Kind of hard to tell what to suggest without knowing how you are tying them in. However, that being said, I tie mine on a light wire dry hook and I do add a good measure of hackle over a thinly dubbed body. I rarely, if ever, add the ribbing. I think the trick here is to make sure that you are applying the correct amount of Elk hair. When I first started tying I would use deer hair (I thought the two were similar enough that it wouldn't make difference). However, I soon foudn that the deer hair isn't nearly as bouyant as the elk (someone with more experience can explain that the elk hair is hollow or something to that effect). If the hair isn't flarring out to the sides of the fly, like this ( <.> ) then I don't think the fly floats as good. Try looking at a EHC from the front and you will see what I am talking about. Good luck.