Joe’s Hopper great pick makes me long for warmth of spring, banjo music, and a little moonshine 🤣 We had our first real dusting of snow this morning and 24°. Come on hopper time☕️☕️
Good morning Matt.Never tied this one.Gotta do this one.Hoppers work, just a few thousand patterns out there.Hoppertunity awaits us in about six months.Ground is white,17 deg. wind is whipping.Going to be a fly tying Sat. for us.Have a great day my friend. Ken and Linda
Thanks Matt! Always look forward to your new video posts ! This is a really nice looking fly . I will give it a try today ! Thanks again and take care!
Good morning Matt. Dogs got me up earlier than normal and was headed for my second cup when your video posted. Enjoy the older patterns. Just something about the history that I like. I like the darker turkey feathers too but I found some real light ones with darker markings that are pretty neat. Well now it’s time for another ☕️. Take care Matt and enjoy your weekend.
Hell Matt. Just bought some 8 and 10 curved 3xl for stone flies. I'll ty about 10 of these up with them. Thanks for the good looking fly. I also just sprayed some feathers with hobby acrylic. Perfect timing.
Oh man, I keep forgetting to get some acrylic spray! I've got to get that on my list. Meanwhile I guess I could use more old school head cement. Thanks for the note Nich!
Another nice fly Matt, and one from Michigan to boot. Maybe you can make it up here next year for the Hex hatch on the Au Sable. Whatever happens keep the good stuff coming,
Oh man, I would love to! The Au Sable is not just on my bucket list, it's on my list to get to when I start writing my first book. Which is hopefully in the next year or two. :-)
That’s a good looking pattern. I saw several ideas for treating the wing from Pete & James. I’ll add two more. I treat Turkey for muddlers & pheasant feathers for caddis wings with Dave’s Flexament or flexible UV resin as another alternative. Flexament also works well for repairing splits in jungle cock eyes.
Great tips! I think Joe Duca mentioned Dave's Flexament as well. I've never tried that but it's on the list for my next order. And it looks like everyone recommends getting the thinner with it as well. I'll make sure to feature using it in a future video. :-)
You will want 2 or 3 bottles of thinner to one Flexament. I use it for some wings & as head cement for dry flies & at separate stages in fly construction. I’ll send a note separately about it, so wait for that before a video on it. Very useful stuff, but it has its limits. I wouldn’t use it for glossy streamer heads or applications requiring lacquer or resin, for example.
Thanks man I really look forward to your videos coming out this is a really nice fly thank you again I hope you're avoiding the weather where I live down here in southeast Florida we have a freeze warning in effect tomorrow it's supposed to be 27 and then back up to 80 by midweek I hope everybody up north to staying safe but that this makes it all worth it
Holy cow, 27 in Florida is a bit chilly for ya'll! Tonight is going to be our lowest of the year so far at 12 degrees. We had some snow last night but the roads are already clear so all is good here. :-)
good morning matt... cool fly and cool name joe's hopper...got to love the name JOE...hahaha...lol...have a awesome weekend matt..now let me drop back and watch the videos i have missed....and as alway i will be watching....see ya JOE....HAHAHA LOVE THE NAME..LOL..see ya
BEAUTY! Nice fly! It seems like I learn a new (to me) technique every time I watch one of your videos. Thanks for that! And Thanks for the history lesson, too.
Sitting here drinking my coffee and watching my favorite fly tying channel. Good morning Matt. Thank you for sharing this classic. Will definitely be giving this a try and adding to the fly box. Hope your not getting any of the weather this weekend. Stay safe and have a great weekend my friend.
Thanks Karl! I always appreciate your kind words. :-) We got a couple inches of snow last night. Enough to shovel the driveway before it freezes again tonight, but not so bad as we were at a risk of losing power. So a perfect weekend to stay in and play around at the bench. Have a great weekend my friend!
I didn't know that the Joe's Hopper namesake was Joe Brooks. Makes sense though! Another info tidbit to file away. I spray a pair of turkey wings with Krylon clear spray and use it for my hopper patterns. That tames them pretty well for tying and for staying together after a few fish. I also keep some turkey wing and turkey tail that I stroke with Hard as Nails for use on stonefly wing cases. The turkey tail you use on your hopper wing gives it a nice color, I'll have to try it instead of turkey wing slips. Thanks Matt!
