I use them and love them. I am fishing warmwater, so picky trout aren't really an issue. I also fish primarily wet, so weight isn't an issue. Just helps get the fly down faster. I also tend to be a bit of an ADD fisherman, changing flies often, so this helps. When I do fish dry, I snip the snaps off and tie directly - I have noticed an issue, even on size 10-12, with the weight out front. I have not really had any trouble with excessive garbage snagging on it - no more than would catch on the hook itself. Not a real traditional view, but it works well for me.

I use a different brand that has a little lighter gauge wire, but use them on all of my wet flies and conventional panfish gear for both summer and ice fishing.