!