When I ice fish for smelts I use a small hard foam ball that floats on the top of the water in my ice fishing cabin hole. The ball has a small hole in the center of it to pass my line through and i hook my line on the ceiling of the cabin and let the line go into the center of the ice fishing hole. What this does is makes kind of a sliding bobber that floats on the top of the water and when the fish takes the hook or bites it moves the little float telling me i have a fish on. I have found something similar to it called a strike indicator but this type has a peg to put in the hole to hold the line in place and it is said it is mostly used for fly fishing. The bobber that I want to make is similar but i want it to slide on the line when i bring the line up without using the peg to stop it. All i wanted to know is if there is a particular site or web address where i might find a mould to make these small bobbers and what i should use for the foam or if they sell that too.
I see your problem and as an obsessed fly fisherman i think fly fishing holds the answer to your problems firstly there are purpose made indicators for fishing in the ice but i think this might also work, slides easily on fly line
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20431-cat600030&id=0011255320249a&navCount=2&podId=0011255&parentId=cat600030&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat600030&hasJS=true
or mouldable loon
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20431-cat600030&id=0011255311976a&navCount=4&podId=0011255&parentId=cat600030&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat600030&hasJS=true
client Bob Manning detects a slight hesitation of his strike indicator and does what we should all do when we see that- - he sets the hook! The ...
It isn't nearly as fun as fishing a dry fly to a sighted fish, but nymph fishing can be a necessity. In periods of high water flow we need to get down deep and get down quickly if we want fish to see our offerings. Let's take a look at two nymph fishing strategies. One of them is the common strike indicator method and the other is a European import called "Czech Nymphing".
The first setup is one that most fly fishers have encountered before. For this rig I suggest attaching a 7.5' to 9' leader tapered to 4x. (In times of slower clearer stream conditions I would use a 5x leader.) Tie on 20" of 4x tippet at the end of the leader. Attach your first fly to the end of the tippet. Attach a second piece of tippet (4 or 5x) to the bend of the first fly using an improved clinch knot. About 15" is perfect. Attach your second fly.
Once your flies are tied on it is time to add some weight and your indicator. Place your weight about 12-15" above your first fly. Do not put your weight more than 15" above your first nymph. The closer your weight is to your fly the deeper it will get.
There are several options for weights. The most common weight used is split shot. For faster water conditions a size BB shot or two should do the job. An alternative is lead or tungsten putty. I have used tungsten putty reliably for years. I find it easier to adjust the amount of weight needed. One problem is that putty tends to shift during fishing. To counter this, tie in 2-10" pieces of tippet instead of the first 20" piece. Place your putty on the knot 10" above your first fly. Having the putty on the knot reduces its tendency to shift during fishing.
To finish up, place your strike indicator 8-15" down from the end of your flyline. Indicator placement can be adjusted for fishing varying depths of water. The standard formula is to put your indicator 2 times the depth of the water above your first fly. If the water is 3' deep place your indicator 6'above your...
Foam Strike Indicators - These foam strike indicators are used by fly anglers, but can also be used for floats for float fishing, and for ice fishing as a bobber. ...
How to make your own strike indicators for fly fishing
Football Foam Strike Indicators. This is one easy to use strike indicator. The tippet slips into the slit just behind the rubber gasket. ...