Passion Vine Hoppers (Lacewing Moth)

[Jaapie]

Hey guys,

Anyone on here had much to do with fishing Vine Hoppers?

Had a very good schooling (read - butt kicking) recently.
Central North Island water and fish rising everywhere. Couldn't get the rod together quick enough.
Fishing to actively rising fish with a splash take - not a sip or a porpoise.

Managed one fish on a very small Adams, but it should have been 20 fish at a minimum the way they were eating.
Changed over to a dry white/cream caddis, but only got one small fish again.

There were masses of these white puff balls (seed pods) landing in the water and I initially thought they might be eating the seed pods.

When I eventually left the water I noticed Vine Hoppers (adults) all over the place, but hadn't seen one in the water at all.
Believe me I scoured that water for a good half hour looking to see what was being eaten but nada......

Got onto Google and read up a bit about these things, but I'd appreciate first hand experience fishing them.
I see they are called fuzzy bums because of the white puff around their bodies in nymph stages.

Any tips with flies, patterns, key triggers, info etc.
Someone did mention to me very small flies 18-20's

Appreciate the help.

Kev

[Johnno]

Have a look on the fly patterns forum. Pokororo PVH

[Jaapie]

Thank you mate.

Any list of materials and size hook for the pattern?

Do you bother with the nymphal stage or just concentrate on the adult?

[Johnno]

Just the adult. I guess the juvenile could easily be imitated by a blob of white kapok with a cream hackle on a size 18 or 20. Or something...

The adult fly is tied on a TMC921 #14 to #16. Grey thread.
I use a Swisher “Generation Extreme” tan dubbing for the body with a brushed out and flattened “Superfloat” fibre wing that is tan and marked with brown marker

You will be unlikely to have that stuff so go for tans for the body with a light ginger hackle and a flattened tan and brown deer hair wing or similar... it’s a small insect, but keep it light and translucent..

[Jaapie]

Great info mate - very much appreciated.

Thanks again for taking time to reply and share hard earned knowledge.

[tiggs]

I bought some compressed paper from spotlight for a triangle shaped wing, a dubbed body and a small hackle seems to work. The hardest part is securing the wing as it can come loose easily. I also painted the wing with cement to make it float. I generally use a 16# but it could be bigger or smaller and still work.

We have had remarkable success at times with hopper flies. The most interesting was on the Mohaka on a very windy day. The gusts blew the hoppers onto the water and the trout went frantic for a while until the next strong gust blew in their next feast. It took us a while to work out what was happening but eventually we ran out of hopper flies.

I believe a parachute adams is a good conventional replacement and a friend recently caught most of his fish on one of these. However, he may have caught more fish if he had used the "real" thing. I make sure I carry a good supply at this time of year. They seem to work everywhere, at least in the NI rivers that I fish

[Jaapie]

Thanks Tiggs - good observation mate.