Brian, I am glad they finally got to you, glad you like them as well. Some of the beefy flies have a heavy barbell weight and have a heavier led wrapped around the shank to help get them down.
As for the colors, I have caught some pike on the red styles and the chart, the gar pike like the orange ones though.
I have no troubles tossing them with my 8wt.
Brian if you want this summer I could get you out on Long Point bay and catch a ton of pike, most of them are little guys but still a blast on the fly.