Step 1
With the body cutter, shape the Hopper body parts. Two halfs will make one body.
Step 2
Split the halfs carefully.
Step 3
Use the leg cutter to cut the back legs.
Step 4
Cut each leg in the thick part, as back as possible.
Step 5
Use the wing cutter for the wings, using MFC wing material. There are options like feathers, fine foam that we should paint later. It has to be translucent.
Step 6
Split the wings.
Step 7
Prepare the Hopper pronotums with another cutter.
Step 8
Place a dot of cianoacrilate in the body’s fine tip, the abdomen edge.
Step 9
Glue the abdomen tip making sure the two halfs are even.
Step 10
Seen from the side, the body should look like one piece.
Step 11
Place a needle on the vise, tie and cement with some cianoacrilate.
Step 12
Pinch the body from the inside to outside. The needle should come out to the back, in the middle of the two foam halfs.
Step 13
Make the first segment with 4 or 5 thread turns.
Step 14
Split the foam halfs, pass the thread and closet the foam.
Step 15
Shape the second and other segments this way.until the back of the thorax. Tie and cut once you have 5 segments.
Step 16
In a curved hook like the Mustad C49S reconnect the thread and cement.
Step 17
One half of foam at each side. Use some cement in the opposite side of the hook and glue the foam, this helps later.
Step 18
Shape a segment with thread on the tórax. Then glue the foams, hook overhanging as in the photo.
Step 19
Tie the back legs and trim. Knot it.
Step 20
Back legs position.
Step 21
Connect the thread at the back of the head, present the wing and tie.
Step 22
Trim the wing, glue the wing to the back of the abdomen with contact glue so it’s tight.
Step 23
Tie the pronotum as it the photo shows. With cement it will remain stuck.
Step 24
Tie the front legs making sure they point a bit downwards. The fly will fall correctly this way.
Step 25
Use a marker to decórate the fly.
Step 26
The antennae are glued with cement. The direction of these may not be that important to trout.
Step 27
A Tomsu´s Hopper family ready to be fished near the bank vegetation!
