Published Jun 23. 2022 - 2 years ago
Updated or edited Jun 25. 2022

GFA Hopper

The GFA Hopper is a simple yet very effective dry fly. Being made of mostly foam and deer hair it floats very well. It also is a good representation of a grasshopper so it works well in the summer when the grasshoppers are abundant. Foam comes in a wide variety of colors, so you can make a wide range of different hopper colors. Want something bright? Go with hot pink or chartreuse? Want something more natural? Tan, gold, brown, etc will work to more represent the colors of a grasshopper. Heck even all black will work great to look like a cricket. These can be tied quite small which will work great for sunfish. The normal sizes are great for trout, and you can even go larger to mimic a cicada of sorts, and those will work great for bass. If you do go much larger, its probably best to use the 3mm foam rather than the 2mm.

To be honest, I do not know who originally created this fly. Honestly I haven't done a ton of research on that either. I first saw this fly tied by another YouTube channel called "tight-lines productions". I dont think though that they are the originator of the pattern, but they might be. I really liked the pattern after trying it, and it became a staple in my boxes when I went fishing for bass/sunfish. It also makes a regular appearance in my summer fly boxes when fishing for trout. It floats very well because of the foam, so it works great as an indicator style fly to hold up some heavy nymphs under it.

As you all know, I work closely with both www.risenfly.com and www.dooleysflyfishing.com. Both of these shops have offered every one of my subscribers a discount. So go to their shops, and type in "McFly" at checkout for 15% off of anything you buy on their sites. The hooks risen sells are just as strong, if not more strong than the ones I used today in the video. But priced much more reasonably. So definitely check them out.

Make sure you check out my Patreon for there are some great perks that I think you would like. For as little as $1 a month you can sign up and start supporting this channel. Depending on the tier you sign up for, you can get early access to all my videos, 1 on 1 support and question answering from me, participation in my live streams, fly video suggestions, and even discounts on my hand tied flies. There are many more perks as well so go to www.patreon.com/McFlyAngler to sign up today.

Materials
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Hook: Risen 9231 (size 12) - https://www.risenfly.com/collections/hooks/products/barbless-nymph-9231
Thread: Veevus 10/0 (brown) - https://www.dooleysflyfishing.com/products/10-0-veevus?variant=136481226...
Dubbing: Antron Dubbing (cahill cream) - https://www.dooleysflyfishing.com/products/antron-dubbing?variant=136561...
Body: 2mm Fly Foam (tan) - https://www.dooleysflyfishing.com/products/fly-foam-2mm-3mm?variant=1365...
Glue: Loctite Brush On - https://www.dooleysflyfishing.com/products/loctite-super-glue-brush-on?_...
Wing: Stimulator Deer Hair (bleached) - https://www.dooleysflyfishing.com/products/natures-spirit-stimulator-dee...
Legs: Centipede Legs (speckled tan, medium) - https://amzn.to/3xkH98y
Hot Spot: 2mm Fly Foam (yellow) - https://www.dooleysflyfishing.com/products/fly-foam-2mm-3mm?variant=1365...

Tools
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Vise: Renzetti Traveler - https://amzn.to/2t2FFmo
Bobbin: Stonfo Bobtec - https://amzn.to/2YWOf39
Scissors: Risen Spring Assist - https://www.risenfly.com/collections/fly-tying-tools-and-accessories/pro...
Whip finisher: Dr. Slick brass - https://amzn.to/2tGYwDW
Foam Cutters: River Road Cutters (Chernobyl-style, tapered end, XS) - https://www.riverroadcreations.com/foam-body-cutters/single-size/chernob...
Fly Tying Bench: Oasis Walnut Compact Bench - https://www.oasisbenches.com/oasis-benches/compact-bench/
UV Light: Solarez UV Cure (high output) - https://www.solarez.com/product/uv-cure-flashlight-high-output/

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Submitter: 
shawnstve
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