Using foam flies

[NewTyer 1]

I recently read an article in Fly Fishing Magazine about Hoppers. They went over many technics of fishing them and the different types but, the one thing they iterated through out the whole article was this. The foam hoppers were just too light when compared to a live hopper by 2-3 grains. They did not hit the water with the same fish attracting spat that the live hopper had. They best match to the live hopper was the Jay-Dave Hopper which has a weight almost identical. There is no reason I think not to use foam but remember you may have to put just the smallest amount of weight in order to get the splat need to attract the fish.

[Longs for Cutts]

I would think this would only matter in the few moments after the fly hit, or in extremely flat water (where ants & beetles are usually better anyway). When you are fishing hoppers in rough water like we do here, or stretching out the drift in average water, the initial splat wouldn't much matter. You could also just stop your cast a touch harder if you want a harder landing.

[CoachBob]

With the right cast you can delicately land a hopper or can make it hit the water like a rifle shot.
Frankly, I think the author of that article was...um...mistaken.

[ScottP]

I usually tie my hoppers with heavier hooks (when I used to tie Chernobyls, they always landed on their backs so I thought a nymph/streamer hook would help), and after a few casts the hair wings and heads absorb a bit of water; whether that makes any difference is problematic. I catch fish on fresh flies and ones that have been on for a while; how you cast and where you cast is more important. I have absolutely no problem making my hoppers hit the water with a real good splat; now if you want something delicate, I'm at a loss.

Regards,
Scott

[DG]

I am with coach and cutts. All my hoppers are foam, and I have no complaints. The caster is responsible for how the fly enters the water, and it is certainly easy enough to splat a big fat foam fly into the surface against the bank. These are trout after all, not physicists.

[JohnScott]

... forgot to weigh the hopper before I presented it here with no splat at all ...



... and this deaf and dumb trout ...



... still went after it and ate it.

Just my luck.

John

P.S. A couple other trouts have fallen for that trick the past few years.

[NewTyer 1]

You are correct in the fact that the auther was talking about flat water and I forgot to mention that, my bad. I also neglected to say that he also went over a number of cast that would make the hopper hit the surface with a little more force, again my bad. I did however think his observation is correct as far as the weight goes. I myself have used many foam hoppers and caught fish all the time. That is one big fat trout. I would love to fish those dumb and deaf trout myself.

[JohnScott]

... for the record, my comments are in no way intended to refer to the Jay-Dave Hopper. Jay Buchner has a well deserved reputation as an outstanding fly angler and tier from the Intermountain West.

The problem I had all day long before posting here was doing the math. 1 grain is 1/7000 th of a pound. So 1 grain is 1/437 th of an ounce. So 2 grains is about 1/215 th of an ounce.

I can't even begin to imagine what weighs 1/215 th of an ounce. Maybe a few extra deer hairs on the pattern shown in my fish porn ?? Maybe the difference between a straight eye hook and a down eye hook ??

So it's not at all about the Jay-Dave Hopper. It's about reality. Flat water or ripping. Sure, in some situations that "splat" will have some importance. Maybe 1/215 th of an ounce worth ??

John

[JohnScott]

... if the article in Fly Fisherman mentioned fishing foam hoppers when ...



... there is ice on the water ...



... and the slush ice might muffle any splat from any weight hopper ...





... but that the fishies might still eat them ...





... given the chance ?? Like on November 28 this year ??

John

[bgreer]

That whole weight difference between a foam hopper and a real hopper sounds like an April Fool's article to me. The foam hopper being light by 2 or 3 GRAINS.
Three grains is .007 of an ounce. If a person was able to make perfectly identical casts, time after time, the wind would make impose more than a 3 grain difference on the fly hitting the water.

If the argument was made that the 3 grains changed how deep the fly floated in the film, then the size (volume) of the fly would make a big enough difference to alter the buoyancy. Hence, making if float higher or lower in the water.