I strum my Ode 5 string alot in my band. I use the heaviest flat pick I can find. Jim Dunlop Tortex white pick that comes to a very definite point. I takes practice not to dig holes in the mylar but it is very effective. And it suits my limited fingering ability. I also frail in an old Knockdown style similar to Uncle Daves style. More rhythmic with sparse melody lines. Again very effective.

I saw the Horseflies once agaes ago and as I recall they used a Clawhammer Drop thumb technique when playing melodic and when vamping the strings or playing rhythym they used full hand upstrokes counter to the beat.

Beat one and three, the banjo was two and four. Sort of reggae meets old time.

Don