Nice pattern. I like it.
But I can tell by its appearance that's a relatively dense foam. Wholesalers categorize foam but the underlying resin (eva or ethylenevinyacetate, polyethelene, etc) and by its density. I'd guess that's 4lbs per cubic foot foam, which is about the lightest I've seen in fly shops (Evazote, for instance).
But you can get EVA foam as light as 2lbs per cubic foot. Why don't the fly shops sell it? Fly tying thread will typically cut through 2lbs per cubic foot foam if you try to lash it down tightly, which fly tiers tend to do by knee jerk habit. The trick to 2lbs per cubic foot foam is to lash it down loosely. And then to secure it with a strategically placed drop of thin CA glue.
2lbs per cubic foot foam is so light you can use a hopper as a bobber for a big heavy nymph. It makes a huge difference. Retail sources for 2lbs per cubic foot EVA are hard to find. Some day I hope some distributor takes a chance on it. I've been using it for 25 years. I bought 300 dollars worth of it that long ago, for use as boat seat cushions. Hoppers made with ultra light (2lbs per cubic foot) will surprise you. You can mend the line and sink the hopper in fast water. And two seconds later it's back on top again--even when dragging an extra heavy nymph. Half as dense means "floats twice as well."
I got 2lbs per cubic foot EVA from Industrial Rubber in Seattle. But they are wholesale only. And even then they aren't interested in one-time-only sales. They want you to set up a net thirty account, and to be a recurring customer. Someday you'll be able to get it. And you'll never want to use anything else ever again.
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