Thanks Pete! Someone else mentioned acrylic spray here. I've never tried it and usually just lacquer them one at a time. But that's a great tip. I'm sure one can will do a lifetime worth of feathers. And it would be a bonus if it gives them a little bit of a darker, and shiny sheen. I'm definitely going to pick up a can and give it a try. :-)
Another history lesson that sets things straight. I read something many years ago that had me thinking Joe Brooks was the creator of this pattern. An old pattern that still produces. Thanks, Matt!
Thanks Jim, and it did make me wonder if Art Winnie created a fly, then Joe Brooks changed it a little and named it after himself! Surely Joe wouldn't do that. It turns out that he didn't, and other people just started calling it Joe's Hopper because he liked it so much. But still, it kind of steals a little bit of fame from Art Winnie, a truly innovative tier.
Great pattern Matt and nicely tied. This is one of my favorite dries to fish and to tie. I have much success fishing these in a size 12. Thanks Matt for sharing
Thanks Layton, that's cool to hear! I can't recall the last time I fished this, but I know I tie and fish it a lot more often than Dave's hopper. And honestly, I've probably gotten away from these classics and tie more foam hoppers these days. I guess they just take half as long to tie and probably last a bit longer on the water. But man, I do like the history behind these classics. :-)
Much easier than a Dave's Hopper...this may be my go to hopper pattern. I like thinking about terrestrial fishing...hot days and warm evenings...I think I remember those. 😎 Thanks for sharing, Matt.
Oh man, you're not kidding! Tonight is going to be our coldest night of the year so far, down to 12 degrees. Just a few more months though. I love a nice June afternoon when I can start tossing these big meaty bugs. :-)
Nice tie Matt. I actually bought that J Stockard hook not knowing exactly what I would use it on. It turns out I use it on most of my longer flies, drys and nymphs. I think the curve make some flies look a little more natural.
Now I know what to do with a few curved hooks. Very interesting history. Very nice tying job Sir. Thank you for a great video Matt. Looks like a very doable fly.
I love fishing foam hoppers. But, this one really caught my attention for some reason. Note to self: Add several to fly box this year. Thanks a lot Matt!!
Good Morning Sir Matt, I'm watching this video a day late, Sunday morning to be exact.Joe's Hopper is a really nice looking fly. I had a chance to go fishing with Amarillo Fly Guys to some private waters I never knew about. I will email you later with pictures. I love that Ozark turkey wing. They are always out when I try to order it,, I'll try again. Thank you Sir Matt.
Great vid Matt! The Joe’s Hopper is the first hopper pattern I learned to tie and fish, and pretty much the only one I use. I like to mount the wings so that they’re curving towards each other. I think it looks more hopper-like that way. I also spray the wings with fixative to minimize the shredding that happens when you fish them.
Thanks! And I think you're 100% right about stiffening the wings. Lots of folks mentioned using Dave's Flexament on here. I've used regular head cement but never that stuff. I'm going to try it out soon. And yeah, I go back and forth about putting the wings close in or letting them splay out a bit. I always envision that the fish won't see them if they're too close to the hook but who knows. After a couple of fish my hoppers are usually pretty scruffy anyway. :-)
Very nicely tied! Thanks for the inspiration ! I love to fish classic flies ,often forgotten but nowadays so innovatives and efficient ! Love your channel !
Nicely done Matt, I'll have to give this a try. I love fishing terrestrials ,I mostly fish inchworms.i have a question, how do you get a fly published in a tiers book? Excellent tie, will save this one for later, need to find the proper hooks first. Thanks for sharing, have a great weekend. 😀👍👍
Thanks Jim! And I have no idea how to get a fly published in a tier's book. I suppose you have to know the author, or he has to ask you for permission to use one of your patterns. Or maybe they don't. If I was writing a book and wanted to put one of Rube Cross's patterns in it, I wouldn't even know who to ask. I mean, he's no longer with us, and I doubt he ever patented any of his flies so I suppose any author who wanted to could put his flies in their book.
