FEB Hoppers and Quivera Kid

[Bluegill222]

Quivera Kid was up here last weekend. Unfortunately I had to work and didn't get to fish with him, but he came by the store to say hi and left me a handful of really nicely tied soft hackle wet flies to test out for him. I had tied up some of John Scotts FEB Hoppers earlier in the week. So, when I got a day off this week, I headed out to the local pond and took my new flies for a swim

First the Kid's flies:

It did really well until I left it in a tree just out of reach:


Then I switched to the hopper:


That one I managed to keep out of the trees. I put the rest of the Kid's flies in my "pattern only" box by my desk so I'd have them for models along with an FEB hopper. Great flies guys and thanks for, at least vicariously, going along and helping me catch a few fish!

[quivira kid]

Very cool! Glad you liked 'em and they did the job. I wore out some fish with the FEB hopper yesterday afternoon.
I really like that poly yarn that you suggested, Tim. Makes it look a little more full, and is much easier to furl than 3 pieces of antron!
My next goal is to learn slip wing "classic" wets. I'll send you a few when I get the hang of it...

Zac

[steveks]

He wasn't letting that hopper get away.

[Uncle Jesse]

Orvis has a device to retrieve flies out of trees which I copied for my own use. Take a tube a couple of inches long, the tube should be large enough to slip over the tip of your flyrod. I used a body off a small felt tipped marker, plug the end of the tube with a secure plug, attach a large fish hook with the point removed to the tube. Attach a sturdy cord to the hook, I think what I used is called masonry cord and has a breaking strength of around 125 lbs. I would recommend around 12 ft. or more. I wind the cord around a 2 x 4 pieces of flexible foam about an inch thick. It's good to have it attached to something that will float so you can retrieve it when it falls in the water. They usually don't float.