For small streams I prefer a sinking line, heavily weighted fly (or shot), and short leader.

I have a 3 wt. line that has a ten foot fast sink head. I can hold about eight feet of it out the tip, use four or five feet of flouro leader, and put a nymph exactly where I want it. Total control of the drift and position of the fly.

If I get stuck with a floating line and come across a nymphing situation, I'll go with a long leader so the fly line never touches the water.

There's more than one way to do just about anything in fly fishing. I think Joe assumed you'd have to be 'casting' that sinking line, and that 'drag' was the main enemy to success (neither of which is true, of course)....I've noticed quite a bit of that in his writings. Not uncommon, folks tend to assume that everyone fishes/casts/approaches a fishing situation the same way they do....

Buddy