Ballons, Bobbers, and such...

[Dejon Hamann]

Can anyone comment on the past, present, or future fips-mouche use of trapped air components used within a fly dressing?  I know that just tying a balloon or a section of yarn to a hook was highly frowned upon at state side competitions in recent years (and for good reason), but I'm talking specifically about the use of a balloon or thingamabobber utilized in a full fly dressing/pattern?

[Nick Naclerio]

This is slightly off topic but not quite. I was using the small unibobbers as an indicator a few weeks ago and they wont hold up as much weight as you would think (If I remember it was a size 12 Walts Worm with a .020 lead underbody). That being said really heavily hackled dry flies can hold up a good amount of weight so the combination of the two will probally work very well. Just really not dry dropper season to try.

[Jeremy Allan]

Austin Haacke is an incredible tier out this way and came up with the "thingamahopper" and some other patterns using thingamabobbers. I think something like that is almost acceptable, almost. It's already a great fly without the bobber but is unsinkable with the bobber. It's an effective fly and the bobber doesn't make it an indicator it just makes it float better which is a whole lot more than I can say about some of the crap I saw at some regionals and the nationals of 2007.