Very interesting thread! Kelly - I like your set-up. I have been a Fran Betters fan for 30+ years. His Haystack, Usual, and Piggy-Back innovations were quite revolutionary for the times. He developed the Piggy- Back type (he said it was not a particular pattern) back when he was a teenager in high school. You have to remember that he did not have many of the synthetics to work with ,that we have today. He used deer hair spun and trimmed into a ball on a length of thread. He had thought about using mono to attach the ball to the fly, but wanted the fly to have more autonomy under the deer hair ball. He did suggest that one could use cork or styrofoam balls instead of deer hair but preferred the naturalness of the deer hair. He also said that this deer hair ball technique could be used on any pattern, not just on his favorite. (the Copper Wire Piggy-Back). The whole idea behind this design was to get a faster visual clue that a fish was nibbling on your fly. What ever happens to the fly, immediately happens to the little deer hair ball. If you use a conventional strike indicator, there is going to be some lag time. Yes? If you read Frans book ( Fran Betters' Fly Fishing - Fly Tying and Pattern Guide), you will better understand the thought process behind his innovations. He didn't leave too many stones unturned!!! They say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. Between his Piggy-Back, Haystack and Usual patterns, Fran Betters should be duly flattered! IMHO.

Best Regards, Dave S.