I'd imagine that a fly angler from the 19th century would say much the same about some of your fly tackle and gear and that a fly angler from the 18th century would say the same about the chap from the 19th century. It is the nature of all pursuits that human creativity is applied to make things easier, more comfortable, more efficient, etc. Only traditionalism and nostalgia temper this relentless application of technological and technical innovation to relieve human effort. It's no different than the fish trying to expend the least amount of energy possible while consuming the most food energy possible as a survival instinct. It's the same drive: do as little as you can for as much as you can get. Human beings are the ONLY creatures with ANY tendancy to the contrary. And that is because of our superior abstract intellect and complex emotions.
P.S. I don't mean this to sound argumentative regarding the use of strike indicators. I use them sometimes and don't at others. I consider it just another tool in the box used to solve problems. I never put anything on my line that I don't think I need to: extra flies, weight, longer leader, knots, loops, indicators, etc. I try to practice the KISS principle.
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