There are a lot of great fly tyers in this world, but when it comes
to dry flies, except for a few of my own patterns, I usually tie on a Mike
Lawson, Craig Mathews or Randy Kaufmann creation. That’s not saying
anything bad about the rest, it’s just saying that Randy, Craig and Mike
have developed more of the dry fly patterns I like to use than any of the rest.
Of course, I tend to modify their patterns once in a while. This
week we’ll look at one of those modifications. A few weeks ago we tied
a few Stimulators, one of Randy Kaufmann’s creations. It’s a good hopper
imitation in the right colors, but I decided to modify it a little, and feel I
now have a great hopper pattern.
I doubt I’m the first person to tie this pattern, but I’m the first one
I know of, and in the five years I’ve been tying it I haven’t seen another
one like it, so I get to name it. I named it Al’s Hopper. It isn’t uncommon
for a fly to be named after its creator.
Al’s Hopper is a combination of a Stimulator and a hair head hopper
pattern like the Dave’s Hopper. In fact, if Dave’s Hoppers and Stimulators
were to mate in my fly box, I believe this is the pattern that would result
from that encounter.
Although some of the steps in this pattern are familiar to you if
you’ve been following this series, there is a new twist. This week we learn
how to spin deer hair. Spinning hair isn’t hard if you know how to do it, and
use the right materials. The hair must be hollow, and coarse hair spins better
than fine hair. It’s also important to use strong thread. I use kevlar thread
because it’s strong and is fine enough to do a good job of spinning hair.
I chose to use a spun deer hair head for this fly because it can
be shaped easily, and hollow hair like deer hair floats well, keeping this
hopper pattern on the surface of the water where it belongs. If you wish,
you can purchase deer hair in colors like yellow or olive to give this fly a
hopper colored touch. Of course, tan is also a hopper color, and tan is
the natural color of deer hair, so if you use natural deer hair you won’t be
hurting your chances for success.
Late summer in the western states is prime hopper time. Some
years, the hoppers get so thick, the fish will occasionally ignore hatches
of aquatic insects to concentrate on the larger meal hoppers provide. This
is especially true on windy days when large numbers of grasshoppers are
blown into the water. No self-respecting fish would ignore such a large meal
when it is so easily provided to them.
If you want some exciting action, tie up a few of these flies and
cast them near a grassy stream bank on a windy day in August. I’ve
watched trout leap completely out of the water to dive on a properly presented
hopper pattern. That will get your circulation going for a while. Al’s Hopper
is well suited to fast water; it floats like a cork.
Are you ready for a new adventure? Good. Let’s tie up a few of
my favorite hoppers.
Originally published c. May 11, 2008 on Fly Anglers Online by Al Campbell.