Emerald Run Chubby Chernobyl Hopper
by @dekasso
Chubby Chernobyl · Terrestrial
Tiger bands over green canyon water
A size 10 Chubby Chernobyl in striped orange-and-black foam, tied to float high as a grasshopper along summer trout water.
A Chubby Chernobyl hopper sits in the vise above a clear emerald canyon river. Orange foam carries bold black bands, with a cream elk hair wing and black barred rubber legs.
- Pattern
- Chubby Chernobyl
- Imitates
- Grasshopper season, typically midsummer afternoons into early fall
- Hook
- size 10
- Tippet
- 3Xrule of three
- Striped orange foam body rides high
- Cream elk hair wing for visibility
- Black barred rubber legs that kick
- Pearl flash tail adds a glint
- Size 10 dry-fly hook
On the water
Bright orange foam wears thick black bands from tail to head. A cream elk hair wing lies flat along the back, a wisp of pearl flash peeks out behind, and black barred legs splay wide. Behind it, red rock walls drop into green water.
Slap it down tight to a grassy bank or let it ride the seam where a riffle slows. Dead drift first, then give it a small twitch so the legs kick. It floats well enough to hang a small nymph underneath.
Foam segmenting decides how the fly sits. Bind the strip down firmly at each tie point so the bands line up and the body rides flat, not cocked to one side.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 3Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
- Fish on 3X or 4X tippet; the foam and legs can twist finer line.
- Land it with a soft splat near the bank, then dead drift before adding a twitch.
- Hang a small beadhead nymph 18 to 30 inches below the bend for a hopper-dropper rig.
Where and when
- Hatch
- Grasshopper season, typically midsummer afternoons into early fall
- Target
- Trout
- Water type
- Canyon runs, grassy banks and riffle edges
- Also fishes
- Doubles as a stonefly or cicada on choppy water and makes a buoyant indicator for a dropper nymph.
Make it yourself
Intermediate4 materials · 11 steps
- Pattern
- Chubby Chernobyl
- Style
- Terrestrial
- Hook
- Tiemco TMC 5212size 10
- Thread
- Orange 140-denier
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- TailPearl Krystal Flash
- BodyOrange-and-black striped 2mm foam
- WingCream elk hair
- LegsBlack barred round rubber
Details
- Imitates
- Grasshopper
- Colors
- Orange, Black, Cream, Pearl
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (11)
- Mount the hook and lay an orange thread base from the eye to the bend.
- Tie in a short tail of pearl Krystal Flash, about one third of the shank length.
- Cut a strip of striped foam as wide as the hook gap and taper its rear end to a point.
- Lay the foam on top of the shank and bind it down at the bend, leaving a small overhang as the tail end.
- Bind the foam again at mid-shank with tight wraps to form the second segment.
- Clean and stack a pinch of cream elk hair, then tie it in at the mid-shank point with tips reaching just past the bend.
- Tie in one pair of rubber legs at the mid-shank point, one leg on each side, angled back.
- Advance the thread and bind the foam once more about one quarter shank behind the eye.
- Tie in a second pair of rubber legs at the front tie point, angled forward.
- Trim the foam head so a short block overhangs the eye.
- Whip finish under the foam at the front tie point and trim the thread.
Proportions (4)
- Tail: pearl flash about one third of shank length.
- Foam body: as wide as the hook gap, running the full shank with a short overhang at each end.
- Wing: elk hair tips reaching just past the bend.
- Legs: roughly one and a half times the shank length, trimmed evenly.
Tips (3)
- Line up the foam stripes before the first wrap so the bands read cleanly along the back.
- Stack the elk hair well; even tips give a neat flat wing.
- Use firm but not crushing wraps on foam so it segments without cutting through.
Common mistakes (3)
- Foam rolling to the side: hold it on top with your fingers through the first two wraps.
- Wing too bulky: use a modest pinch of elk hair and trim butts flush under the foam.
- Uneven legs: pull each pair taut and trim both sides at once to match length.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 10 · Materials only · 12 flies
$36.25
$3.02 a fly
Includes Tiemco TMC 5212 · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 5212$6.50
Thread & wire
- Orange 140-denier thread$2.95
Materials
- Pearl Krystal Flash$3.95
- Orange-and-black striped 2mm foam$7.90
- Cream elk hair$5.50
- Black barred round rubber$3.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 10 · Materials only · 48 flies
$87.83
$1.83 a fly
Bought separately $92.45 · you save $4.62
Includes Tiemco TMC 5212 · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 5212$13
Thread & wire
- Orange 140-denier thread$5.90
Materials
- Pearl Krystal Flash$11.85
- Orange-and-black striped 2mm foam$19.75
- Cream elk hair$22
- Black barred round rubber$14
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 10 · Materials only · 144 flies
$210.76
$1.46 a fly
Bought separately $239.50 · you save $28.74
Includes Tiemco TMC 5212 · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 5212$35
Thread & wire
- Orange 140-denier thread$17.70
Materials
- Pearl Krystal Flash$31.60
- Orange-and-black striped 2mm foam$59.25
- Cream elk hair$55
- Black barred round rubber$35
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 10 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$186.25
$15.52 a fly
Includes Tiemco TMC 5212 · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 5212$6.50
Thread & wire
- Orange 140-denier thread$2.95
Materials
- Pearl Krystal Flash$3.95
- Orange-and-black striped 2mm foam$7.90
- Cream elk hair$5.50
- Black barred round rubber$3.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 10 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$230.33
$4.80 a fly
Bought separately $242.45 · you save $12.12
Includes Tiemco TMC 5212 · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 5212$13
Thread & wire
- Orange 140-denier thread$5.90
Materials
- Pearl Krystal Flash$11.85
- Orange-and-black striped 2mm foam$19.75
- Cream elk hair$22
- Black barred round rubber$14
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 10 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$342.76
$2.38 a fly
Bought separately $389.50 · you save $46.74
Includes Tiemco TMC 5212 · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 5212$35
Thread & wire
- Orange 140-denier thread$17.70
Materials
- Pearl Krystal Flash$31.60
- Orange-and-black striped 2mm foam$59.25
- Cream elk hair$55
- Black barred round rubber$35
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
The creator
How it was made
1 iteration led here; the saved one is marked
1 Saved
Remixes
Remixed from
- Emerald Run Chubby Chernobyl Hopperyou are here
1 remix of this
Where this came from
“make the orange and black zebra striped”
fly pattern · made
1 remix
25 — from 1 remix, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- chubby chernobyl
- hopper
- grasshopper
- foam fly
- dry fly
- terrestrial
- trout
- elk hair
- rubber legs
- summer