Bullet nosed foam hopper – Chatto original

 

Whilst there are over 2000 species of Grasshoppers and Locust in Australia there are really only three "hoppers" that are of significance to fly fishers.

My bullet nosed foam hopper has a general hopper type form and function and works well in smaller sizes as a representation of a Trouser-Brace hopper or Wingless hopper and in larger sizes with a yellow foam body as a representation of a Yellow Winged hopper.

The incorporation of foam and deer make this a particularly good fast water fly or a fly that will support a wet fly quite comfortably in a dry / wet two fly team.

  1. Significant hoppers for Australian fly fishers

Materials

Hook Thread Wing Tail & under-body Body Legs
Size 10 - 12 Tiemco 3769 Brown Natural colored deer Hair 2 mm closed cell foam Dubbing to match tail Rubber or silicon legs

Process

A
  1. Wind thread along the hook shank in touching turns and return the thread to the eye of the hook.
  2. Tie in a bunch of  deer hair that extends in front of  the hook a distance equal to about one and a half times the length of  the shank.

B
  1. Cut a piece of closed cell foam that is about 3/4 the width of the gape of the hook, about twice as long as the hook shank and finished with a V at the tail end.
  2. Tie The closed cell foam on top of the hook shank with the V extending behind the fly

C
  1. Lightly dub a body over the tied in section of the closed cell foam returning the thread to the 2/3 position on the hook shank.

D
  1. Tie in a pair of rubber legs at the two thirds position.

E
  1. Pull the deer hair back over the head are of the fly.
  2. Take several wraps of thread at the 2/3 position.
  3. Whip finish the thread at the 2/3 position, trim the thread and varnish the finishing thread.