Dave's Hopper is a classic, and the fly can be enjoyed as a pattern to catch trout because it is a classic, BUT...

for efficiency of tying, and for effectiveness, foam, and rubber legs have replaced it as an effective fly. The rubber legs twitch in the water for a life like effect, and the foam floats so much better. Want to strip the foam back under the water as an effective presentation?...then it pops back up and floats again.

This is a fun fly to tie. To maintain the original look but make the fly float a little higher I use an underbody of foam. I learned a lot from tying this fly. I learned to be patient and take my time when tying flies. I learned to make knotted hopper (and cricket) legs. I learned that sometimes less is more when using deer hair for the head. I also learned that as long as the fly is still in the vise, if your mistakes bother you, there are do-overs. I firmly believe that is why God puts so many hackle feathers on a saddle skin. Most importantly, I learned that mine don't always come out perfect but the trout, bluegill and bass don't seem to mind.