Nice pattern to show on a windy sub freezing day.🥶Sun shinning though, pretty blue sky, all the water is "hard" so won't be fishing these for a while. So clear something up for me. Was that a turkey tail or wing? If wing, do you use a left and right matched pair for your slips? I've cobbled together a few hoppers and used a pheasant feather for a single wing, similar to a Letort Cricket. On one I used old fly line for the body. I've used Dave's Flexament a lot, for coating slips and for head cement too. The thinner is a must with that stuff. Thanks Matt.
D'oh! Did I call that a turkey wing in the video? I haven't rewatched it, but it's definitely a tail feather. And the two tail feathers I have in that pack are basically identical and were probably right next to each other on the bird. But that does make me wonder... are turkey tail feathers symmetrical, and kind of opposite each other like right and left wing feathers are? But in short, these slips were taken from the same feather. We can usually get away with this as long as there is no major lateral bend, and one side is not significantly darker than the other. Does that make sense? I'm going to have to check out Dave's Flexament. Sounds useful. Thanks for the note Joe!
@@SavageFlies I don't remember either. You did call it an ozark , but it looked just like the turkey tail feathers I have and they're from NYS, all local, some from across the road from my house. I think there's a few strains of wild turkeys, Eastern, Merriams, Rio Grande, maybe more. Far as I know ozark is from Arkansas, don't know if it's another type but it's sold as the prettiest. At any rate all wild turkey feathers are beautiful. Regarding the tail feathers, I have what I consider a full fan. It was given to me by young man I let trap on my property, turns out he's the son of a local farmer that has great produce. The center tail is symmetrical. As you go out to the edge they get smaller and not so even from the center quill(?). Wing feathers I guess are called quills. Some recipes just call for a turkey feather quill, tail or wing???? I don't know. But yeah, you made sense. Lateral bend, maybe I trim with a scissor - those old production tiers did it. Side darker than other, I'd still smoke the cigar close or not ;o) But buy the thinner if you get Flexament. Have a good Sunday!
Thanks Warren; I appreciate you noticing! TH-cam has a library of royalty-free stuff to pick from. One of these new ones is called "The Colonel" by Zachariah Hickman, and one is "Birdseye Blues" by Chris Haugen. It's always a challenge to find free music that works with fly tying. :-)
Joe’s Hopper great pick makes me long for warmth of spring, banjo music, and a little moonshine 🤣
We had our first real dusting of snow this morning and 24°. Come on hopper time☕️☕️
Oh yeah Jim, I can't wait for hopper season! Even a slacker fisherman like me can flounder around with some big hoppers and still catch fish. :-)
Another pattern from yesteryear... As always, thanks for posting Matt. BZ
Oh yeah, I love these patterns when I can dig up a little history. Thanks for the note Dennis!
Good morning Matt.Never tied this one.Gotta do this one.Hoppers work, just a few thousand patterns out there.Hoppertunity awaits us in about six months.Ground is white,17 deg. wind is whipping.Going to be a fly tying Sat. for us.Have a great day my friend. Ken and Linda
That does sound like a good night to stay in at the bench! We're supposed to get down to 12 degrees tonight so I believe I'll do the same. :-)
Thanks for posting another great video Matt.
I appreciate it Wes! And thanks for watching. :-)
Thanks Matt, looks a nice sedge imitation that I will definitely be trying 😉
I appreciate it Graham! And thanks for the note my friend. :-)
Thanks Matt! Always look forward to your new video posts ! This is a really nice looking fly . I will give it a try today ! Thanks again and take care!
I appreciate it Mike! And thanks for watching my friend. :-)
Good morning Matt. Dogs got me up earlier than normal and was headed for my second cup when your video posted. Enjoy the older patterns. Just something about the history that I like. I like the darker turkey feathers too but I found some real light ones with darker markings that are pretty neat. Well now it’s time for another ☕️. Take care Matt and enjoy your weekend.
Thank you John! I'm done shoveling snow here and in for the night. A nice cold evening for family game night and playing around at the bench. :-)
Hell Matt. Just bought some 8 and 10 curved 3xl for stone flies. I'll ty about 10 of these up with them. Thanks for the good looking fly. I also just sprayed some feathers with hobby acrylic. Perfect timing.
Oh man, I keep forgetting to get some acrylic spray! I've got to get that on my list. Meanwhile I guess I could use more old school head cement. Thanks for the note Nich!
