The hopper myth?

The hopper/dropper thread down the page a bit reminded me this.

One day, several years ago, by weaving back and forth downwind, I managed to
herd about 40 or 50 hoppers in front of me and out onto the 'Bonefish Flat'
section of the HFork. I've read, over and over, about the 'smashing rises'
that were going to occur and I excitedly followed the hapless flotilla
downstream, expecting to mark the location of many big fish.

Well, after following 40 live hoppers maybe 500 yards ( all the way down
into the fast water near the midway bridge) I had seen exactly one rise and
it appeared to be a small fish. 40 times 500 yards is a hell of a lot of
float to get one rise.

Since that I've never gotten up much enthusiam for tying on a hopper, but I
still carry a few.

Actually, I've never experienced 'hopper fishing' that struck me as more
effective than big attractor dry fishing would have been, same time and
place. ( one exception, a high country lake with a patch of grass that had
hundreds of hoppers along the edge...there the fish were hopper selective ).

When and where have you experienced good fishing to hopper patterns and
thought that 'hopper' was a key to the fish? I'm tempted to think such
situations are actually far more rare than the stories about them in the
magazines.

On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 21:35:24 GMT, "Larry" wrote:

When and where have you experienced good fishing to hopper patterns and
thought that 'hopper' was a key to the fish? I'm tempted to think such
situations are actually far more rare than the stories about them in the
magazines.

It wasn't a hopper, but a butterfly.
The spray from a waterfall hit the insect and forced it on the surface
of the water. I stopped fishing to watch the hapless thing try to get
airborne. It drifted no more than five feet when a big brookie
porpoised and sucked it in with barely a splash. Unfortunately, I
didn't (and still don't for obvious reasons) have a butterfly fly in
my box.

Dave

"Dave LaCourse" wrote

It wasn't a hopper, but a butterfly.



I've had more faith in ( which usually translates into success with ) adult
damsel patterns than hopper patterns in mid summer on the weedy spring
creeks I usually fish.

The biggest moving water trout I've ever hooked was on tiny Loving Creek,
underneath the old train bridge down from Hayspur. I watched that fish
for an hour or more and decided that more than one drift to it without
spooking it was impossible, it was a one shot situation. It was laying in
swirling weeds that made a subsurface presentation seem impossible too (
although it was feeding subsurface )

Finally, I noticed a blue damsel get blown off an emerging weed and mired in
the film. It didn't float by the big fish, but it did inspire. I went
back to camp and found a gawdawful deer hair bass bug, more or less tied to
represent a blue damsel in my stuff.


Back I came and sent the bug down stream to the fish, using a "Fall River
Twitch" ..... the fish rose, sucked it in, ... I set. Roughly 3/4
nanosecond later that fish was a disappearing wake on the other side of that
barbed wire fence across the creek down there, and my line was limp..again.

Breathing rapidly, but not too disappointed, I turned to leave and 'hiding'
on the bank was a DFG guy I knew from my years of staying at Hayspur. He
had seen me trying for the fish and came to witness. He worked in the
Hayspur hatchery and was accustomed to seeing big brood stock fish and
judging their size ... the poundage he mentioned as his guess on 'my' fish
stretches even my ability to believe me, so I'll remain mute G

Since then, I've had several good sessions with adult damsels on windy hot
weather spring creeks.

Larry wrote:

When and where have you experienced good fishing to hopper patterns and
thought that 'hopper' was a key to the fish? I'm tempted to think such
situations are actually far more rare than the stories about them in the
magazines.

Rock Creek Clave, maybe three years ago. It was outstanding. The cutts
were taking hoppers like crazy along the cut banks on the upper part of
the creek.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 15:53:12 -0700, rw wrote:

Larry wrote:

When and where have you experienced good fishing to hopper patterns and
thought that 'hopper' was a key to the fish? I'm tempted to think such
situations are actually far more rare than the stories about them in the
magazines.

Rock Creek Clave, maybe three years ago. It was outstanding. The cutts
were taking hoppers like crazy along the cut banks on the upper part of
the creek.

