I love Foam Hoppers!
Foamies bro’.
Really all you need. Honest. These not so new fangled foam hopper patterns make hopper fishing pretty entertaining. They are so cool.
And they mostly float. Not as high and visible as you think they may. But high enough for sure.
Sure, I’m gonna get push back from the older hopper style lovers…but most of them can’t see anymore so that argument is moot. I too like low riding non-floaty type hoppers. I also like to see my fly. You can’t have a ton of success with a fly you cannot see.
You cannot legitimately make an argument that not seeing your fly is an advantage! You can’t.
Does Joe’s Hopper still work? Yes. How about Dave’s Hopper. Yup. Created by legends of the sport. Do brown trout care who invented the damn fly they are chomping? No. Do I? Nope!
Foamies are awesome. All of the colors int he rainbow are at your fingertips when spinning this synthetic floating dream to life in your vise. Or, let the masters of production fly tying do what they do. I do. Buy a boatload of them and soak in GINK. Then, toss them out and watch the magic happen!
You can bend foam. You can smash foam. You can paint foam. You can color foam. You can cut foam. You can stamp foam. You can cut foam with a laser. You can add rubber legs to foam. Eyeballs.
A foam canvas for us to create the best in hopper representation. Just awesome I say!
Foam does fall apart over time. Just like old marshmallows. Not as good with age. Rubber legs fall off of them. Glue dries up. Stale hoppers do suck.
So, keep them fresh. How about a Foamie Hopper Humidor? Huh? I know what you are thinking…Yep, Squeeky, you are a thinker. For sale at a fly shop near you soon. Why not. Fly fishermen are nut-so anyway.
Foamies bro’.
Hey Mark,
Thanks for the article on foam flies. You mentioned soaking them in GINK. I was wondering if you have tried soaking them in Loon’s Hydrostop right after tying them? They say it is permanent. Curious if that is true or not.
Thanks again,
Steve
I use the musculin in paste form in the green disc shaped container. Works well and last hours. Smear it all up!
I have an argument for not being able to see them: sunken hoppers. Some of my biggest trout have come from letting my hopper get sucked down into the dark depths. More of a freestone thing. I’ve split shotted them down in to some big swirlies on the lower Clark fork and b-root for years. Learned it from the old guard.
Aha! Forgot about the ‘ol sunken upper. A great way to get ’em! For the educated for sure!
Mark, I am Dan’s Dad. Just perusing hopper patterns and I decided to model mine on yours otherwise I experiment and waste too much foam. Anyway Dan and I want to fish together, mostly there. He is wasting too much time to get set so I wish you would dictate a plan to him. I am game to fish anywhere and any time. Thanks and thanks for the pattern!