@@SavageFlies if you don't get in trouble you can use your wife's hair spray. A little heavy but works. You get in trouble, blame it on my. Hehehe!
Thanks Matt for another nice pattern and video, that tie looks very useful. Nicely done.
I appreciate it Lee! And thanks for watching my friend. :-)
Good morning Matt very nice fly I’ve been having a lot of fun tying these types of flys so thanks for yet another nice one to try!!
Thanks Scott; I appreciate the note my friend!
Another nice fly Matt, and one from Michigan to boot. Maybe you can make it up here next year for the Hex hatch on the Au Sable. Whatever happens keep the good stuff coming,
Oh man, I would love to! The Au Sable is not just on my bucket list, it's on my list to get to when I start writing my first book. Which is hopefully in the next year or two. :-)
That’s a good looking pattern. I saw several ideas for treating the wing from Pete & James. I’ll add two more. I treat Turkey for muddlers & pheasant feathers for caddis wings with Dave’s Flexament or flexible UV resin as another alternative. Flexament also works well for repairing splits in jungle cock eyes.
Great tips! I think Joe Duca mentioned Dave's Flexament as well. I've never tried that but it's on the list for my next order. And it looks like everyone recommends getting the thinner with it as well. I'll make sure to feature using it in a future video. :-)
You will want 2 or 3 bottles of thinner to one Flexament. I use it for some wings & as head cement for dry flies & at separate stages in fly construction. I’ll send a note separately about it, so wait for that before a video on it. Very useful stuff, but it has its limits. I wouldn’t use it for glossy streamer heads or applications requiring lacquer or resin, for example.
Great tye ! Allways love the history ! Thanks Matt !!!
I appreciate it! Yeah, I like when I can dig up a little history of the patterns. It makes it a little more interesting. :-)
Thanks man I really look forward to your videos coming out this is a really nice fly thank you again I hope you're avoiding the weather where I live down here in southeast Florida we have a freeze warning in effect tomorrow it's supposed to be 27 and then back up to 80 by midweek I hope everybody up north to staying safe but that this makes it all worth it
Holy cow, 27 in Florida is a bit chilly for ya'll! Tonight is going to be our lowest of the year so far at 12 degrees. We had some snow last night but the roads are already clear so all is good here. :-)
good morning matt... cool fly and cool name joe's hopper...got to love the name JOE...hahaha...lol...have a awesome weekend matt..now let me drop back and watch the videos i have missed....and as alway i will be watching....see ya JOE....HAHAHA LOVE THE NAME..LOL..see ya
Ha! Thanks Joe. I hope you made out okay in this latest bad weather. I haven't checked Baltimore but we got a few inches here in Southern MD.
@@SavageFlies not to bad here in essex...stay safe my friend.come on spring...lol
BEAUTY! Nice fly! It seems like I learn a new (to me) technique every time I watch one of your videos. Thanks for that! And Thanks for the history lesson, too.
Well thank you Ed! I certainly appreciate the kind words and feedback my friend. :-)
Thanks Matt, I really appreciate the history and it’s a cool looking fly that is still productive after all these years.
I appreciate it! And thanks for watching my friend. :-)
Sitting here drinking my coffee and watching my favorite fly tying channel. Good morning Matt. Thank you for sharing this classic. Will definitely be giving this a try and adding to the fly box. Hope your not getting any of the weather this weekend. Stay safe and have a great weekend my friend.
Thanks Karl! I always appreciate your kind words. :-) We got a couple inches of snow last night. Enough to shovel the driveway before it freezes again tonight, but not so bad as we were at a risk of losing power. So a perfect weekend to stay in and play around at the bench. Have a great weekend my friend!
Another great fly! Thank you Matt! I love the history behind the flies too!
Thanks for putting this one out there. One of my favorites to tie and fish. Trout love them!
Awesome, and great to hear! Also, I saw your email (I'm just behind in responding), but I'm glad you got the book. :-)
I didn't know that the Joe's Hopper namesake was Joe Brooks. Makes sense though! Another info tidbit to file away.
I spray a pair of turkey wings with Krylon clear spray and use it for my hopper patterns. That tames them pretty well for tying and for staying together after a few fish. I also keep some turkey wing and turkey tail that I stroke with Hard as Nails for use on stonefly wing cases.
