Montana Hoppers

[beerbyrnes]

Looking to start tying hoppers for next summer's trip to Montana. Any recommendations for patterns? Hook size/type? Color?

 

[jayL]

What dates? What rivers? Timing and elevation are both major factors in the size equation. Higher elevation means they reach full size later. They are full sized on the horn when they are just starting on the yellowstone, for example.

Mostly, I'd just go with sandwich foam and rubber legs. Yellow seems to work well, as does light brown. Tie yellow sallies and caddis, too.

If you're not sure on the wheres and whens, or if you're going to fish a few different places, I'd have them from an inch to 2.5 or so inches long. I am not the most experienced hopper fisherman, but in the times I've done it, pattern didn't matter.

 

[RowJimmy]

In my limited hopper experience the dropper was much my important the hopper its self. As Jay said have caddis, sallies, and I did the best with a foam parachute adams.

 

[RowJimmy]

http://www.theweeklyfly.com/2009/07/06/kelly-galloup-ant-acid-15-19

This is another pattern I'd tie.

 

[beerbyrnes]

Thanks guys. Plan to be all over the state for August and September. That Ant Acid will fish. I want to get a good stock of flies tied this winter and thought Hoppers would be a good general start.

TMC 200R ?

 

[pete41]

pray for rainy days and they will hit a pencil.

 

[plumbob]

I go out in Sept. and pretty much the only pattern I use is a hopper. Tryed yellow but never had any luck. Tyed some up in an olive or green body and couldn't keep them off the hook ran out the first year I tried and wound up getting some material and hooks at a shop and tied more up free hand. They didn't look prety but still worked great. For some reason the shops only had yellow body hoppers nothing with olive. The olive color I got when I saw some flying, they had an olive color in their wings.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a334/schrob1/Hopper001.jpg[/IMG]]

Can't figure out how to get a picture up here.
Pretty much like a Madam X with Rainy foam body.
Take about 2- dozen. Loose a lot from hard strikes on a fast action rod.