I enjoy fishing trout lakes, and one of the most reliable ...
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The DF (Disc Foam) Hopper
Materials
Hook: Daiichi 1260/1280 (2 XL dry fly), #8 -10
Tail: Red hackle fibers (or pheasant tail fibers)
Body: Dubbing color of choice, with 3 foam discs tied on top of body as you move forward
Wing: Pearl Krystal Flash, two strips of yellow dyed turkey tail, deer hair
Legs: Tan or brown round rubber or Flexi-Floss
Thorax: Arizona Synthetic Peacock dubbing or same dubbing as body
Head: Foam disc of contrasting color
Colors: (Dubbing/Foam) Tan/Yellow, Tan/Olive, Yellow/Tan, Yellow/Olive, Olive/Yellow, Olive/Tan
Monte Smith
P.O. Box 532
Halsey, OR 97348
Step-By-Step
1. Attach thread and tie in a few red hackle fibers (or pheasant tail fibers) for a “tail.” Dub the first body section covering about 1/5 of the shank. A foam disc is also shown, approximately 3/8” in diameter.
2. Bind down the first foam disc to cover the dubbed section; snip the excess and make tight wraps to firmly seat the disc atop the dubbing.
3. The 2nd and 3rd body sections are applied just as the first section, securely adding a foam disc over each dubbed section. Add 10-12 strands of pearl Krystal Flash as an underwing.
4. Add two ¼” slips of yellow dyed speckled turkey over the Krystal Flash and cover with a wing of deer hair extending just beyond the hook bend.
5. Add rubber legs material at the wing tie-in and dub the thorax with either Arizona Synthetic Peacock dubbing or more of the body dubbing.
6. The last step is to add a contrasting foam disc at the head which helps push the wing down into place and provide additional floatation and visibility. Move the thread to the eye and whip finish. Add an eye on either side of the front foam disc with a black Sharpie if you like, and the fly is done.
Notes
Two things seem to have made their way into the mainstream of modern Western trout flies: closed cell foam and rubber legs. Many successful patterns incorporate these materials to various degrees. The Madame X - with its tantalizing rubber legs - has long been a favorite of mine, and all-foam flies like the Chernobyl Ant and the Club Sandwich have gained wide acceptance.
Always looking to create, tweak or improve fly designs that work for me on the waters I haunt, I decided to incorporate both of these modern elements while blending them with more traditional materials like rabbit fur and deer hair. I like using foam because of its floatation properties, but am not a big fan of the look of an all-foam body or wing. What I stumbled upon was a much improved terrestrial pattern to add to my fly box.
In mid-summer, the days heat up quickly and the afternoon winds blow all kinds of interesting food forms into the water. It is a good time for some terrestrial fishing; specifically grasshoppers. While ants and beetles have long been a staple in my fall fly box, it’s the larger hoppers that can make for some exciting dry fly fishing along our western streams during the breezy days of July and August
Using small discs (approximately 3/8” in diameter) of colored foam, I found a unique way of constructing the body that creates a high floating fly and allows me to combine colors (dubbing vs. foam). I make my discs using a steel golf shaft that is a remnant from my golf club repair days. The graduated steps up the shaft allow for different sizes of discs to be created. I cut the shaft at the desired spot, and then sharpen one end around the perimeter using a grinding wheel. This allows me to “punch” perfectly round discs from the foam in whatever diameter I choose. A common ‘hole punch’ provides a smaller size, and these work great as an add-on strike indicator (for this or your other patterns).
The body is built in three sections: each section is dubbed with fur and covered with a foam disc. The disc surrounds the dubbing when viewed from underneath and gives a nice blending of colors. You need to use tight wraps to bind the foam, since it is applied over a bit of fur. I would recommend at least 6/0 thread to bind the foam in place.
The sparkle of the Krystal Flash underwing suggests movement, while the wing of turkey tail fibers and deer hair provides overall form and additional floatation. The rubber legs are designed to attract with movement, and the final foam disc of contrasting color at the head can be used as a sight indicator and is important in pushing the wing materials down into place. Without it, the wing would flare wildly upwards!
Fishing throughout the summer months, I have had great results fishing the DF Hopper. It floats all day without any treatment and is easily tracked on the water. Banging the banks along a grassy run on a breezy day has provided me with some of the best fishing of the year. It has become a very good searching pattern when the conditions point to the fish looking up for an easy meal. It really is much more than just a hopper imitation. Varying the body and wing colors can give you a variety of chunky meals to offer the fish. I do not leave home without at least a couple of these flies in my vest.
I prefer a size 8-10 2XL dry fly hook for the DF Hopper. This disc foam body concept opens all kinds of avenues for various imitations: besides the DF Hopper, the DF Cricket, DF (October) Caddis, DF Traveler (Sedge), DF Golden Stone, etc.
Monte Smith
msmith@
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