The Hopper Hatch | Hopper Species | Patterns | Hopper Habits | Splat & Twitch

Many anglers tell stories of trout hitting pieces of bark when hoppers are on the water. This may or may not be true, but the feeling is prevalent that when fishing the hopper "hatch," any large, clunky fly will do the trick. Many fly fishermen who pay close attention to caddis and mayflies and imitate them carefully, still believe that a hopper is a hopper. Some anglers don't even carry hopper patterns but rely on an unweighted and greased Muddler Minnow, which works well when the size and color of the Muddler happens to be close to that of the natural.

Those who do carry hoppers usually keep one or two in a corner of the odd box. These are often the same anglers who carry drys and nymphs in every conceivable size and color, and who would never think of matching a #20 Blue Dun hatch with, say, a #14 Adams.

Hopper flies come in a wide variety. Often the head is made of deer hair, one of the best uses for this versatile material. The wings are usually quill sections, and the bodies are dubbed. Legs can be made of clipped hackle stems, bunched pheasant-tail barbules or a simple flaring of the first bunch of deer hair from the head.

The one advantage hopper flies have over many other imitations is that they feel like the genuine article. Whether it's this effect, or the extreme desirability of hoppers as a food source, a fish that hits a hopper fly is usually hooked.

As with other imitations, it's better to try for a general impression of the insect than a sculptural likeness. The Letort Hopper is one of the simplest patterns around, with a dubbed body, flared deer-hair wing and clipped-hair head. It is also one of the most effective, especially in smaller sizes.

On the other end of the scale, you'll find such realistic creations as the Whitlock Hopper or Mike Lawson's Henry's Fork Hopper. These have the disadvantage of greater wind resistance, but they are proven fish-getters.

More important than the actual pattern are the size, color, and floating qualities of the fly. Flies should be tied with the most buoyant materials available, and a good dose of fly floatant doesn't hurt.

Commercially tied hopper patterns come in an acceptable range of sizes, from about #14 all the way up to some monsters tied on #2 streamer hooks. Three or four sizes will cover most situations but this is not the case with color. Commercial hoppers are predominantly yellow; green ones are rare, and very dark brown ones almost impossible to find.

As with most fly patterns, the correct size is more crucial than the right color, but there are many times--for instance early in the summer when the new growth is still brilliantly green--when a yellow hopper won't produce, but a green one is just the ticket. Later in the year when the same growth is parched brown, the opposite may be true.

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