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Hopefully you guys saw my video on the large “Texas sized” grasshopper. If not, then watch it here... https://youtu.be/sOnY-HqOV6Y This hopper was created for bass and is a very large hopper pattern. My first video on this fly was a popular video gaining many views quickly, however I’ve improved on this fly, so I want to share with you the new and improved version now. I added a foam wing case and used bucktail instead of elk hair to make the underwing longer. I also added some red rubber legs to mimic the red in the flies legs. This hopper pattern is going to do amazing here in south Texas catching the large and aggressive bass. There aren't many dry flies specifically able to target bass out there, other than say a popper. And I really do think this will end up being one of my go to bass flies. It floats so well, that I can drop a streamer under it with some light split shot. It really is almost unsinkable. Here is a list of all the materials I used on this fly, and links to where you can purchase them. Hook : Risen streamer 300 size 6 Thread : Veevus 140 in brown Hook wrap : Gold chenille Body : 2mm foam in gold and brown Legs : Jig skirt replacements Flash : Gold krystal flash Wing : Bleached elk hair Adhesive : Brush on superglue Marker : Brown sharpie

In my opinion, the Stimulator is one of the best flies for using as an indicator. It floats high, is super buoyant, and mimics a large range of bug species. I could be wrong, but I believe it was originally created to be a stonefly imitator, however it can easily mimic hoppers, and even large caddis if tied to the correct sizes. Being very buoyant means that you can drop a bead head nymph behind it, or another small dry fly. This thing will hold up a large variety of other flies. Also, being such a large size, fish tend to hammer this fly hard! Some of my best strikes, where the fish literally came out of the water, have been with a stimulator. Using different colors of hackle, and dubbing can give you different effects. For my local streams in Colorado, this orange/brown body, with tan/grizzly head works great! But your local streams and rivers might vary. The hook commonly used for this fly is one with long shank, but with a curve to it. The hook I used is from Firehole sticks, but common hooks you can find at most fly shops will be Daiichi 1270 or TMC200. Of course you can use whatever you want, get creative! However a different shaped hook will give it a different look, and won't have that traditional Stimulator body curve to it.

Coming into spring, dry fly season is right around the corner. Up where I live, we get grasshoppers jumping off the banks and into the water pretty early in the season. However most of our hoppers are not too large, and it is tough for some of the smaller creek fish to take a large grasshopper pattern. I wanted to make one small, and this one is quite small. Tied on a size 10 hook, its small enough to fit in a small trouts mouth. Also it mimics the size of the local grasshoppers that the fish are eating on. These hoppers are yellow, tan and brown. So thats the color pattern I am tying them in. Not only is this fly effective, it is very durable. I have yet to have a fly come apart even after a few hard takes from fish. Here is a list of materials I used on this fly. Hook: TMC 100 in size 10 Thread: Veevus 10/0 in tan Abdomen: 2mm tan fly foam Dubbing: Vaca dry fly dubbing in hopper yellow Head: 2mm tan and brown fly foam Wing: Congo hair in medium brown Hot Spot: 2mm yellow fly foam Legs: centipede legs in speckled white Glue: Paint on gorilla glue

Here is a tutorial that I completed last night of a minor variation of the Hopper Juan. Link - http://www.fishbaitsflybox.com/2015/02/fly-tying-tutorial-hopper-juan.html Thank you and Enjoy!!!

hi guys, im pretty new to the forum and to tying. I am looking to tie up some daddies/craneflys/dragonflies/mayflies ... I like the idea of a foam body but cant seem to find a template or shape cutter. I have wing cutters bit they are not for bigger wings... I am in Scotland (coz I know a load of you guys are in the USA). Any advise as to what, where, and how to get a body shape cutter and wing cutters to suit? Cheers! Lucky Jim