HOPPER BASICS BY JOHN BERRY

I ran into Tom Emerick the other day and he asked if I ever fished with grasshopper flies (hoppers). I remarked that I had not fished hoppers since the day before. I went on to say that I fish them often, just about every time I go fishing especially this time of year. He asked if I would present a program, to the North Arkansas Fly Fishers (our local fly fishing club), at their August meeting. I agreed to do so.

Now is the perfect time to do a program, on them, because we are well into hopper season. Grasshoppers are not aquatic insects but are terrestrials. That is they live on land. They become a major food source because they are plentiful this time of the year and they tend to fall into the water. Once there, they are helpless and are a tempting morsel for hungry trout. Their struggles can trigger a vicious strike. Since they are a large insect, they are a favorite of large fish. While the late summer is hopper season, I have found that hoppers can work any time of year. This year I caught a nice eighteen inch rainbow in February. 

Because of their size you will need a stout rod in a five or six weight. A six is probably better but I generally find myself fishing a five on most days and it seems to get the job done. When you are fishing a heavier fly, like this, you will need to fish a shorter heavier leader than you would for most dry flies. Where I use a twelve foot 5x leader when fishing sulphurs or caddis, for hoppers I use a seven and a half foot 4X leader. The shorter heavier leader allows me to easily turn over the heavier fly.

My fly selection is pretty simple. I carry Dave’s hoppers and western pink ladies. The western pink lady is my favorite. It is a western style foam fly that is nearly indestructible and has a bright orange quick sight spot on the back. It is easy to see, floats like a cork and does not require any floatant. I reserve the Dave’s hopper for picky fish. It is a realistic fly that is a dead on imitation, of the insect. It is pretty durable but is a bit harder to see and requires a liberal application of fly floatant.

The best time to fish hoppers is on a windy day, when they are likely to get blown into the water. The best day I ever had was one windy day, when I was fishing beside a hay field, when the farmer was cutting the hay. Dozens of hoppers were blown into the river and the trout were keying in on them. I hooked fish after fish for well over an hour. It was incredible. The best place to fish them is fairly near the bank where they are likely to land.

Hoppers land with a plop, when they are blown into the water. So your cast should cause them, to land them the same way. This is not the time, for a delicate presentation. Since they tend to struggle in the water, an occasional twitch will sometimes trigger a strike. I generally find that the trout will take them as soon as they hit the water.

To increase my hook ups, I always add a dropper. That is I tie a nymph to the grasshopper. I have found the easiest way to attach them is to tie the tippet to the bend of the grasshopper hook with an improved clinch knot. The length of the dropper is generally determined by the depth of the water. If the water is fairly shallow I will use an eighteen inch dropper. In deeper water, I generally use a thirty six inch one. My choice of the dropper fly is determined by, which nymph I am having the most success with that day.

I use the same basic rig, the same flies and the same technique, if I am wading or drifting in a river boat. By the way smallmouths like them also.

If you have never tried hoppers, now is the time to give them a try. If you would like to learn more about them join me at the next North Arkansas Fly Fisher’s meeting on August 18, 2015 at the Van Matre Senior Center at 7:00 PM. The public is welcome.

John Berry is a fly fishing guide for Blue Ribbon Guides in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.