True Glory: Small Stream Hopper Fishing

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By many measures, it’s the ultimate in fly fishing for trout: Catching big fish in small water on dry flies. This is the true glory of hopper season.

Apart from the notable stonefly hatches, hopper season stands out as a highly anticipated period for Rocky Mountain anglers. And while larger rivers present fantastic opportunities, targeting smaller streams and tributaries can yield quick catches and occasionally surprisingly large trout.

Grasshoppers (order Orthoptera), piscatorially known as “hoppers,” are terrestrial insects that inhabit grassy areas, meadows, and fields. Known for death-defying vaults and their propensity for haphazard belly flops, these insects play a significant role in the diet of trout from midsummer to the start of autumn. And they elicit explosive eats, making them attractive offerings for fly fishermen.

Good Hopper Years

Anglers out West might remember the great grasshopper bacchanalia of 2019. Fleets upon legions of grasshoppers springing from blade to blade, ruffling the grasses to the point that one couldn’t be blamed if he or she braced for a charging moose. Trout–big ones too–couldn’t seem to eat enough.

So what happened that year?

According to a Montana State University entomologist, 2019’s bumper crop was due to multiple factors.

“High grasshopper populations this year could be due to a couple of factors including an abundance of a yellow sweet clover in 2019 and a cold, wet spring in 2019 where grass was abundant and rising grasshopper populations were tolerated and mostly not managed,” Laurie Kerzicnik wrote in an MSU Extension Service document.

As indicated above, weather, both from the previous fall and winter and the current year plays a big role in hopper populations, along with many other factors. Some other things that can lead to big hopper years include:

• Warmer than average temperatures: Warm air temperatures are ideal for grasshoppers, as it allows them to develop and reproduce more quickly.
• Abundant food sources: Grasshoppers feed on a variety of plants, and the availability of food sources plays a large role. If grasses and plants are abundant—especially in spring—more grasshoppers will survive.
• Low levels of predation: Grasshoppers are preyed upon by a variety of animals, and if their populations are low, hopper numbers will be up. This can happen due to a variety of factors, including habitat loss and climate change.
• Wet springtimes: But not too wet, as fungi and parasites that can kill grasshoppers might also exist in particularly wet springs.
• Drought summers: If a particularly dry summer follows a wet spring, start buying foam and rubber legs. Adult grasshoppers thrive in drought conditions.

Hopper Timing

Fly Fisherman editor/publisher Ross Purnell had this to say after his hopper-fishing expedition to Patagonia in 2014: “Harvest time is hopper time.”

“Many longbeard fly fishers have learned to expect mayfly hatches around phenological events, for example in the East, Hendricksons hatch within a few days of the first blooms of forsythia, and Sulphurs hatch at the same time you see white flowers of mountain laurel,” he wrote. “Close to harvest, the irrigation sprinklers are turned off so the crop can mature and dry (you can’t bale wet hay, or combine wet grain). When the water is turned off (or late summer becomes naturally dry) the hoppers migrate from the brown pastures and swathed hayfields to verdant creek and river bottoms where the grass is still growing. Like all living creatures, hoppers need water to survive, and they get almost all of their water from the green plant life they prefer.”

In the Rocky Mountains, this coincides with a period of decreased aquatic insect activity, typically starting around late July. Hoppers are often the only above-water option for trout food at this time.

The biggest hurdle anglers might face this year and moving forward is high water temperatures. We continue to hear about trout populations declining right on schedule with climate scientists’ predictions regarding the expected reduction of trout waters. For example, hoot-owl restrictions went into place on Montana’s Lower Madison River on July 12 in 2023, which is historically quite early, despite favorable spring precipitation and cool temps. Many other area rivers followed suit with heat restrictions that same month.

Further, any given day’s best hopper fishing typically occurs during the warmest part of the day during this warmest part of the year. Take water temperatures throughout the day and consider starting cocktail hour once your thermometer reads 68 or above. Unfortunately, this can leave only a short window for good fishing, as brisk mountain mornings, even in August, are not often conducive to active hoppers.

