Taxman
Senior Member
What is everyones favorite hopper pattern and color?
Welcome Guest!
Favorite hopper pattern
- Thread starter Taxman
- Start date
flyrod444
Senior Member
The only hopper I carry is the Jack Cabe Hopper. Jack Cabe was one of my best friends and responsible for my Working the last 35 years as a guide. He didn't tie many flies but would tell me what to tie back when he was alive. The Jack Cabe was one of our joint creations and originally named the Main Stream Hopper. Jack owned the Main Stream fly shop in highlands his last year's with us. After his passing the name of the fly was changed to his name.
Meriwether Mike
Senior Member
Chubby Chernobyl
I usually tie some up with a light salmon orange foam body, turkey wings, and rubber legs. A rubber-legged stimulator works good most times, too.
trout maharishi
Senior Member
Tan color with brown ribbing
Rubber legged stimulator is usually my go-to hopper imitation. I like to fish hopper patterns that have a parachute.
I saw a good article somewhere a couple years ago showing how to tie a nice hopper pattern by some crazy feller named Yates or something like that.
Taxman
Senior Member
I have been using a Schroder parachute hopper unless I am
fishing a dropper. Then I use a tan foam hopper. The
"Jack Cabe" looks sweet.
fishing a dropper. Then I use a tan foam hopper. The
"Jack Cabe" looks sweet.
Taxman
Senior Member
Does anyone know where I can get the Jack Cabe in a size
12 or 14? I would like to try them in the Park. I can only find
a #6 at the few online shops.
Thank You.
12 or 14? I would like to try them in the Park. I can only find
a #6 at the few online shops.
Thank You.
High floating hooper pattern: Dave's Hopper, Club Sandwich - yellow/tan belly. Both fish very well with small dropper like a copper john, prince etc.
Jack Cabe:
Meet him in his shop in NC all those years ago...he had pictures on the board behind him of areas in Montana that I fished often (Stillwater).We started chatting about fishing common waters, he presented his fly as a hopper/caddis/stonefly imitation - he basically "promised" the trout "all over" would eat it. I picked up a few to take to Montana later than Summer. I was surprised to see that same pattern in a fly bin in Montana on that very trip but the locals swore by it too....Now it is a very common pattern in most fly shops in MT. It is a pattern I have fished successfully on big rivers, little rivers, streams, creeks and even lakes in MT, WY, CO, UT, NC, GA.....
Taxman: there are online sources for them, but maybe call a few of the shops in around Cashiers NC. Maybe call Chris at Stillwater Anglers in Columbus MT
Jack Cabe:
Meet him in his shop in NC all those years ago...he had pictures on the board behind him of areas in Montana that I fished often (Stillwater).We started chatting about fishing common waters, he presented his fly as a hopper/caddis/stonefly imitation - he basically "promised" the trout "all over" would eat it. I picked up a few to take to Montana later than Summer. I was surprised to see that same pattern in a fly bin in Montana on that very trip but the locals swore by it too....Now it is a very common pattern in most fly shops in MT. It is a pattern I have fished successfully on big rivers, little rivers, streams, creeks and even lakes in MT, WY, CO, UT, NC, GA.....
Taxman: there are online sources for them, but maybe call a few of the shops in around Cashiers NC. Maybe call Chris at Stillwater Anglers in Columbus MT
They work well in the park. I always have a couple in my box. I usually use about a #10 or #12. The big ones in #6 and #8 work remarkably well sometimes, too. They don't really look much like a hopper, more like those big stoneflies, but the fish like them.
What is the original body material for the JCH? I've seen it tied so many ways over the years that it's hard to say for sure without having been there.
flyrod444
Senior Member
I tied the very first couple dozen by dubing brown beaver fur for body, but started using brown poly yarn. It floated better and was faster to tie with. The wing should not be white calf take but a tan or dirty blond. The red feather I tied the tails with actually came from a parriot of some kind. A customer actually brought these feathers by the shop one day. His bird had passed away and he decided to let me have the tail feathers to tie flies with. The pics show color of calf tail and the yarn I use for body. Tail can be any red feather.
Thanks! What size do you usually fish them in around here?
trout maharishi
Senior Member
Taxman, looks like Hunter Banks in Asheville has sz 12. If not I think Shane might tie some up for you. I've always just though it was just another Trude style fly.
Looks like it's popular out west like 444 was saying. About the only difference I see is they use red deer hair for the tail vs some red feather. Looks like East Rosebud that made the video has them. No sure of the size.
Last edited:
flyrod444
Senior Member
I usually tie them on size 10 or 12 long shank hook , but use them in size 8 some times.
Shane'll try to sell him some of those orange squirmy worms.
Shane is a cool guy.
GLS
Classic Southern Gentleman
#10 Letort Hopper tied simply with a yellow or tan Flyrite body and a spun deer hair head with tips extended over the top of the shank but not beyond the bend. Tied like a Muddler. I don't tie in anything else. Cricket is tied same way but with black materials.
I stopped at Hunter Banks this afternoon, and they had a bin full of #12s.
Steve, I told Shane all that stuff you said about him.
He got so flustered he about forgot to pull down his Covid mask to spit his Copenhagen juice. 
