F&S Fly of the Week: The Chaos Hopper

Certain, it’s springtime, and we trout addicts are largely centered on aquatic bugs. However earlier than you’ll be able to say “terrestrial,” will probably be excessive summer time, with heat, breezy days, tall grass, and many grasshoppers. Hopper fishing is a blast, and the Chaos Hopper is a superb fly to make use of for it.

A hopper sample can work nearly anyplace, however the essence of fishing it’s to drop the hopper alongside a grassy shore, the place trout look forward to hoppers that by some means lose their footing and find yourself within the drink. The best setting is a meadow stream within the Rocky Mountain west. The Chaos Hopper hails from Craig Mathews’ legendary Blue Ribbon Flies store in West Yellowstone, Montana. The shoppers and the trout appear to adore it.

I adore it too, as a result of I love flies which can be each easy and efficient. All you want is a strip of tan closed-cell craft foam (the width of the hook hole) for the physique, a fair thinner strip of the identical foam in a vivid coloration for the sighter, a bit bundle of Z-Lon or comparable fibers, and a pair segments of banded rubber leg. Tied on a normal dry-fly J-hook, it goes collectively in minutes.

In contrast to many foam hoppers, the Chaos Hopper runs small, and that’s useful each for casting and for technique. The very best fly-fishers usually drop down a measurement or two when trout are reluctant to take what’s in any other case an applicable fly. It’s value a strive the place trout have been seeing two-inch Chernobyl Ants plopping on the floor day after day.  Actual hoppers will be half that measurement, and possibly style simply nearly as good as the massive ones.

The 2 key design components are the physique form and the legs. It’s straightforward to chop a taper into the tan foam strip with scissors, however a better technique to make a greater form is with a foam physique cutter like those bought by River Street Creations. As for the legs, all that’s wanted is to lash them to the perimeters, however you’re welcome to tie an overhand knot within the again leg to counsel a jointed appendage. The sighter is strictly for the angler’s profit and isn’t seen to the fish.

Summer season generally is a confounding season for the trout fisher, with warming water and dwindling hatches, however hopper fishing gives one thing to look ahead to. And by the way in which, this fly can fire up some chaos alongside the shore of a bass pond, too.

Chaos Hopper Recipe 

• Hook: Dry Fly, 1x Lengthy, Akin to Mustad R50-94840, Tiemco 5210, or Related, Dimension 8-14
• Physique: Tan Craft Foam, Strip Large as Hook Hole
• Wing: Yellow Crinkled Z-Lon, EP Fibers, or Related
• Sighter: Skinny Strip of Craft Foam, Hello-Viz Coloration of Selection
• Legs: Montana Fly Firm Speckled Centipede, Medium, or your favourite rubber legs
• Thread: Tan 140 Denier (6/0)