Indi I think the law changes are expected to ease the crowding in the zones. If you can't just lob out a bunch of weight dragging a thin running line behind it 2/3s of the wads that now "fish" there would be eliminated. The problem with the proposals, in my mind at least, is that it allows some peoples method of adding weight ( heavily weighted fly as you point out) and sink tips while stopping another from adding the exact same amount of weight to the leader. Somehow they don't understand that 1/8 of an ounce weighs the same whether it is tied into a fly's body,added as a powder to the coating of a sinking line or pinched on a leader. If added weight in any form is allowed it should be the amount of weight that is regulated not how someone attaches that weight.
By the way I am sure that given enough room I could open my loop wide enough to cast 3-4 2/0 shot overhead ie. traditional casting.

pa I have no problem with them if it will make people stop coming up. Maybe I'll fish the zones again like I did the first couple years they were open. The reason I stopped was because so many people were there I couldn't swing my wet tip without hooking the guy wading nut deep downriver from me. I rarely fish the zones anyways and the rules ain't changin on the rest of the river. More room for me =

9 wt,
     OK another stupid question?  Whats to stop someone from using a 10wt sinking tip line, on an 8 wt rod?  That would definately load the rod and make it appear that the line was carrying the fly. (Hell you could cast an anvil).  Seems like a lot of crap to me.  Since I'm going to fish the river for the first time in about 30 years this year, Where are the places to avoid?  I just want to be able to fish my 7 wt and my sucker spawn and not be hassled by the fish cops.

If you're going to be there from late Sept till end of Oct try the fly zones.2007 is still as before,you may use as much weight as you think to get the fly down to the strike zone.Most of the time,even when the water is high you don't really need much weight if you know what your doing,and if you fish Erie for Steel I'm sure you know how to get a proper drift,fishing the Sr is not that different, just need a heavier rod to handle the larger fish.
2008 there are proposed rules to limit the amount of weight that can be added in the fly zones,not eliminate it.
All this is to stop lifting but there are rules now to stop this but they don't enforce them in many cases.
By the way sucker spawn in white with some pink should work well,and a 7 wt will work but you'll just have to work a little longer to land them.

I'm too far away,when I fish Erie it's a destination trip for me,I live in the Lehigh Valley,too far from everything concerning Salmon and Steelies.My first trip to Erie will be around Halloween,a byproduct of a visit to my daughter in Hudson Ohio.My first destination  trip to Erie will be in November or December.I'm on the SR last week of Sept and first week of Oct.,if you're there then I could show you around a bit.

When are you planning a trip there?Those two weeks are my scheduled trips,sometimes I get up other times.

When you open the loop the line is still propelling the fly and weight.