Overview

Charlie Craven developed the Charlie Boy Hopper about 20 years ago while guiding on Colorado's Tarryall Creek, and named it after his son. He wanted something better than Dave's Hopper, which he found got waterlogged after a few fish and took too long to tie.

The Charlie Boy meets his list of what a hopper needs: active rubber legs, durability, a realistic silhouette, good visibility and strong flotation. It is a hopper that keeps floating fish after fish and can hold up a nymph below it, which makes it a go-to for summer hopper-dropper fishing.

How to Fish It

• Bank slaps: land it with a soft plop tight to grassy banks on windy summer afternoons.
• Hopper-dropper: hang a bead-head nymph 18 to 36 inches below.
• Twitch: give it a small twitch now and then to kick the legs.
• Tippet: 3X or 4X turns it over and handles big fish near cover.

Choosing Color and Size

Tan matches most natural hoppers late in the season. Yellow matches yellow-bellied hoppers and is easier to see in riffles.

Use 8 for big late-summer hoppers and heavy droppers, 10 as the all-around size, and 12 for smaller early-season hoppers and pressured fish.