TIM JACOBS FLY FISHING Fly Tying

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Fly Tying
Tying Hopper Patterns
Fly Tying Seminars 2011 - 2012
Hopper Patterns
•Joe’s Hopper
• Letort Hopper
• Dave’s Hopper
•BC Hopper
Introduction
Melanoplus differentialis-
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As a beginning fly fisherman, long before I unraveled the complexities of aquatic
hatches, I understood that trout ate terrestrial insects. In late summer, camping along
the North Branch of the Au Sable river, I would walk up to the meadows above the
Sheep Pasture campground in the morning and collect a few grasshoppers before they
became too active. Tossing them into the river, letting them float through likely looking
holding water it was exciting to see the trout rise to them. We would follow-up with
our hopper patterns with some success. However it wasn’t until a few years later that
I truly understood what a “grasshopper wind” could mean.
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Fishing below the 3-Dollar bridge on the Madison in southwestern Montana,
Stan and I had spent that early August morning fishing the aquatic hatches of pale
morning duns and drifting a few nymph patterns with some success to smaller fish.
About mid-day the wind began to blow. As our five weight rods were becoming difficult
to cast, I returned to the car and retrieved my seven-weight rod. While I didn’t actually see any hoppers being blown
into the river, with the wind and huge grassy meadows lining the river a hopper seemed a logical pattern to use. I began fishing the outside edge of a long gravel bar that ran parallel to the current. On the first cast a large fish moved out
of the deeper water and inhaled my Dave’s Hopper. As I set the hook the fish immediately ran to the faster currents.
Walking downstream with the fish, I pressured him into the quiet water below the gravel bar along the side of the river.
It was a beautiful 20-inch rainbow trout. After releasing the fish I moved back into casting position and made a second
cast with the same result. During the next hour I caught and released 6 more fish, a mixture of rainbow and brown
trout between 18 and 22 inches. A few years later I had a repeat of this experience along the side of Red Creek rapids on
the Green River. Fishing hopper and other terrestrial patterns became a central strategy to my summer fishing.
Common Short Horned
Grasshopper
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Fly Tying Seminar
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The flies that I will be tying are a mixture of older patterns and newer patterns. The Joe’s Hopper, originally
known as the Michigan Hopper was originated by Art Winnie during the 1940’s and evolved along with its name during the 1950’s. This pattern is memorable as it was the first hopper fly I used all those years ago along on the Au Sable
River in Michigan. There was also that huge 28-inch brown trout that a woman caught on the Firehole River in Yellowstone Park using a spinning rod, casting bubble, and a Joe’s Hopper. I was amazed. !
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The Letort hopper is a pattern that Ernie Schwiebert originated during the 1950’s along with the group of anglers that included the likes of Vince Marino, Charlie Fox and others. Tied in black it becomes a Letort Cricket.
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Along with the Muddler Minnow and Joe’s Hopper it’s easy to see the inspiration that Dave Whitlock used to
create the Dave’s Hopper. This is still probably one of the most popular grasshopper imitations in use today. This fly
incorporates legs, which adds to its fish appeal. I use a Dave’s Hopper as much as all the other hopper flies put together.
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Finally the CDC Rubber Let Hopper is a Rene’ Harrop pattern and was developed with the slow flows of the
Henry’s Fork River in mind. This fly hits the water and floats in the film rather that on the water like some more buoyant hopper flies.!
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- Tim Jacobs
A Frying Pan River Brown Trout that took a black cricket pattern
2
Nullam arcu leo, facilisis ut
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• JOE’S HOPPER
Hook: TMC 5263 or Mustad 9672 or 94831
Glue: Zap-a-Gap
Thread: UTC (140) Hopper Yellow
Tail: Red Ice Fur
Body: Rainy’s Float Foam ribbed with brown hackle
Wing: Matching Turkey Wing Quill Sections
Hackle: Grizzle or Cree and Brown
The original pattern calls for a red deer hair tail and a wool or poly yarn body.
• D AV E ’ S H O P P E R
Hook: TMC 5263 or 5212
Thread: UTC (140) Hopper Yellow, UTC GSP 100 (hair head)
Tail: Red Ice Fur
Body: Pale Yellow Poly Yarn ribbed with Brown Hackle
Legs: Knotted Pheasant Tail
Under Wing: Yellow or Natural Deer Hair
Wing: Turkey Wing Quill Sections
Head: Stacked Deer Hair
One of the most effective hopper patterns that I fish.
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• LETORT HOPPER
Hook: TMC 5263 or Mustad 9672 or 94831
Thread: UTC (140) Hopper Yellow, UTC GSP 100 (hair head)
Body: Dirty Yellow, Tan or other hopper color dubbing
Wing: Turkey Wing Quill Sections
Head: Flared and Trimmed Natural Deer Hair
Tie this pattern with black head, wing and body and it become a Letort
Crick. One of my favorite cricket patterns.
• CDC RUBBER LEG HOPPER
Hook: TMC 100
Thread: UTC (140) Tan, Brown or Hopper Yellow
Body: Tan or Yellow Deer Hair over a Mono Core
Under Wing: Dun Colored CDC Feathers
Wing: Turkey Wing Quill Sections
Legs: Tan Rubber Legs
A low riding fly that give a very natural impression in the water.
Fly Tying Seminars 2011 - 2012
Special Techniques
Some of the techniques needed to tie these flies
Treating Wing Feathers
Use a art fixative like Krylon’s Workable fixatif to treat wing feathers. This
make working with the feathers much easier.
Hair Spinning Thread
If you are frustrated with breaking thread when spinning the deer hair heads
try using a gel spun thread like UTC’s GSP 100. I use the size 100 for all of my
smaller flies but increase the size to the 200 for deer hair bass bugs. Unlike a
waxed nylon thread which will adhere to the hook with a few wraps, you must
anchor this thread with Zap-A-Gap glue due to its slippery texture.
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Suggested Reading
A L M Y , G E R A L D . ( 1 9 7 8 ) T Y I N G A N D F I S H I N G T E R R E S T R I A L S . H A R R I S B U R G , PA . S T A C KP O L E B O O K S ( I S B N # 0 - 8 11 7 - 1 7 4 6 - 1 )
H A R R O P , R E N E ’ . ( 2 0 1 0 ) L E A R N I N G F R O M T H E W A T E R . M E C H A N I C S B U R G , PA . S T A C KP O L E B O O K S ( I S B N # 0 - 8 11 7 - 0 5 7 9 - X )
K O C H , E D . ( 1 9 9 0 ) T E R R E S T R I A L F I S H I N G . H A R R I S B U R G , PA . S T A C K P O L E B O O K S
( I S B N # 0 - 8 11 7 - 0 9 2 8 - 0 )
S C H W I E B E RT , E R N E S T . ( 1 9 8 4 ) R E M E M B R A N C E S O F R I V E R S P A S T (GRASSHOPPER
B E R K E L E Y , C A . C R E AT I V E A R T S B O O K C O ( I S B N # 0 - 9 1 6 8 7 0 - 7 1 - 5 )
WIND, P. 101) .
W H I T L O C K , D AV E ( 2 0 1 0 ) “ T R O U T A N D T H E I R F O O D ” N E W Y O R K , N Y. S K Y H O R S E P U BLISHING (ISBN # 978-1-60239-693-7)
Notes
Fly Tying Seminars 2005 - 2006 Fly Tying Seminars 2005 - 2006