The hopper myth?

There are streams in and around the Yellowstone area where the fish
will hit hoppers and ants, but not the usual arsenal of dry flies. In
many cases, the "hopper season" kicks in around July 20 or so. I have
floated many different dry fly patterns (wulff's, caddis, drakes, BWO,
so forth) over the same hole, only to have zero hits except for an
occasional small trout that was more curious than determined. I then
would tie on a well defined hopper pattern (usually a long skinny
hopper , with a small white parachute at the head), only to have 14-16
inch rainbows rush off then bottom to take the hopper. They definitely
key on them, and not only will you get more fish, but many times the
hoppers will bring the larger fish right up from the bottom of the
deepest pools and runs.

I was fishing a stream a year or so ago just north of Yellowstone on a
Montana national forest. I had approached a wide bend in the river,
amid some good sized cliffs with pines and cottonwoods scattered in
lovely tall grass meadows. It was one of the deeper pools on the river.
At the head of the pool, a large old log sticks just barely out of the
water. Just beyond it is the deeper water. I made many casts with some
caddis, BWO's, wulff's, humpy's, stimulators, drakes, you name it. Not
a fish took, and this was about as "good fish" water as you are going
to find anywhere. I tied on a very detailed hopper pattern and made a
nice cast to just beyond that log. Immediately, a 22-24 inch rainbow
leaped out ofthe water, with my hopper in it's mouth. It had a belly
like a bison, and slapped down into the water like a big fat beaver. I
set the hook, and within seconds the rod was doubled over and I had
gone to my backing as the fish ran downstream. It then broke off.


Hoppers are good.

I find they work much better out in the northern rockies where they
actually have trout in the streams.

Larry wrote:

[when and where hoppers have worked]

To add to the chorus, down here in Texas hoppers can be useful.
Anytime after the beginning of April I carry a few different varieties
in my flybox. From realistic flies like Dave's and Joe's hoppers to the
"club sandwich" monstrosities, and my little variation on the Madame X,
all will take bass or sunfish.

I haven't seen anything approaching a "hatch"; rather the fish seem
to feed opportunistically on them (i.e., that looks big and juicy so
I'll take a shot at it). And strangely enough, I've had decent luck
midstream rather than just "pounding the banks" with them.

But perhaps the best thing about fishing hoppers is that it's one
time when my atrocious casting doesn't hurt my chances of catching fish.
Heck, all the experts say you're *supposed* to splat them on the
water. :-)


Chuck Vance (and that's one trick I have mastered)

"rw" wrote



Bechler River, Yellowstone Park,

Now that knee surgery has me getting around a little better, the Bechler is
on my list ... by the descriptions I've read, including yours, it sounds
like my kinda place. I'll be sure to carry some hoppers.

"Jimbo" wrote

.. I tied on a very detailed hopper pattern and made a
nice cast to just beyond that log. Immediately, a 22-24 inch rainbow
leaped out ofthe water, with my hopper in it's mouth.


What pattern do you use? Can you post a link to a picture and recipe? If
I'm going to tie up some hoppers might as well do it right.

Larry wrote:
"rw" wrote




Bechler River, Yellowstone Park,


Now that knee surgery has me getting around a little better, the Bechler is
on my list ... by the descriptions I've read, including yours, it sounds
like my kinda place. I'll be sure to carry some hoppers.

Take bear spray.

I've heard of (but not seen) a hot spring at the Bechler where you can
hook a trout and then plop in into the hot spring to be poached. (the
cooking kind of poaching)

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

The Bechler hot springs is at the extreme north end
of the meadow, right where the trail starts to head
up the mountain toward Lewis Lake.

It's big enough to actualy swim in.
It's almost 11 miles from the Ranger Station.
My dad and I were soaking in there once, when
a bare breasted amazon like pony-tailed hippy-woman hiker
arrived, coming down off the mountain
from the Lewis lake side. She didn't bat an eye. She just dropped
her backpack and jumped in there with us.

