I was taught to fly fish fish in the early 60’s by Dad and my Grandpa using a floating or sinking line depending on the water depth and conditions. Back then there where no indicators and single fly was the rule. It really taught you to keep a tight line and stay in contact with the fly. You needed to develop a feel and a bit of a sixth sense. It still is indicator fishing as you are often watching your fly line tip. Times do change, and so do techniques. I find a lot of people I see on the water have a method of fishing that they are comfortable in catch fish and don’t stray a lot, and that’s great.
I occasionally use an indicator, especially in very deep water where a natural drift will not work. They make it easier to watch for strikes especially if you are unfamiliar with classic nymphing techniques, or some of the newer Czech or polish nymphing standards (that are no more than the classic techniques revisited). It’s a great way to get people into fly-fishing and gives you a nice visual focus. I find more sensitivity fishing without one gives me a more natural pretension, but it’s harder and does take practice to get the drift right, it’s not for the impatient.
As far as indicators go the thingamabobber is the nicest although the often overlooked humble yarn indicator is more sensitive especially for smaller streams, its more like fishing a huge dry fly. By the way I once stood on a bridge over the Bow river looking at several fly fishermen drifting nymphs under big indicators and watching the Trout swim aside as the indicator drifted over them. Food for thought, fish do learn.
I love to fish, whether is throwing a delicate dry fly with a classic bamboo rod, Lake fishing for rainbows with one for my modern sticks, swinging a big Intruder with my Spey rod or chasing Lake Trout and Pike with big streamers.
I am a purest, a pure fisherman.