Benefits of a Macrame Yarn Strike Indicator

• Strike indicators come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be constructed from various materials. The most important characteristics of an effective strike indicator are visibility, flotation and manner of attaching the indicator to the line. A yarn strike indicator constructed from macrame yarn and a small rubber band or rubber o-ring satisfies all of the foregoing criteria. First, you can purchase the yarn in highly visible colors. Second, the yarn floats extremely well and can survive even turbulent water. Third, the rubber band or rubber o-ring used with the yarn indicator provides an easy and convenient method of attaching the indicator to the line. The rubber band or o-ring also permits the easy adjustment of the indicator's position on the line. In addition to all the foregoing benefits, this strike indicator has an added advantage in that it is comprised of inexpensive materials and is easy to construct at home.
  
  

Necessary Materials and Tools

• Only three materials are needed to construct this particular strike indicator. These materials are macrame yarn, a rubber o-ring and thread. The macrame yarn is used for the body of the strike indicator. Most anglers prefer to carry several strike indicators in a variety of colors. The most popular yarn colors are black, white and highly visible florescent colors such as neon orange or yellow. The rubber band or o-ring provides the means by which the strike indicator can be attached to your line. These rubber bands or o-rings should generally be quite small. I would suggest using dental rubber bands or o-rings that are 1/4 inch or smaller in size. The thread is wrapped around the yarn in a manner that prevents the rubber band or o-ring from becoming detached from the yarn. The tools required to make this strike indicator are scissors, a metal-toothed comb, needle-nose pliers and a large needle.
  
  

Making the Strike Indicator

• Cut a five-inch section of braided macrame yarn and use the needle to pick apart the braided strands until the end of the yarn has come unraveled. Run the comb through the unraveled yarn strands until all the individual yarn fibers run parallel to one another without any undue twists. These fibers will form the body of your strike indicator. Next, slide the rubber band or o-ring over the end of the needle-nose pliers and push the rubber band or o-ring toward the base of the pliers' jaws. Trap one end of the yarn fibers in the pliers and slide the rubber band or o-ring off the pliers' jaws and into a position around the middle of the yarn fibers. At this point you need to fold the yarn fibers in half around the rubber band or o-ring. Once the fibers are folded you will wrap the thread 15 to 30 times around the yarn fibers at a point just below the rubber band or o-ring. Use a whip finish knot, or other similar knot, to keep the thread wrappings in place. Use the scissors to trim the yarn fibers to the desired length and to trim away the tag end of the thread. Your yarn strike indicator is now ready for use.