Hoppin John ~ Cricket Version

 

Richard Pilatzke was in the shop on Saturday to tie a number of his famous foam terrestrial patterns.  He introduced a brand new cricket pattern pictured above.

"The Hopping John is intended to look like a grasshoppper or cricket, depending on colors used. Grasshoppers are generally tied with bodies of tan/yellow, olive/yellow, chartreuse/yellow, or brown/yellow.  The legs match the color of the overbody. Crickets are black/brown with black legs.  I tie these in three different sizes using three different cutter tools for the body and the legs.  The larger sizes make great looking Katydids and flying hoppers and also great looking imitations of Mormon crickets for use on waters such as the Green River in Utah and Slough Creek in Yellowstone National Park."

Hook: Dai-Riki 730 size 12

Thread: Uni-Thread 6/0 black
Underbody: Brown 2mm foam beavertail body
Overbody: Black 2mm foam beavertail body
Reaf Legs: Black 2mm foam Hopper legs
Front Legs: Large Round Rubber Legs Black
Indicator: Yellow 2mm foam

"The beavertail bodies are cut with a beavertail body cutter from River Road Creations.  The rear legs are cut with a Hopper leg cutter from the same source.  After laying down a thread base the length of the shank, I apply a coating of liquid Krazy Glue on the thread before tying down the brown beavertail underbody."

By the way, the huge box of hopper patterns  shown in the above picture will be auctioned off at a Wounded Warrior Event in Denver on April 24, 2011