Hi Host Ray; I agree that fished as a floater will fetch fish and I do tie them unweighted as well.

The weighted version is used mainly in backcountry streams with a good flow of water. As most of the fishing is to fish we have sighted, pitching a weighted emerger just the right distance ahead of the fish to get it to sink to the proper level for a take, needs that bit of lead when the fish is not moving up and down in the water column. Exciting stuff and often rewarding. Have Fun. Jax