“When hoppers are the major seasonal food source, the river on a crisp, damp morning can be as lifeless as a retirement home,” read Purnell’s article from 2014. “It’s not just that the trout aren’t on hoppers, it’s that they’ve switched off altogether until the afternoon ‘hatch.’”

But Why Small Streams?

When the valley-bottom main stems get warm, as is common at this time of year, their resident fish sometimes flee to the cooler refuges offered by higher elevation or brush-covered tributaries, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 3 Fisheries Manager Mike Duncan. Other times, browns and brookies might be in a tributary starting their migrations to their spawning grounds.

“Trout often seek thermal refuge during the summer when water temperatures are exceptionally high in main stem sections, which might explain why an angler could find relatively large browns or other trout in small tributaries,” said Duncan. “Brown trout spawn in the fall, which can occur as early as October in some streams. It’s quite common for them to begin their spawning migrations, which might include tributaries or small headwater reaches, and staging for spawning in September.”

The precise timing of large fish migrating into small water can be puzzling. Factors such as cooler main stem temperatures or unusually timed spawning runs, whether early or late, might result in slower fishing conditions or even a complete lack of success.

You could also find that the fish have already gorged on hoppers, or that a cool morning has quieted the hopper activity, or that the fish just aren’t eating. This is, after all, fishing.

Despite all that, small-stream hopper fishing is fun no matter the size of the fish.

Tactics & Techniques

Because these streams are often cramped, stealth is important. Sneaking up on the banks, kneeling, and sometimes even bow-and-arrow casts are necessary. We’re often taught on the big rivers to splash or “plop” your hopper down hard to get the fish’s attention, but that is less necessary on these meager creeks—anything that hits the surface will be close enough to grab the fish’s attention.

Whenever feasible, fish upstream to avoid alerting the trout to your approach.

It’s frequently sight fishing to individual fish or casting at likely holding water, which includes color changes, buckets, and under cutoff banks below grassy fields—rather than casting at confirmed rises as you would with other dry-fly fishing.

Hoppers are known for their erratic movements, so imparting lifelike action to your fly is essential. Practice accurate casting, drag-free drifts, and natural presentations with occasional twitching or “skitching” to entice trout into striking.

And although they might seem relatively easy to fish, small streams are often thought of as more approachable by novice anglers, being easier to break down, read, and cast across—I would argue it’s often quite challenging due to the tight quarters. These small streams can be willow-choked, and precise and/or technical casting is often required.

As with bigger rivers, warm, windy afternoons are usually best due to peak hopper activity. But if your stream happens to have a midnight stonefly hatch—you’ll know by the large insect shucks stuck to rocks at that time of year—it is possible to have good “hopper” fishing first thing in the morning. Many hopper patterns make decent stonefly patterns in a pinch and serve a dual purpose.

Keep in mind that even small, high-elevation creeks can get warm, so you’ll want to take water temps throughout the day to avoid stressing trout.

While filming a video for small-stream hopper fishing last summer (scan the QR code at the beginning of this article to view), we had the opportunity to take a close look at the trout’s behavior. One thing we noticed was that trout, starting from an upstream position, would sometimes chase the fly downstream so that the fish was actually downstream of the fly, wafting backward while looking upstream before deciding it was food and attacking it. This taught us two things: You do not need to land your fly upstream of the fish, and these fish are getting a good look at your fly.

Other Terrestrial Insects

If a bug can end up on the water, it can become trout food. Grasshoppers are just the tip of the iceberg.

This year’s once-every-221-years so-called cicada eclipse is a great example. And although this is a noteworthy year for periodical cicadas in the East, some variety of cicadas hatches every year and in every state, according to Blane Chocklett.

“Most states have at least four different species, and some states, such as California, have as many as 80 species,” he wrote in a 2020 article on cicada hatches. “Most annual cicadas have olive or black-and-olive markings, but coloration can vary depending on the species.

“As temperatures climb in the late spring and early summer, more and more cicada nymphs emerge from the ground, climb into the trees, molt, and begin singing to attract potential mates. They can also fly from tree to tree, although not very well.”

