Walter Wiese is the head guide at Parks’ Fly Shop in Gardiner, Montana, so he knows a few things about fishing with hoppers, both on the Yellowstone River and elsewhere in Yellowstone National Park. His GFA Hopper pattern is designed to float well, be visible in broken water, and offer a realistic profile for trout looking to eat grasshoppers or big stoneflies.
In this week’s excellent video, Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions demonstrates how he ties the GFA, slightly altering the original pattern. Tim’s methods for tying in the peacock herl underbody, cutting the foam, and attaching the legs make things quite easy, and they are applicable to many other patterns, as well. As always, watch these videos in 4K for maximum effect.
Hook: 2X-long hopper hook (here, a Dai-Riki #280), sizes 6-14.
Thread: Tan, 6/0 or 140 denier.
Underbody: Peacock herl.
Body: Tan Craft Foam, 2mm.
Adhesive #1: Fly Tyers Z-Ment or superglue.
Wing: Bleached elk hair, cleaned and stacked.
Adhesive #2: Fly Tyers Z-Ment or superglue.
Hot spot: Bright Craft Foam, 2mm.
Legs: Striped round-rubber legs, medium.
Adhesive #3: Sally Hansen Hard-As-Nails.
Tools: Foam cutter, bodkin.
Note: Tie this pattern in a wide variety of color combinations.
Nifty hopper tying! I like your method–it is fast and easy.
Where do you find the foam cutter at and what size do you use for a size 10 hook? Thanks!