The turkey tail you use on your hopper wing gives it a nice color, I'll have to try it instead of turkey wing slips.
Thanks Matt!
Thanks Pete! Someone else mentioned acrylic spray here. I've never tried it and usually just lacquer them one at a time. But that's a great tip. I'm sure one can will do a lifetime worth of feathers. And it would be a bonus if it gives them a little bit of a darker, and shiny sheen. I'm definitely going to pick up a can and give it a try. :-)
Thanks for the interesting history of this fly, Matt! All the best, Gordon
Good looking fly Matt
Very interesting history on this fly
Love the turkey feather, going to have to get some of them
Thanks for the video
Always love the history lesson! Thanks Matt.
I appreciate it Garrett! And thanks for watching my friend. :-)
Another history lesson that sets things straight. I read something many years ago that had me thinking Joe Brooks was the creator of this pattern. An old pattern that still produces. Thanks, Matt!
Thanks Jim, and it did make me wonder if Art Winnie created a fly, then Joe Brooks changed it a little and named it after himself! Surely Joe wouldn't do that. It turns out that he didn't, and other people just started calling it Joe's Hopper because he liked it so much. But still, it kind of steals a little bit of fame from Art Winnie, a truly innovative tier.
Matt, great selection. This fly is easier to tie than other hoppers. It works well on trout and to catch other fishes.
Appreciate it Jim! As for classic hoppers (not the foam ones we make now days), this is indeed one of the easiest. And still a great fish catcher. :-)
Great pattern Matt and nicely tied. This is one of my favorite dries to fish and to tie. I have much success fishing these in a size 12. Thanks Matt for sharing
Thanks Layton, that's cool to hear! I can't recall the last time I fished this, but I know I tie and fish it a lot more often than Dave's hopper. And honestly, I've probably gotten away from these classics and tie more foam hoppers these days. I guess they just take half as long to tie and probably last a bit longer on the water. But man, I do like the history behind these classics. :-)
@@SavageFlies I still haven't been able to bring myself to use foam, yet lol so I'll still tie the classic
Much easier than a Dave's Hopper...this may be my go to hopper pattern. I like thinking about terrestrial fishing...hot days and warm evenings...I think I remember those. 😎 Thanks for sharing, Matt.
Oh man, you're not kidding! Tonight is going to be our coldest night of the year so far, down to 12 degrees. Just a few more months though. I love a nice June afternoon when I can start tossing these big meaty bugs. :-)
Nice tie Matt. I actually bought that J Stockard hook not knowing exactly what I would use it on. It turns out I use it on most of my longer flies, drys and nymphs. I think the curve make some flies look a little more natural.
I agree Mike! I think these hooks look great for all kinds of patterns. :-)
Now I know what to do with a few curved hooks. Very interesting history. Very nice tying job Sir. Thank you for a great video Matt. Looks like a very doable fly.
Appreciate it Jeff! Have a great week my friend. :-)
I love fishing foam hoppers. But, this one really caught my attention for some reason. Note to self: Add several to fly box this year. Thanks a lot Matt!!
Same here Todd. I still probably tie and fish more foam ones as they're just easier and seem to last a pretty long time. :-)
Love this hopper’s look. No doubt it’ll be a good one. 🙂 thx Matt.
I appreciate it Clyde! And thanks for watching my friend. :-)
Great tie, Matt!
I appreciate it Mark! And thanks for watching my friend. :-)
Great background on this pattern. Love the history lessons. Thanks Matt!
Thanks Alex! Tough luck on the river today, but I gotta give you credit for getting out there!
Good Morning Sir Matt, I'm watching this video a day late, Sunday morning to be exact.Joe's Hopper is a really nice looking fly.
I had a chance to go fishing with Amarillo Fly Guys to some private waters I never knew about. I will email you later with pictures. I love that Ozark turkey wing. They are always out when I try to order it,, I'll try again. Thank you Sir Matt.
Thanks Edward! I'm looking forward to seeing some pictures of your fishing with the Amarillo Fly Guys!
Thanks Matt as always.this is a very nice looking fly.love the wing look.sure it gunna catch fish.nice job.
