Bearcat's Hopper
By Tom Six (Bearcat - Host of the Tying Chat)
Late summer through fall is the prime time for terrestrials - and grasshoppers
are a dandy fly. This fly is one done for the Sunday night Tying Chat, and
included here for those unable to make it. Other variations are listed at the
end of the tying instructions. ~Tom
Recipe: Bearcat's Hopper
Hook: Tiemco 5256 size 6-10.
Thread: Black 6/0.
Tail: Red hackle fibers.
Body: Yellow poly yarn with brown hackle
palmered over the body and trimmed short.
Wing: Flexament or tying cement coated turkey quill sections,
or spray the feather before you start with Photo Fix Adhesive.
Hackle: Brown and Grizzly mixed.
Tying Steps:
Step 1. Wind the tying thread back to the point above the barb
of the hook, at this point attach the red hackle fibers for the tail.
Step 2. Cut a piece of yellow poly yarn and separate the yarn into it's
individual parts. Take one part and twist it so that it will form a loop
at the middle of the yarn. Attach this right above the position that the
tail is tied onto the hook.
Step 3. Attach a hackle to this position now so that after you wind
the thread and poly yarn forward you can palmer it over the body.
Step 4. Wind the thread forward to the point on the shank about 1 ½ the
distance of the eye back on the shank. Then wind the poly yarn forward,
make sure that the poly yarn covers the shank and also is edge to edge
to form a smooth body. Using the tying thread bind the end down at the
thread position and trim.
Step 5. Palmer the brown hackle over the body and bind it down in the
same position as the tying thread and body material.
Step 6. Trim the brown hackle short all over the body. I trim them to
about 1/16th of an inch approximately.
Step 7. Trim and attach wings.
Step 8. Attach the hackle for the head here. One brown and two grizzly
hackles. Wind the tying thread to the point on the shank where you are
going to start the head, then wind each hackle forward individually and
secure in place and trim.
Step 9. Wind the tying thread to form a smooth tapered head. Whip finish,
trim the tying thread off and use tying cement on head.
Here's another Hopper - easier to tie.
Mossy Hopper
Hook: Mustad 94832 size 6-14.
Thread: Brown 3/0 Monocord.
Tail: Woodchuck guard hair.
Body: Woodchuck underfur.
Wing: Woodchuck guard hairs.
Hackle: Grizzly or brown.
Tying this fly is almost like tying an Elk hair caddis pattern and it looks very similar.
(See picture above.)
Step 1. Attach thread and cover the hook shank from the eye back to the barb.
Step 2. Cut a small clump of woodchuck and comb out the underfur. Tie
the guard hairs in at the rear of the hook with the tips extending back
past the bend of the hook about the distance of the hook gap.
Step 3. Form a dubbing loop and insert a fairly large clump of guard hair
and twist. (First comb out the underfur before putting in the loop) Form
a fur chenile.
Step 4. Wind the body starting at the back of the hook forward to a point
about 2/3rds up the hook shank and tie off.
Step 5. Prepare a large clump of guard hairs and tie in making the tips of
the wing even with the tips of the tail. Leave butts sticking out over the
eye of the hook.
Step 6. Tie in the hackle now where the guard hairs for the wing are tied
down. Wrap the hackle and tie off and trim.
Step 7. Pull up the butts of the wing that are extending over the eye of the
hook and whip finish a head there. Trim the butts even with the eye of the
hook. Trim the hackle to the same width of the hook gap. ~ Tom Six (BEARCAT)
More Grasshoppers:
For information on fishing grasshoppers see,
Not Quite Entomology, part 22. For variations of hopper patterns,
read Al's
Hopper,
Dave's Hopper,
Henry's Fork Hopper and Joe's Hopper.
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