good hopper legs?

[mwebb]

I've been afraid to try a hopper. I didn't think I could pull it off. However, with some instruction from the intermediate tying section, I found them quite easy and rewarding. I've been attatching 4 tied phesant tail barbles (fibers) for each leg. Any tips out there to get the legs to look uniform? Do you guys glue the down leg to the wing? Am I to hasty and just not spending enough time positioning? Sometimes they look good, sometimes a they go straight out?
Thanx,
Matt

[This message has been edited by mwebb (edited 02 September 2005).]

[Betty Hiner]

Matt,
When I make hopper legs, I use a very small crochet hook to tie knots in the pheasant fibers, one to the inside, one to the outside, so they'll lay flat when tied in. Sometimes a drop of head cement on the knot, but usually they stay tied really well. Tie in the section (towards the quill end) to the body, just not really, really tight, and they won't splay out.
Betty

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Trouts don't live in ugly places

[RonMT]

Make sure that you prepair the area were the legs attach to the body so that it is a little flat. If you don't the legs can go just about anyplace they like. Also if you get the body to fat and the area you tie the legs to is to skinny then the legs will stick out real bad. It all takes pratice. After you have tied a few hundred you will get the idea and it will become second nature to you.

Round or flat rubber make great legs. If you use it just tie an over hand knot in them using two strands of the rubber together. After you tie it in place cut one strand off below the knot and you have a great looking leg. If they do not lay right for you do not be afrade to twist and pull on them in the direction that they need to go. If they are tied in well you will do them no harm. I have found that you can realy twist and pull on them without any harm.. You can also color the foot of the leg red or any other color you like with a felt pin. I have also found that hopper patterns work just as well with just one strand of rubber on the side with out the knot in it. Just cut it to body length and you are done. I carry Hoppers in several colors Yellow, Green, Olive, and Tan are a few of them.

I just finished a 6 dozen order for hoppers last night. They will go out in the mail today. I have an old client that likes to fish Hoppers above anything else. He orders that many every year from me.
Don't forget to lay all of your materials out if you want to make time tying them. Ron

[William Fitzgerald]

What will they think of next--they now have pre-formed rubber hopper legs. Look real in nine colors.

Any one with Paul Jorgensen book "Favorite Flies" can use his loop leg maker that he calls "Jorgensen leg knoting machine"just a loop of mono in a vice to wrap the material around and pull thru the loop.

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Bill

[MR.JML]

Yep,
Those new TNT hopper legs are the best. Created a Deer Creek Plopper in different colors back in December for German Brown's Hopper Swap (including Black Cricket), & it has been a killer pattern for me ever since !!!

[ducksterman]

RonMT....Any chance you've got a picture to share of the hopper you use?

[This message has been edited by ducksterman (edited 02 September 2005).]

[flyangler]

A black and beige foam parachute hopper with plain ol' rubber legs was our best fly in AB and BC the last two weeks. In fact, almost any offering with rubber legs got scarfed up. Stimulators, Stoneflies, Stonefly Nymphs, - I even contemplated tying them onto a BWO.

[RonMT]

ducksterman- I do have one but I have no way to put it up here. I am on my son's computer and he does not have anyway for me to get it on line. I lost my computer and camera dock the works in the flood we had. I will be up and running in a month or so. Thanks to some great people on this site. I would like to share a lot of pattern's with you folks as soon as I can get things back together. Ron

[ducksterman]

Thanks Ron,
I was wondering how you were doing. Glad to hear you are getting there but had hoped it would be sooner than later. I saw you were posting some but did notice they were only occasional. I'm sure we are all looking forward to your "full time" return.