I appreciate it Mike! And thanks for watching my friend. :-)
Great vid Matt! The Joe’s Hopper is the first hopper pattern I learned to tie and fish, and pretty much the only one I use. I like to mount the wings so that they’re curving towards each other. I think it looks more hopper-like that way. I also spray the wings with fixative to minimize the shredding that happens when you fish them.
Thanks! And I think you're 100% right about stiffening the wings. Lots of folks mentioned using Dave's Flexament on here. I've used regular head cement but never that stuff. I'm going to try it out soon. And yeah, I go back and forth about putting the wings close in or letting them splay out a bit. I always envision that the fish won't see them if they're too close to the hook but who knows. After a couple of fish my hoppers are usually pretty scruffy anyway. :-)
Very nicely tied! Thanks for the inspiration ! I love to fish classic flies ,often forgotten but nowadays so innovatives and efficient ! Love your channel !
Thank you my friend! I appreciate the kind words. :-)
Thanks Matt Another awesome video
I appreciate it Michael! And thanks for watching my friend. :-)
Nice hopper. I’ll have to try it out. Thanks Matt.
I appreciate it Chad! And thanks for watching my friend. :-)
Nice looking fly
Nicely done Matt, I'll have to give this a try. I love fishing terrestrials ,I mostly fish inchworms.i have a question, how do you get a fly published in a tiers book? Excellent tie, will save this one for later, need to find the proper hooks first. Thanks for sharing, have a great weekend. 😀👍👍
Thanks Jim! And I have no idea how to get a fly published in a tier's book. I suppose you have to know the author, or he has to ask you for permission to use one of your patterns. Or maybe they don't. If I was writing a book and wanted to put one of Rube Cross's patterns in it, I wouldn't even know who to ask. I mean, he's no longer with us, and I doubt he ever patented any of his flies so I suppose any author who wanted to could put his flies in their book.
@@SavageFlies I was just wondering, I think that would be really cool to do. Thank you so much. 👍
Nice pattern to show on a windy sub freezing day.🥶Sun shinning though, pretty blue sky, all the water is "hard" so won't be fishing these for a while. So clear something up for me. Was that a turkey tail or wing? If wing, do you use a left and right matched pair for your slips? I've cobbled together a few hoppers and used a pheasant feather for a single wing, similar to a Letort Cricket. On one I used old fly line for the body. I've used Dave's Flexament a lot, for coating slips and for head cement too. The thinner is a must with that stuff. Thanks Matt.
D'oh! Did I call that a turkey wing in the video? I haven't rewatched it, but it's definitely a tail feather. And the two tail feathers I have in that pack are basically identical and were probably right next to each other on the bird. But that does make me wonder... are turkey tail feathers symmetrical, and kind of opposite each other like right and left wing feathers are? But in short, these slips were taken from the same feather. We can usually get away with this as long as there is no major lateral bend, and one side is not significantly darker than the other. Does that make sense? I'm going to have to check out Dave's Flexament. Sounds useful. Thanks for the note Joe!
@@SavageFlies I don't remember either. You did call it an ozark , but it looked just like the turkey tail feathers I have and they're from NYS, all local, some from across the road from my house. I think there's a few strains of wild turkeys, Eastern, Merriams, Rio Grande, maybe more. Far as I know ozark is from Arkansas, don't know if it's another type but it's sold as the prettiest. At any rate all wild turkey feathers are beautiful. Regarding the tail feathers, I have what I consider a full fan. It was given to me by young man I let trap on my property, turns out he's the son of a local farmer that has great produce. The center tail is symmetrical. As you go out to the edge they get smaller and not so even from the center quill(?). Wing feathers I guess are called quills. Some recipes just call for a turkey feather quill, tail or wing???? I don't know. But yeah, you made sense. Lateral bend, maybe I trim with a scissor - those old production tiers did it. Side darker than other, I'd still smoke the cigar close or not ;o) But buy the thinner if you get Flexament. Have a good Sunday!
Hi Matt. I’m loving the new music the last few weeks. What is it?
Thanks Warren; I appreciate you noticing! TH-cam has a library of royalty-free stuff to pick from. One of these new ones is called "The Colonel" by Zachariah Hickman, and one is "Birdseye Blues" by Chris Haugen. It's always a challenge to find free music that works with fly tying. :-)
P.S. Stay Safe and warm in that storm you all are getting in the east.
🔥