Grasshopper

[Graham 0]

A new addition to the fly pattern database has been submitted by Graham:

 

Grasshopper

 

[Graham 0]

Here's a couple more pictures and the hopper, it's still a bit too shiny, but after a couple of weeks the shine fades a bit and I prefer that look rather than using matte varnish.

 

Graham

 

 

[uffepuffe 0]

My godness, we're in the middle of hopper-mania right now! Great looking fly as always Graham! It looks alot like the big brownish hopper I have on the back of my house! Super realistic! I like your presentation tips aswell *lol*

 

/Ulf

[Graham 0]

Hi Ulf,

Thank you, I had fun tying it, was my first try with a realistic grasshopper. I wanted it to look fat and juicy, but it's mabe a bit too fat in the abdomen. I was enjoying drinks when coloring it late last night, and now in the daylight it is darker than I wanted it to be. I like it though, and for the presentaion; SPLAT on the water is good. Yes, it flots, lots of foam in this fly.

 

I hope to tye some midges tonight.

 

Graham

[Leif Ortenholm 0]

Hi Graham....you have done a great hooper ...The colloring is perfect as always when its come from you....

 

Albert

[Steeldrifter 0]

LOCUS LOCUS ...EVERYONE RUN!!!

 

Graham thats a pure beauty right there man, absolutly perfect color! I love it

[tidbit 0]

Graham,

 

Another wonderful REALISTIC: keep crankin them out and we'll keep enjoying them.

 

How about a complete tutorial on that hopper ?

 

tidbit

[harleyhunter 0]

Great hopper Graham. The bass and trout will be fighting over that one.

How about a step by step on the next one?

 

Sam

[Joe Hard 0]

Nice one Graham!!

[GlobalFisher 0]

That is sweeeet!!!!!!!!!

[Graham 0]

I thank you all, your comments have brigtened a hectic day. I wish I has taken lots of photos tying the hopper, next time. I learned a lot tying this fly and hopefully the next one is better, with instructions. The thorax is basically just a thin strip of foam run back and forth along the top of the hook, tyed dwon and cut to create the shape. I didnt wrap it around the hook this time. For the shell cover above the thorax I used the thick plastic that comes under the bacon from Farmer Johns. The eyes are acrylic gell colored black, painted on then a drop of Hansens hard as nails. then I paint the head with colored acrylic so that it barely touches the edges of the eyes, makes em look sunk in a bit. I wish I hadn't put thickened varnish along the edges of the wings. Overall I like the look of the hopper and I'll do another with step by steps, might not be till winter though.

 

Thanks again guys,

 

Graham

[SullyTM 0]

Graham...What can I say? I'm going to give this hopper a try. If the legs give me fits, my local fly shop does sell realistic hopper legs(they're plastic and I can dress them up.)

 

For the thorax and head: Thorax-you said thin strip of faom. Are you just folding a single strip over itself? Head-how are you creating it with foam? Wrapping? Pre-cut head?

 

In any event, my "To tie" list of flies is growing...

 

Thanks G-Man. Thom

[Graham 0]

Hey Thom, I'm glad you had a good trip and it's nice to see you are back safe and sound.

 

For the thorax I first tyed the front two pairs of legs onto the underside of the hook. Then I placed a 2mm wide strip of foam, about 4" long, ontop of the hook, runing lenghthwise, tyed it down behind the middle legs, then between the front and middle legs, then in front of the forward legs, folded it back towards the rear and worked my way back to the wings. The foam can be shaped by lashing it down tightly in some areas and unwraped in others. No thread goes over the top of the head and the foam did not get wraped underneath the hook forward of the abdomen.

 

I liked using the peacock sword on the lower section of the rear legs, tyed onto a pice of Japanese Nymph Leg and thread fits easily betweeen the fibers, which I had sticking out at a 90 degree angle. But the peacock fibers want to return to their normal postioning, and on one of my hoppers legs the little fibers are pointing up instead of down. Next time I will be more careful to make sure it's tied on correctly.

 

Graham

[SullyTM 0]

OK Graham...Now all I have to do is schedule some time at the vise I just got a digital camera and once I figure out how to post pictures I'll be doing that.

 

I'm hoping to have at least one ugly hopper tied by next week...the bass at a neighborhood pond have been laughing at me long enough...

 

Glad to be back in the Golden State. Pennsylvania was green, humid and lacking in adequate highway on-ramps BUT, I did make 2 trips to Cabela's It's as big as 5 Costcos

 

Later. Thom

[Bud Guidry 0]

Graham. as usual your artistic abilities come shinning thru on this one also. i can't for the life of me figure how you guys make these things, simply amazing, maybe one day i may have a chance to sit with you and watch your magic.

 

 

Bud