Well at age 53 and still fighting cancer, I wonder where the future is going. I have tied flies for 30 odd years.
I have seen the foam fly craze and said that I would never tie a foam fly (just old school or set in my ways I guess). But in light of everything and not feelin to good these days,I have been grounded at home…so, I dug out the vice and try my hand at “my foam grasshoppers”, took it fishing and well…they work:)
(thanks goes out to board member [AlbaSurf]((old forum link — no longer available)) for sending me some foam…guess we’ll blame her for all of this 
)
Nice looking flies, nice fish, too. They tie up easy, they’re durable, what’s not to like, eh?
Very nice looking and most times they fish better than they look. The only fish I havn’t caught opn a foam fly so far is a carp and I hope to change that soon.
Nice looking hoppers, although I am 11 years older I have only been tying half as long as you, but I love tying with foam. I saw a couple of things on you hoppers I haven’t been doing but will include in my next group. What a friend calls R&D, Rob & Duplicate. From the bass you are holding I am guessing the ultimate critics approved of the pattern.
Good luck with the cancer. The advances we are making with medicine are amazing.
Thank you Uncle Jesse (nice name, but my Son is a Jesse too)…love your R&D idea…now can I R&D your quote on God?
I’m fighting CML since 2004, my mircle chemo pill just stop working, so we will try a new one…yup, were all in Gods hands everyday.
If Mr. Pearson doesn’t object to you using the quote, I certainly do not. I like that little bit of sparkle in the wing. Some one posted a “strike indicator / foam hopper” a couple of weeks back. I really liked the body, changed the wing to deer hair and will add an eye to the next version and probably try some turkey tail fiber legs. I think the turkey fiber give a better look, rubber gives more action, decisions, decisions. The fish probably don’t really care, they think grasshoppers, taste like chicken, yum. I will put us a photo of the other pattern when I get some tied. If you find yourself in Atlanta give me a call and we will go chase something, right now I tend to trout fish as my main bream/bass lake shutdowns due to the heat and the 50 deg. water is so much more comfortable to float.
Cancer is certainly a hideous disease. My wife lost an uncle and aunt several years ago. My side of the family has been lucky from that standpoint, I had a non-Hoskins lymphnome removed from my chest 9 years ago, but we got it before it did any harm. I am the poster child for watching irregular dark spots on your skin. I did and we got it before it got me. We have had several survivors in my church including one friend who had a level 4 brain tumor go into remission for over 10 years. She saw both sons graduate from high school, which is what she prayed for, before it came back. I just saw on Facebook today the youngest just got his bachelors from Univ. of Ga.
Remember, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” The apostle James had pretty good connections.
Excellent flies - those dog’s will hunt! Thanks for sharing. I’m a foam convert and use it it many of my creations. I just tied up some 'Hopper Juan" hoppers using foam; can’t wait to try them out.
Kelly.
I love the way your flies look & it looks like the fish approve too.
Best wishes in your battle with cancer. I hope you beat that dirty so and so.
Looks like you still have it, nice looking flies Butternut-Tyer!!!
thanks for the remarks and encouragement…been fighting this since 2004 and was doing very well,now my meds stop working and I am now trying a new med. With Gods help, I’ll kick it’s *** again.
For what it’s worth… through out my ordeal, this fly tying / fishing passion has always help me get through. Sometimes it’s just the simple things in life that have true meaning.
Atta boy Gordie! Nice flies. I’m glad you are enjoying yourself. Your foam hoppers look great!
thanks Greg
thanks cycler68
Very nice flies! Foam is a source that I have always avoided as well…but they look pretty slick. I reckon you can’t ignore something that catches fish:^)
As a fellow Cancer Survivor, my hat is off to you…good luck Sir! From the way it sounds, much of your success has been your personal outlook on life. My best to you.
Just change your way of thinking, i.e., foam is a plastic; plastics are a product of the petro-chemical industry; petroleum come from dinosaur and plant life from years ago that have transform to oil; It’ s not foam it’s refined dinosaur.
I got off topic. Shoulda made this a pm. Tried to but Gordie’s pm box is full…nobody can pm him till he cleans it out some…
Gordie, what is cml cancer? Lost my wife of 38 years to a 4yr battle of cancer. I have been going to the valley to get a full body skin check once a year for 5 years now. Paid off this year. I now have had my first and only I hope…skin cancer cut out. The biopsy indicates they “got it all”. I am also a poster child for spots to watch. Very interesting though. My beautiful blonde dermatologist made a comment that really lit the light bulb. All she said was “you have never been fond of wearing shorts have you?” Man I knew immediately what she was geting at. Underneath the thick material of blue jeans…from the waist down I look like a 30 yer old. Clean as a whistle. Anywhere the skin has been exposed to the sun I got’s the spots. All kinds, moles, warts, scaly lesions, skin tabs…I find it interesting that all of these spots are different in nature. Therefore each should be caused by some different trigger. But below my belt line I have NONE of these spots…regardless of what kind of skin lesion they are!
Anyway…mine was called Basal Skin Cancer. I don’t know much. She is a 4 hour drive away from my little town. It is my understanding there are four kinds of skin cancer. Basal, something, something, and then Melanoma. My wife had a breast tumor but two years later cancer on liver, both lungs and brain. She fought it hard but didn’t make it. Brain radiation for 21 days in a row.
Sorry, thinking out loud. Didn’t mean to get this far off track, but both subjects, foam flies and cancer are very interesting in this thread.
I will commece praying for you sincerely Gordie. I promise. Every night.
wow those look great and I hope you start feeling better very soon.
Gordie,
your pm box is full. nobody can send you a private message now. Maybe you like it that way? <grin> My telephone line was out from Monday last week till Sunday. I got to liking it…
Anywhoooo…you inbox is full…
Those flies look good.