I think the popularity of this method is grounded in its effectiveness-- and that's good.

Nymphing with strike indicators provides a quick, direct route to success for new fly fishers, and who could object to that? And why would someone want to stop using a method that's so successful? Let me try to explain: I think most of us use indicators more than we need to, and I believe there are concrete reasons for fishing nymphs without them part of the time.

The use of strike indicators is not new. Early fly fishers were as capable as we are of recognizing the difficulty in detecting strikes with sunken flies and upstream casts, and one solution then, as now, was to attach markers to leaders. But in the old days this was one of many methods an angler might choose. Today there is an implied presumption that if you fish a nymph, you must use a strike indicator.

When I'm teaching short-line nymphing, I often tell the students, "Find a reason to set the hook sometime during this drift." This helps them to intensify their concentration and to expect a strike instead of being surprised by a strike.

Though indicators are a necessity in certain situations, they are a handicap in other circumstances. A strike indicator is essential when you can't detect a strike by feeling the fish take, or by seeing your line or leader move. This is usually the case when you're making casts more than 40 feet long into water more than four feet deep. You won't feel strikes because there is too much line between you and the fly to transmit the sensation of the fish's take, and you won't see your line or leader move because they're far away and the leader is submerged. You also need an indicator when bad light prevents you from seeing your line or leader on the water.

So when and where might an indicator be a handicap? On some heavily fished streams, the fish learn to associate the glowing orange ball with a threat and they become reluctant to feed. In human terms, it's a little like learning not to pet a growling dog. After you've been bitten a few times, you don't do it any more.

Using an indicator that's too large can sometimes cause more problems than it solves. The splat of a big corky landing on flat water can instantly clear a pool of fish. A better idea for slick water is to grease part of the leader butt with fly floatant so it will float and remain visible.

As well as being wind resistant and difficult to cast, large indicators are more susceptible to drag than smaller indicators. When the indicator starts to drag, it makes a big fuss on the surface and causes the nymph to move unnaturally, both of which can spook trout. If you need to use an indicator, use the smallest, dullest-colored one you can.

In many instances a strike indicator also functions as a depth regulator, keeping the fly a fixed distance below the surface. This is good when the depth of the holding water is consistent. But when the depth varies greatly, as it does in areas of boulders and pocketwater, it becomes a handicap. In these places the indicator must be repositioned frequently to keep the nymph drifting at the proper depth. An indicator placement that's perfect for one spot might be all wrong for the next spot just a short distance up the run.

It's annoying to have to make adjustments every few casts, and most people don't bother to do it. Consequently they catch fish only when their terminal rig happens to suit the specific bit of water they're casting into. The rest of the time their flies drift above the fish's heads or hang up on the bottom. In broken-water nymphing situations, it's more effective to fish without an indicator, simply because you can control the depth of your fly "manually" with your rod tip. You spend more time fishing and less time tinkering with all the stuff attached to your leader.

A strike indicator also functions as a "velocity regulator." It drifts at the same speed as the current at the surface of the stream. This isn't necessarily good. Because of friction, the velocity at the bottom of the stream is always less than the velocity at the surface. This effect is magnified in areas where there are big rocks on the stream bottom. When your fly is near the bottom, where you generally want it to be, it should drift at the same speed as the current down there. But as your indicator drifts at "surface speed," it pulls your fly along at that speed too, which from the fish's perspective is too fast. A leader without an indicator slices cleanly through the surface currents, allowing the nymph to drift at the proper speed near the bottom of the stream.

Indicators can cost you some fish when you're sight-fishing to clearly visible trout. If you depend on an indicator to tell you when you've had a take, you'll miss some fish simply because your indicator won't "indicate" every take you get. This was made clear to me sight-fishing in New Zealand, where the guides use indicators partly to appease the habits of their North American clients and partly to know when the fly is in fish's vicinity. Several times the guide yelled "Strike!" while I watched the indicator drift along oblivious to what had happened below. The guide pointed out that the indicator won't twitch or move at all if there is an excess of slack in the leader between fly and indicator when the fish takes. Neither will it twitch if a trout takes the fly while moving toward the indicator. If you can see the fish well, watch him closely and strike when it moves toward your fly or opens its mouth at the right moment.

Fishing without an indicator forces you to develop your ability to see into the water, which not only helps your nymph fishing, but is an asset for all kinds of fishing. This is a skill that is very "developable" with practice, but is largely neglected by North American fly fishers.