Larry wrote:

What pattern do you use? Can you post a link to a picture and recipe? If
I'm going to tie up some hoppers might as well do it right.

I don't have a picture but here's the hopper recipe I use:

Hook: Mustad 79580 (or similar 4X) 14-10
Thread: Yellow or Black 6/0
Rib: Gold wire
Abdomen: Floss or dubbing to match your local hopper
Body: Brown hackle
Wing: Mottled turkey quill coated with Flexament
Legs: Knotted pheasant tail fibers
Thorax: Tan dubbing
Hackle: Grizzly

Tie in the rib at the tail then dub forward to the 60% mark and tie in a
brown hackle. Palmer the hackle backward and tie off with the rib. Wrap
the rib forward to the 60% mark and tie off. Trim the top side of the
hackle flat so the wing will fit properly. Tie in the wing, the legs and
a grizzly hackle at the 60% mark. Dub with tan dubbing to just before
the eye then wrap the grizzly hackle forward and tie off. Finish.

It looks like a Joe's Hopper with legs.

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote

Legs: Knotted pheasant tail fibers
Thorax: Tan dubbing
Hackle: Grizzly

Tie in the rib at the tail then dub forward to the 60% mark and tie in a
brown hackle. Palmer the hackle backward and tie off with the rib. Wrap
the rib forward to the 60% mark and tie off. Trim the top side of the
hackle flat so the wing will fit properly. Tie in the wing, the legs and
a grizzly hackle at the 60% mark. Dub with tan dubbing to just before
the eye then wrap the grizzly hackle forward and tie off. Finish.

It looks like a Joe's Hopper with legs.


Thanks Ken ... I'll tie a few ....

slight aside .... in some fly shop somewhere I saw a pheasant tail feather
all neatly divided into pre-tied hopper legs ... doing that for a living as
got to be way down anybody's list of preferred gigs

"rw" wrote


Take bear spray.



I probably am going to buy some bear spray this year. I've only seen three
grizzly bears in all the times I've been to Jellystone, starting in 1971,
but I've had a couple people very seriously tell me that I should avoid
going alone into some places .. and I should carry spray in others.
People that weren't in a position to sell me spray G

Age, I guess, but I'm definitely not as bold as I once was. I tend to worry
about things like breaking a leg or getting lost ( I was really good at
x-country trail-less travel in the Sierras, but the downed trees and lack of
distinct landmarks makes the Yellowstone area seem far more daunting off
trail ). Things that I thought about back then but never 'worried about.'
And bears,too, more than I ever did when younger. Especially since I'm
hiking alone.

HEHE,
I was chatting with John Jurachek ( really nice, very knowledgeable, guy )
one evening and asked about "really needing " bear spray. He started on an
elaborate "If I hadn't had it that time" story which I soon interrupted with
my very impressed "Really?"

At that, he and the other locals in the room cracked up and I knew I'd been
had .... by 'gullible tourist story # 4, variation b ' G



.................................................. .................................

"If they call it tourist season, why can't we shoot them?"

Thanks Ken ... I'll tie a few ....

slight aside .... in some fly shop somewhere I saw a pheasant tail feather
all neatly divided into pre-tied hopper legs ... doing that for a living as
got to be way down anybody's list of preferred gigs


Hopper patterns are very popular in southern Alberta, and very
effective, particularly for rainbows and cutts. I use a deer hair hopper
with the knotted pheasant tail legs. The legs really aren't that hard
to make, you can basically knot them using a pair of fine-tipped forceps
or pliers. Hold a clump of fibres in your fingers. loop them around the
forceps, place the tag end into the jaws of the forceps, clamp, and pull
through the loop. You can find illustrated directions on page 214 of
"Tying Flies with Jack Dennis and Friends". The hopper pattern I like to
use is called the Flat Creek Hopper, and is from the same book. It
floats like a cork, and the trout will really hammer it. I used it on a
float trip down the Oldman River once. I would float it along the bank,
and the rainbows would just slam it.

Tim Lysyk