FOAM BODY GRASSHOPPER
This hopper is probably an evolution of several others I have seen and copied different features from each. I cannot claim its original because someone else probably did it first. There will be prettier ones tied, but the fish seemed to like it, it has that “cripple” look.
Materials:
¼” thick foam door hanger (EVA sheet foam)- turkey tail feather
- hopper yellow 140 UTC thread
- body hair from a large antlered animal (deer or elk)
- No. 8 Eagle Claw Aberdeen hook
- brown saddle hackle
This is a good time to make a couple of hind legs for the hopper. Select 3 or 4 long barbs from a turkey tail feather, pheasant would probably work also.
Using an electrical test clip I tie two knot in the fibers, a knee joint and an ankle.
The finished leg is below, lay this aside somewhere you can find it in a few minutes.
Start thread at midpoint of shank and wrap back to the bend, tip mount a suitable feather from the saddle.
Cut a body of the size you desire from the foam door hanger, I like to cut off corners, since I haven’t seen a lot of grasshoppers with square corners. I then cut a taper at the head end of the body.
Tie in the body, leaving room for a deer hair head.
Wrap the thread toward the hook bend creating body segments and back over the wraps to the rear.
Palmer the hackle through the body segment and tie off.
Find your hind legs and tie them in just behind where the wing and head will be added. Trim the waste or sweep them back for fore legs.
Cut a bunch of deer hair, defuzz and even up the ends. Soft wrap and pull second wrap snug. The next step is your choice; you can finish the head like an elk hair caddis, or added a second bunch of hair and spin it to make a larger head.
I added a small second bunch of hair, with a bit of a spin, and trimmed to shape. Whip finished and cement. You can now shorten the extended body if you like
s:
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