DoubleHaul wrote:

Any body got a *foam hopper* pattern they would like to share? I saw the
1st live grasshopper of the summer today. I usually tie them with
conventional materials but would like to give the foam a go.

You could always try the "club sandwich":
http://shop.flyfishing.about.com/fly...etails/328.htm

Then there's the "klod hopper":
http://fishingwithflies.com/HoppersKlodHopper.htm

Last night I was playing around with a "new" design. I had tied
some furled body mayflies for my trip to the mountains last month, and
got to thinking that a similar design might work for hoppers.

To tie a furled body you attach some poly yarn to your hook and
leave it extending back past the bend. Twist the yarn until it just
starts to kink. Double it forward over itself, letting it twist around
itself, pulling the loose piece forward to the desired length of the
body. Tie the loose piece off on top of the hook. (If this isn't
making any sense, you can see it done he
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flyt...31907fotw.html)

Anyhow, I took some yellow poly yarn (a thick piece, as hoppers have
bulky bodies), attached it to a #10 Tiemco 2487 and made an extended
furled body (I left the top piece long to use as a parachute post). I
then added a turkey quill wing over that, dubbed up to where I posted
the poly yarn, tied in an oversized grizzly hackle on the post, tied in
a brown/black mottled rubber leg on either side, dubbed in front of the
legs and wrapped my hackle and tied off.

The result is a pretty cool-looking extended body hopper that should
sit pretty low on the water, but with the poly yarn, should float quite
well. And as soon as we get a couple of days without flooding, I'll
give it a try. :-|


Chuck Vance