Northeastern Nevada similarly experienced a plague-like outbreak of Mormon crickets recently, in which some businesses reportedly had to hire staff to sweep them off the sidewalks and entrance areas.

Mormon crickets are about 1.5 to 2.5 inches with robust bodies and vary in color from brown or black to tan, orange, reddish auburn, and olive. They are native to the Mountain West and can have population outbreaks similar to grasshoppers. Trout gorge on them during swarming events.

Ants are seemingly a culinary treat for trout, as ant flies have a reputation for being extremely effective. You can fish ants many times of year, but they are particularly effective when the trout are already looking up for the meaty grasshoppers.

According to Bow River master Jim McLennan: “We may not know when flying ants are going to appear on the water, but when they do, the trout eat them with gusto. There has been much speculation on what it is trout like about ants, including suggestions that it’s their acidic taste, but it’s hard to know about that one.”

Beetles have a similar reputation. As fishing legend Cathy Beck said, “Beetle patterns are nothing new to our sport as fly tiers for many years have been coming up with ideas to imitate the beetles that find their way into trout streams… It was (Vincent) Marinaro’s little Jassid beetle that fooled many of the most selective trout in his prized Letort Spring Run.”

Bees and wasps are usually less useful than other terrestrials but will also occasionally catch a trout’s eye, says Fly Fisherman columnist Charlie Craven.

“Back in my guiding days, I would pump one fish’s stomach each day during the summer just to keep track of what was happening or changing and what might be on the menu for the day, and pretty much each day I found a single yellow jacket/paper wasp/mud dauber/winged stinged critter in the belly of nearly every trout,” Craven said.

Ants, beetles, bees, and other terrestrials, however, don’t typically have big population spikes from year to year like cicadas, Mormon crickets, and hoppers, which isn’t a bad thing. Places where hopper outbreaks are less common, like the Eastern U.S., are great places to fish these other terrestrials.

Beyond Trout

There’s no need to limit yourself to trout and char. Whitefish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, panfish, carp—even catfish, according to the late expert Dave Whitlock, and muskies and striped bass according to Chocklett—are susceptible to vulnerable-appearing grasshoppers and other terrestrials.

Gear

During hopper season, wet wading is typically the way to go. Many leading fishing apparel companies provide fast-drying wading pants such as the Skwala Sol Wading Pants. Additionally, some brands offer specialized wet-wading footwear like Orvis’s PRO Hikers hiking/wading boots, featuring a zip-up neoprene liner to prevent pebbles from entering, or Simms Pursuit Shoes, which are as much a sandal as a shoe.

Opting for fast-action rods can offer a significant edge in hopper fishing. Lately, I had been favoring slower rods to the extent that I essentially set aside all my fast-action ones. Therefore, when I decided to bring out my Thomas & Thomas Helix 4-weight—a relatively fast rod—for some hopper fishing, I was pleasantly surprised by the increased distance and accuracy it provided. While you can manage with a slower rod if you enjoy casting it, effectively casting large flies, especially in windy conditions, is more efficient with a fast rod. Anywhere from a 3- to 5-weight, ranging from 7 to 9 feet, will suffice depending on fish size and the characteristics of your small stream.

When it comes to selecting flies, I usually begin with a large foam-bodied option like a Chernobyl Ant, Thunder Thighs Hopper, or Amy’s Ant tied to 3X tippet to avoid line twist and deal with the potentially aggressive takes. Try various sizes until you find a preference—Whitlock noted that there are often two or three different sizes of hoppers available at any given time during hopper season, in part because males are smaller than females.

Certain fly line manufacturers produce fly lines with specialized tapers tailored for effectively delivering large flies in windy conditions, such as the Airflo Superflo Streamer Float Fly Line and Scientific Anglers Amplitude Textured Bass Bug. When it is very hot and you’re fishing from a boat, the Amplitude Smooth Infinity Warm can’t be beat.

There are many hopper-tying recipes and hopper fishing tips available on flyfisherman.com.

Scout your water early and consult grasshopper-population forecasts. Many streams on public land provide excellent opportunities for small-stream hopper fishing across the West and beyond.

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Josh Bergan is Fly Fisherman’s digital editor.