Originally Posted by Frank

Roy I agree you will never feel a take when upstream nymphing as you are essentially fishing a slack line. If you want to help you see the takes whether it is on a river or a stillwater but don't like the idea of using an indicator get some pole float rubber from the tackle shop and thread it up over your leader and on to the tip of your fly line. To help some more grease the tip of your line with mucillin. You could also grease you a section of your leader to help with controlling the depth of your fly.

Frank

Originally Posted by andreb

Upstream nymphing without an indicator can be tricky, depending on how far ahead of you you are landing the flies. I fish upstream nymphs a lot, and the closer, the better. If you can cast them about 3 meters ahead, lift the rod, and alow the flies to drift back to you, with as astaight a line as possible between the flies and the rod tip, you will be surprised at how many fish you will pick up directly under the rod. I personally don't like indicators much, especially the floating yarn type. I find them restrictive, and inhibiting. It tends to lose the dimension of bite detection by feel. My way of thinking is that if you can feel and see the take, you have more chance than if you were only seeing it. Indicator nymphing is the lazy mans way of fishing. Someone who can nymph properly without an indicator, will always have more success than the guy with the indicator, as the better you become, the less you are going to need an indicator. Remember the key to success with any type of nymphing, is to try do it as close as possible, and have as straight a line possible between flies and rod tip. Any slack line will work against you. If you can get this right, you will find that the indicator will actually be a liability.