I caught a bunch of browns on them in the middle part of the creek too, and they
worked well on the Yellowstone when Warren, Willi and I fished it prior to the
clave.
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com

"Charlie Choc" wrote

I caught a bunch of browns on them in the middle part of the creek too,
and they
worked well on the Yellowstone when Warren, Willi and I fished it prior to
the
clave.

did you guys think that 'hopper' was something the fish were really looking
for? Or just one of many things they might have sampled if it looked like
it might be food? You too rw, on the bank feeders

On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 23:25:44 GMT, "Larry" wrote:


"Charlie Choc" wrote

I caught a bunch of browns on them in the middle part of the creek too,
and they
worked well on the Yellowstone when Warren, Willi and I fished it prior to
the
clave.

did you guys think that 'hopper' was something the fish were really looking
for? Or just one of many things they might have sampled if it looked like
it might be food? You too rw, on the bank feeders

Actually, I meant the middle part of Rock Creek as opposed to the upper part. I
caught my fish right up against the bank too.

There were hoppers around so maybe the fish were keying on them, or maybe they
just heard the plop and saw something big and juicy looking. One place I tried
the usual suspects (Adams, stimulators, humpy's, PMD's, etc) with no luck and
then switched to a foam hopper like I had used on the Yellowstone and caught 8
or 9 browns in about 30 minutes.
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com

"Charlie Choc" wrote

One place I tried
the usual suspects (Adams, stimulators, humpy's, PMD's, etc) with no luck
and
then switched to a foam hopper like I had used on the Yellowstone and
caught 8
or 9 browns in about 30 minutes.


that qualifies as proof in my book G


On the subject "hoppers" I was just thie minute trying to mow part of our
weeds ( lawn ) on the only dry day we've had in a long time.

I flushed a big bug, shut down the mower and chased it down. It was a big
hopper, size 8 at least, but still bright green like the baby ones. My
guess ( also qualifies as proof in my book :-) is that it hatched at
'normal' times but has stayed the color of new grass to be camoflaged where
most years it would be tan by now

Larry wrote:
"Charlie Choc" wrote


I caught a bunch of browns on them in the middle part of the creek too,
and they
worked well on the Yellowstone when Warren, Willi and I fished it prior to
the
clave.


did you guys think that 'hopper' was something the fish were really looking
for? Or just one of many things they might have sampled if it looked like
it might be food? You too rw, on the bank feeders

At that time they were hitting black beetles hard, too. I don't believe
that selectivity is a big problem when cutts are feeding on terrestrials.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

"Larry" wrote in message
...
The hopper/dropper thread down the page a bit reminded me this.

One day, several years ago, by weaving back and forth downwind, I managed
to herd about 40 or 50 hoppers in front of me and out onto the 'Bonefish
Flat' section of the HFork. I've read, over and over, about the
'smashing rises' that were going to occur and I excitedly followed the
hapless flotilla downstream, expecting to mark the location of many big
fish.

Well, after following 40 live hoppers maybe 500 yards ( all the way down
into the fast water near the midway bridge) I had seen exactly one rise
and it appeared to be a small fish. 40 times 500 yards is a hell of a
lot of float to get one rise.

Since that I've never gotten up much enthusiam for tying on a hopper, but
I still carry a few.

Actually, I've never experienced 'hopper fishing' that struck me as more
effective than big attractor dry fishing would have been, same time and
place. ( one exception, a high country lake with a patch of grass that
had hundreds of hoppers along the edge...there the fish were hopper
selective ).

When and where have you experienced good fishing to hopper patterns and
thought that 'hopper' was a key to the fish? I'm tempted to think such
situations are actually far more rare than the stories about them in the
magazines.

I have had caught trout on my favorite stream, Upp_r Cree_, on hoppers.
Usually, it is in the dead of summer, when terrestrial are in full bloom, so
to speak. Of course, our trout are opportunists and jump at the chance to
take a morsel as large as a hopper.

However, even in the heat of summer, I don't often fish hoppers, as I like
fishin' dainty patterns cause they light on the water so nicely.

Op --that's right, I ain't much of a fisherman, but I so like wadin' a cool
stream, regardless of my success--