Indicator or Suspender?

Some of my favorites for suspending flies

Strike indicators have gotten a bad rap over the years, but you have to admit they are definitely effective for detecting strikes while nymphing your favorite streams. Even a purist can't deny that it makes sense to use them. I know there are lots of other ways to detect strikes, but none that are as easy to implement or teach, especially to new fly anglers. But what about some other ways to use them that may have everyone singing their praises, even the most traditional folks?

I'm talking about using them as part of a suspension system. No matter where you fish, there will inevitably be a time when you need to get the fly down to a certain level in the water column where the fish are suspending, and better yet, where they are feeding. Sometimes the nymph bouncing along the bottom is ideal, but not always. Occasionally they will suspend in the water column and feed on emerging insects or other forms of subsurface fare. At these moments in time, a suspension system is almost a requirement if you want to have any action at all.
Now I know some of you are saying "In those situations I usually just grease my leader up and I can get a fly down to a predetermined depth to fool those fish". Well yes you can, sort of, but not well enough for consistent presentations to fish that are often extremely picky in nature. Especially in slow moving, deep waters such as lakes. Trout may suspend several feet down in the water column in lakes or even the extremely deep runs in some rivers. I can tell you from experience, you can not grease a leader well enough to present to large lake run trout that are feeding on larger nymphs, like a damsel fly for instance. The fly has to be weighted enough to get to depth quickly, and often that means that they are too heavy for a greased line to suspend them well enough to fool these finicky feeders.
In closing, I'll admit that I too prefer to use other methods for strike detection when fishing the typical trout streams. In fact, one of my favorite methods is to use a drop shot system with a sighter incorporated into it. However, every spring I actively hunt for big lake run rainbows that are cruising the lakes in preparation for the upcoming spawning rituals. In these instances it is a definite necessity to suspend a fly several feet down to entice a strike from these cruising fish.
If you keep an open mind, and try new techniques from time to time, there's no telling what you might find. In fact, I found this spectacular lake fishery completely by accident while trying a new technique that I had read about a few weeks before. It continues to be a tried and true technique for me when fly fishing on area lakes. Even if you are a purist, give it a try sometime and see what you think. Just make sure none of your buddies are watching. Enjoy!  

This lake run rainbow fell for a suspended fly