I guess I’ll wade in here. I love fishing with an indicator, in the water that calls for it. I remember my youth when I would fish with nothing but a size #14 gold single salmon-egg hook and Pautzke’s Green Label Salmon Eggs. Seemed like I caught a fish about every cast as I would drift that rig through any likely looking water. It was no different than running a nymph rig through good water. Now my eyes are not so good and my reflexes a bit slower so I have taken up the art of nymphing using a strike indicator and I still catch a lot of fish. My favorite spring creek yields up few fish to most fishermen, but, after years of practice, and many, many failures, it provides me with a pretty steady take of some incredible fish, most of which were caught by drifting small nymphs and scuds right along the bottom where they are feeding. The complexities of the spring, the slow current and massive weed beds do not lend themselves to any type of tight-line nymphing, so my system of using a Parasol Emerger as an indicator has really proven to be successful in this tough water on some pretty well-educated Brown Trout. Fast water requires something altogether different as does stillwater. But, I use indicators on most of the waters and in most of the situations that I find myself.
I remember a day on the Green River several years ago when I realized that my eyes were getting worse and an F-16 pilot friend and I were fishing together. He kept pointing out fish underwater that were totally invisible to me and he would sight-fish them with a tight-line, no-indicator method, and he caught every one he fished to. On the other hand, I used an indicator and fished likely looking water and caught as many fish as my friend did. I don’t think he has ever changed, and neither have I. My eyes have continued to get worse over the years so fishing an indicator seems to be my best option. I’m glad it’s an option and one that I have become skilled at.
I miss the days of my youth and drifting a single salmon-egg through a run and feeling the hard tug as a fish took my offering, but I’m glad I can still get out and be successful.
This has been said in this thread a couple of times now; I find this problematic.
I fish tiny streams in Southwest Wisconsin - my favorite is maybe 5’ across with tall grasses on both sides. No “up and across” here (I save that for my trip out west). Nymphing is like dryfly fishing - pretty much straight upstream.
The depth is anything but uniform. So what? Just adjust the indicator.
I’ll put a split shot 8" above the fly and have at it. If my indicator is moving faster than the bubble line, I’m not on the bottom. I’ll move the indicator closer to the fly line. If the indicator is still moving faster than the bubble line, I’ll add another split shot.
If I’m hanging up, I’ll move the indicator closer to the fly. If it still is, I’ll remove shot.
If the indicator is coming back to me freely but more slowly than the bubble line, my fly is on the bottom. The indicator indicates whether or not my fly is on the bottom.
I can, and do, do this from time to time without indicators. The end of my line becomes the “indicator” showing me if I’m on the bottom and whether I have a hit. Using an indicator is superior to my mind since in most cases, simply moving the indicator will get my fly where I want it to be. Indicatorless, I’m always stuck adjusting split shot every time I’m not where I want to be.
This is why I don’t fly fish with an indicator. If I’m going to float fish, I’ll use tackle that’s better suited to it. For me, that’s a spinning reel or a centerpin.
I don’t think Buddy or I are saying that everyone should learn all methods of nymphing. By all means if you enjoy fishing just one technique and have no interest in learning another, that is how you should fish.
I can’t speak for Buddy, but what I am saying is that each method of nymphing is best suited to fish certain waters at certain times; and if your goal is to use the best method for a particular time and place, a single method will not always be the most effective.
For example, during non hatch periods most of the fish will be at the bottom because that is where they are safest and where the food is. At these times in rivers with bottom structure of varying depths a tight line system keeps the flies at the depth of the fish.
However, during the earlier stages of a hatch the fish will begin to stratify and eventually most will be feeding above the bottom on the emerging nymphs and pupae. The fish will follow the food which is now more available in the mid column. During this stage, an indicator at the correct depth will present the flies to more fish than tight line nymphing the bottom.
As the hatch progresses, more fish will be feeding on emergers and dries than on the rising pupa or nymphs. Most of these fish will be feeding on emergers and stillborns which are trapped in and under the film, with fewer fish feeding purely on adults. A dry and dropper will reach the most fish.
Situations change and a single technique simply cannot be the best at all times. However, I realize that each individual fisher has his own definition of fulfillment and that may not include certain methods of fishing. Certainly each individual need not be proficient in all methods to enjoy fishing.