Those are the concrete reasons for fishing without indicators at times. Here's the abstract reason: I believe the constant use of indicators inhibits or slows down the development of your skill. It does so by taking a three-dimensional activity and reducing it to two. When using an indicator, the angler doesn't need to worry about the depth or drift of the fly because the indicator takes care of it all for him. Your concentration stops at the big orange ball--and so does your development as a nymph fisher.

This may or may not be a good analogy. Strike indicators are like water wings. Water wings make swimming easier and are a great aid to the development of confidence in a new swimmer. There would be nothing wrong with using them every time you went to the beach or the pool. But how much would you develop as a swimmer? The best nymph fishers I know are 3-D anglers. They have a great ability to focus on the drift of the fly and visualize what's happening under the surface, whether they're using indicators or not. Their mind's eye follows the leader right down to the bottom of the river.

I'm convinced you become more adept at reading the currents and knowing what your fly is doing when you're forced to think your way to the bottom of the stream. When you catch fish this way, it translates into a greater sense of accomplishment and consequently more fun. And once you become confident that you can catch fish without an indicator, you'll be downright dangerous when you use one.

To close my sermon, I'll simply point out that in a great book called Nymph Fishing for Larger Trout, the late Charles E. Brooks--one of the heroes of our sport--describes ten distinct methods of nymph fishing, none of which call for the use of strike indicators. So when and how do you fish nymphs without an indicator? A good time is when you're fishing at close range in broken water. In choppy runs you can get quite close to the fish, and can often operate with no more than 5 to 15 feet of fly line out past the rod tip (plus a nine- or ten-foot leader). Cast up- and across-stream, so that the fly lands a few feet above the spot where you think the fish are holding. Through the drift, hold the rod tip forward and up far enough to keep all the fly line off the water. This allows a deep, slow drift of the nymph, because the fly line isn't pulling the fly along at surface speed. The rod tip moves downstream with the fly, leaving just enough slack in the system to allow a drag-free drift.

There are three reference points to be aware of--the rod tip, the line/leader connection, and the point where the leader enters the water. Concentrate on the latter and watch as far down the leader as you can see. When things are going well, you'll notice that your leader is moving downstream, slightly slower than the water. This is a good sign, for it means that your fly is deep and drifting at the proper speed.

This method is best when the casting distance is less than about 25 feet. A cast beyond that will leave you with a few feet of fly line floating on the water, which makes strike detection slightly more difficult. Your concentration must then be focused on the end of the fly line or whatever portion of the leader you can see under the water. With this method, strikes usually can be detected in one of four ways. You might feel a short, sharp tap through your rod. It might be a rock, it might be a snag, or it might be a trout. Set the hook to find out. Second, you might see your leader twitch, slow down, or change direction in its drift. It might be a rock, it might be a snag, it might be your imagination, or it might be a trout. Set the hook. Third, with your peripheral vision, you might notice a sudden flash or movement deep in the water that could mean the take of a fish. Fourth, "use the force." If you think you should set the hook, do it. Don't wait until you can explain to yourself why you think you should do it. You'll be surprised sometimes to find you've hooked a fish, and yet have no idea why you struck. This is OK. In fact, it's great. It means you're learning to detect the subtlest of messages. And when it happens, pretend you planned it that way, especially if other fishermen are watching.

When I'm teaching short-line nymphing, I often tell the students, "Find a reason to set the hook sometime during this drift." This helps them to intensify their concentration and to expect a strike instead of being surprised by a strike.

The two best nymph fishermen I've fished with are George Anderson of Livingston, Montana, and Jim Gilson from central Pennsylvania. Though there are some differences in their techniques, they share a remarkable ability of knowing when a fish has taken the fly. I've stood beside them both, watching, and it's often impossible to know what message they've received that tells them to strike. All I'm certain of is that they make it look very easy--short cast, short drift, quick strike, fish on.

I want to make it clear that I don't consider the use of indicators to be an ethical issue. There is nothing wrong with using them for all of your nymph fishing; the fish don't really care. The most difficult part of nymphing without an indicator is convincing yourself to try it. Here's my advice. Next time you're in some broken water and the nymphing is hot, live on the edge--take your corky off. Think your way down the leader to the fish by using the force, ditching the water wings, and working without a net--and without an indicator.