My Hopper - Part 2 ( step - by - step )

Let's start tying 'my hopper' like I promised you during the last post. 

Pierce the extended foam body like in the picture below, then tie the thread on the hook shank. 

Additionally you can use a drop of adhesive ( Patex ) to glue the 2 foam parts together before running the thread over the foam.

Tie on each side a rubber leg. You can put some dubbing ( one row ) on the thorax before you tie in the legs.

After the legs are on, tie on the shank of the hook another piece of polycelon that will build the head. Run your thread back and put some more dubbing on the thorax of the hopper. 

Now it's time to build the wing. First of all I tie some crystal flash fibers and trim them on the bodies length.  Don't use more than 10.

Cover the crystal flash with a bunch of deer hair and then with the premade polyethylene ( plastic bag ) wing. 

Apply more dubbing on the thorax and tie in the front legs like in the picture below. 

For building the head of the hopper, pierce the foam with a thicker needle at the same place where the eye of the hook is, then bend the foam over the hook eye till this is going through the premade orifice like in the picture below.

Now pierce again the foam with the thick needle about 7-8 mm in front of the hook eye, put a drop of Patex on the foam between the hook eye and the new orifice, bend the foam back and get the hook eye through this second premade orifice. 

Tie the head foam behind the front legs and use some glow yearn as an indicator. The hopper is ready for some action. This terrestrial pattern will bring you many fish during the summer months. 

Wish you a lot of fun.

My Hopper - Part 1 ( The Foam Body )

To tie 'my hopper' you have to prepare all the needed parts. The barred rubber legs are a great addition to any hopper or cricket pattern. Just put two of them together and make a knot, then cut one of the two pieces near the knot and the leg is ready. For the wing, I used a thicker plastic bag that I coloured with some black and brown waterproof pencils, then I cut it in the shape of of a hopper wing. Optionally you can use some plastic ball eyes or you can make some of a piece of mono filament. But now lets talk about the extended foam body. It is easier to tie it than it looks like. 

Mount a needle in your vice and pierce a 4 mm wide piece of foam like in the image below. 

Start the thread in front of the foam ( about 4-5 wraps ), then wrap twice over the foam like in the picture. Don't use waxed thread, you may get problems pushing the body off the needle.

Take a few wraps again in front of the foam, bend the foam over the needle and start wrapping the thread over the two foam parts ( about 2-3 wraps ), then continue with 4-5 wraps on the needle.

You chose how many and how big the segments of the extended foam body will be.

When you finished the body, whip finish, cut the thread and secure it with some head cement. Don't pull the body off the needle, push it.

Now it's time to put all the parts together and to tie the hopper.

My Hopper

There are so many hopper patterns, some better tied and more successful than others. The used materials are also very varied. I think that foam ( polycelon ) is the best material for tying terrestrials. It has a high buoyancy and it is easy to work with. An extended foam body is looking very natural and it was my choice in this case. The deer hair wing is covered by a thicker plastic wing ( polyethylen ) cut from a plastic bag. It keeps the hair compact and gives it also a natural look. Also a very important element are the rubber legs that let the fly look alive on the water surface. There will be soon a step-by-step tying tutorial on my blog.  Have fun and a good start into this new year. 

Hook:          Gamakatsu Worm 39, size 4
Abdomen:  extended polycelon body
Thorax:       antron  
Head:          polycelon, same color like the abdomen
Legs:          rubber legs  
Wing:          deer hair, crystal flash, plastic wing