Easy Hopper Pattern

[Matt Frey]

Hey Guys
I was wondering if anyone had an easy hopper pattern that they would like to share. I have tyed one "Dave's Hopper". It was also my first time spinning deer hair, and it didnt turn out as well as I had hoped. So, I was hoping one of you guys might have another pattern for me to try out.
Thanks in advance,
Matt

[Matt Frey]

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i94/mattpfrey/IMGP0684.jpg

[Steve Potter]

Matt-That will catch just as many as the one Dave ties.
One easy way to make it look a little more like the orginal is to stack
the first bunch of deer hair and have the tips of the hair extending to the
hook point. For the first time you are doing great. Keep it up.
Steve

[Charlie Gonzales]

I use a Raineys body and rubber legs, then spin a hair head.Its faster than palmering hackle and dealing with pheasant tail legs. Make sure not to cut the rubber legs while trimming the hair. Same fly can be used for stones or October caddis with a little color variation. Your fly will definatley catch fish. The Yuba used to have great hopper fishing.

[Darian]

Matt,.... in spinning deer hair, practice makes perfect. I mean, practice, practice, practice. You need a tool (commercial or homemade) that will help you pack the hair tightly. Then, use a razor blade (double edge, broken in half or single edge) to do your trimming. Make sure to use sharp blade. 8) 8)

In the meantime, as Steve said, your fly will still catch fish. :D :D :D

[Hairstacker]

Matt, don't give up on the deer hair! It's a handy tying skill to develop and you'll get better rapidly with practice. I've definitely seen a lot worse for a first time effort.

[Matt Frey]

Thanks guys. To some degree I knew what I was doing wrong. Since it was my first time tying this pattern, I had a lot of excess material under my thread. As a result I was having a hard time to get the deer hair to spin all the way around. I also didnt have a razor blade and tried to trim the hair with scissors. I will try it again.

Hey Mike
I agree its a good skill to learn. That's why I tried in the first place. I need to get my hands on some more deer hair. I really like to fish a spun deer hair yellow sally pattern and I want to try that pattern soon.

What other hopper patterns do you guys use?

Matt

[mike N]

How about a para hopper? No spinning of hair required.


MN

[Hairstacker]

Matt, keep in mind that, in addition to "spinning" deer hair, you can also "stack" it. No question, it is much easier to spin deer hair on a bare hook. For those occasions, though, when I need to build up packed deer hair on top of other materials that might make it difficult to spin the hair, I prefer to stack it instead. You can even achieve a really dense hopper head by stacking alone if that's what you're shooting for.

To stack hair, all you do is place the bundle of hair in place on the hook and wrap tight thread wraps around the middle of the bundle to flare the hair, all the while maintaining a hold on the hair so it doesn't move around the hook. Use a fairly thick bundle of hair but keep in mind you can also stack hair on top of other stacked hair (or spun hair) to achieve more density.

For your hopper, try stacking a couple of bundles in place on top of the hook and another bundle in place underneath the hook. You can also stack a bundle on each side of the hook as well, if you prefer. Make certain (this is important!) all your thread wraps for these bundles are in precisely the same place. Once you've cinched all these hair bundles tightly in place with a couple more thread wraps, work the thread to the front, give it 3 or 4 thread wraps in front of the bundles and a couple of half-hitches, then pack the hair and thread wraps back as tightly as you can with your finger tips or a packing tool and repeat the whole process until you get to the hook eye where you can tie it all off with a whip finish. You should end up with a pretty tightly packed head.

By way of example, here's a fly I tied entirely by stacking deer hair (aside from the tail of course :)). There is no "spun" deer hair on this fly, only "stacked":

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/BlackbirdDiver.jpg

Try it, it may work out better for you (although you should continue to practice spinning deer hair as well).

[JD]

There are tons of simple hopper patterns out there, and while I agree with everyone who has said that practice makes perfect, I've always thought Dave's Hopper to be just a bit more work than it is worth. The Chernobyl Ant is probably the easiest hopper pattern out there and there are a bunch of other foam hoppers I like that you might consider, e.g.:

http://www.gbflycasters.org/fly%20tying/patterns/Klodhopper/Klodhopper.htm

http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/details.cfm?parentID=16

[Darian]

JD,.... You're absolutely correct about the complexity of Dave's Hopper. One of my favorite foam patterns is one tied by Ken Hanley. Ken demonstrated tying this pattern at Kiene's Expo. 8) 8)

An alternative, simplified hopper pattern involves tying a bullethead (?) made from deer hair. The deer hair is tied in at the front of the hook shank by the butts with the tips of the hair facing out over the eye. The hair is bent back, evenly around the shank, and then tied off near the shoulder. Simple but durable/effective.... 8) 8) 8)

[slage]

Hairstacker-

That fly is insane!
Beautifully done as always.

[Matt Frey]

Mike,
Thanks for the pointers on stacking hair. I am a little confused but I think I will just have to try it to see how it pans out.

Darian
Are you talking about Ken's "KH Pygmy Hopper"?

Thanks again
Matt

[Steve Potter]

You should autograph that with a ballpoint pen its so tight. I have a grasshopper pattern that they used on the Green River in Utah for the Cicada hatch, its great on the Stan in the fall when the hoppers are around. I try to post a picture.
Steve

[Darian]

Yeah.... I think that's the name of it.... :-k :-k :-k

[Matt Frey]

Is this it?
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i94/mattpfrey/KHPigmyHopper.jpg

[k.hanley]

That's one of the color variations Matt. Let your imaginaition go wild. My all-time favorite is actually a combo of dark olive,light olive,caddis green.

The fly is designed to ride low and make a subtle waking action when puppeteered.
Cheers, Ken
PS: Thanks Darian for the kind words... and Hairstacker that is one awesome looking hairbug!

[Steve Potter]

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t157/RStevePotter/DSC02906.jpg

This will also do as a indicator fly with a copper john or zebra midge tied
to it.
Later
Steve Potter

[Hairstacker]

Thanks fellas!

Steve -- that is sweet! The color work on that fly is just awesome!