Hoppers

[David L. Darnell]

If you were going to be fishing the Snake & Greys River, Slough Creek, Lamar, Soda Butte in the park and Clarks Fork around Deer Lodge, MT.

Mid to late August, what would be some hoppers and sizes that are must have flies.

I like to believe in showing them something different. God know if Chernobyl Ant will work, surely some of my stuff will

[adam long]

i’m not familiar with those waters, but in my area the charlie boy hopper is a solid pattern. They tie up easily and float very well. There is a tutorial on the charlies fly box site.

[Rich Kovars]

I like this one from one of the board members:  Hopper Juan

I also like the G2 Roope Hooper

For hopper/dropper rigs I like the BC Hopper.

Stimulators also work in a pinch.  

[Rob Snowhite]

I tie about 3 different patterns of hoppers from somewhat realistic to just plain suggestive. More realistic are prettier to the angler and take longer to tie. The suggestive ones can be cranked out real fast and work just as well.

I have found that all patterns work equally well and the fish don’t seem too selective with them from colorado to virginia.

Sure there are lots of colors and hues in hoppers but the fish really only sees its belly and legs. Most hoppers are counter shaded (dark dorsal, light ventral) so I find that if I do tie with color in mind, I only focus on the belly.  I usually go with black to stand out more against the sky. A fish has a certain ‘search pattern’ it uses to look for prey. If something stands out, it might be more likely to be eaten.

The size and how it splats on the water and the drift matter more to me than the color.  

Hoppers either swim to shore or just dead drift. Some will eventually sink.

Go with a variety of sizes and patterns as with the ones mentioned above. As hoppers are a solid meal for a fish I don’t think they’d pass it up, most can’t afford to be that selective.

Let me know if you want pics of my versions.

edit: i tied a bunch of hoppers in a variety of colors and sizes for a group going out to jackson hole last fall. they said the shop they stopped at looked at them and laughed, then proceeded to sell them $200 worth of ‘local’ flies that didn’t catch a fish. They were so fed up with fishing the ‘local’ patterns and getting skunked that they didn’t get around to fishing mine (which would have been a good variable in their attempts), they went out and got drunk.

[David L. Darnell]

I’ve been tying a few #4’s, these are out of LOCO foam.

and plain 2mm foam

[Rob Snowhite]

very buggy looking!

[Steve K.]

David,

Those streams you named get hit pretty hard with hopper patterns. If your favorite hopper doesn’t doesn’t work…..try a small black ant pattern. I also tend to have better success with terrestrials when the wind is blowing….duh.

[Tim Angeli]

David,

Those hoppers you tied up look great!

[Jim Lampros]

Dave, those flies look sick. Awesome stuff. For other patterns, Rainy’s (grand) hopper is the best I’ve fished and a lot of our guides

JL

[Jay Hake]

Rainy’s hopper is killer.

[ron snow]

DD-It’s not hopper season here yet by any means, however:

Photo number -1 Tie that top foam color with the bottom color of photo number 5. I think that would nail the green creek side hoppers.

Number 7 is great just as it is.

Photo number 9, right caught a fish here three days ago.

Not having much luck with the shiny green abdomen colored or the yellow.

Thanks for allowing me to be your field tester!!

[ron snow]

DD-It’s not hopper season here yet by any means, however:

Photo number -1 Tie that top foam color with the bottom color of photo number 5. I think that would nail the green creek side hoppers.

Number 7 is great just as it is.

Photo number 9, right caught a fish here three days ago.

Not having much luck with the shiny green abdomen colored or the yellow.

Thanks for allowing me to be your field tester!!

[Eric Weller]

I’ve always done well in the ‘Park with club sandwich hopper.

[Juan Ramirez]

David,

I like the looks of those hoppers man!  Pretty cool with the legs.  I like your different colors too.  The Hopper Juan has been getting a workout on the streams here in Colorado.  I fished it the kast 4 days on the upper Taylor and S. platte and had a blast with it.  On thing that makes it stand out ..to me.. is the high viz post.  On those days where the sun is low and the clouds move in, it hard to see something on the dark flat water.  The post stands out quite a bit and makes it easier to lacate your fly.  It also did a great job of supporting heavy droppers like a # 14 Copper John.  
Here is another version of The H.J.

Juan

[anonymous]

Those look very nice, however, they look way too complicated.

[David L. Darnell]

DD-It’s not hopper season here yet by any means, however:

Photo number -1 Tie that top foam color with the bottom color of photo number 5. I think that would nail the green creek side hoppers.

Thanks for allowing me to be your field tester!!  🙂

I know how much you enjoy tying but if you need a shortcut fly for the higher elevation creeks around here-Chernobyls-Orange bottom black top, and a tan/tan combination will do it. Again, not much luck on the yellows.

I really like the shape of those Chernobyls you sent last time.

What size would you like  😀

As always, tie up lots of flies for my big trips and end up fishing only a few ;D But I will have plenty of the yellow and brown in the bottom photo, ran out of yellow two years ago and boy did it hurt.

[Tim Pommer]

David,

Sweet looking bugs.

But I’ve always had my best bet on beetles out there, especially on Slough.  16-18.  Trail them off the back of your hopper and fish long down stream drifts.

[David L. Darnell]

David,

I like the looks of those hoppers man!  Pretty cool with the legs.  I like your different colors too.  

Juan

Thanks for the compliment, you are the hopper guru.

[David L. Darnell]

Tim Angeli,

check your parents mailbox 😀

[Tim Angeli]

David,

Thanks!

[Author]

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