For fly fishermen, late summer means terrestrial time. By then, the rivers are running low and clear, and the mayfly hatches of spring have tapered off. Streamside meadows are abuzz with beetles, crickets, ants, and every August angler’s favorite, hoppers.
These land-based insects are prolific and diverse. According to scientists at MSU, Michigan is home to at least 61 species. They typically emerge in late spring or early summer, but the hot, windy days of August are when trout turn to them in earnest as source of protein.
As a rule, grasshoppers are day laborers. In other words, they clock out when the sun sets, unlike crickets, which become active at night. Hoppers also look similar to katydids, crickets, and locusts, but a hopper’s antennae are shorter than its body, setting them apart from other, similar-looking arthropods.
Terrestrial insects are poor swimmers, and those that blunder into a stream are in deep trouble. Viewed by trout, a hopper kicking feebly across a pool stands about as much chance as a hot slice of pizza around a middle schooler at a sleepover. In short, prospecting along a trout stream on a windy August day can pay off big.
Tying Tips
There may be even more grasshopper imitations on the market than there are living, breathing grasshoppers, so choosing the proper pattern can be confusing. Suffice it to say, most are decent, although some undoubtedly perform better than others.
Old-school options incorporate spun deer hair, sections of turkey tail, and knotted pheasant tail fibers, whereas modern iterations involve foam and rubber legs. To my eye, natural materials look more realistic. but I’m an old soul at heart, and the idea of repurposing feathers from last fall’s gamebirds simply makes sense. Time-tested patterns include Dave’s Hopper, Joe’s Hopper, the Parachute Hopper, and my all-time favorite, the Game Warden. For what it’s worth, Joe’s Hopper and the Game Warden originated in Michigan, so there’s legacy there.
As far as foam flies are concerned, decent patterns include the Thunder Thighs Hopper (yes, really), Morrish Hopper, Charlie Boy, and the Chernobyl Ant, and hundreds of others. What these recipes lack in classic construction, they make up for in durability and simplicity. Plus, the wiggly rubber legs are tough to beat as far as piscatorial appeal is concerned.
Guides love synthetic flies because they’re durable and easy to tie, and clients prefer them because they’re simple to see. Plus, foam floats like a cork whereas natural materials tend to be less buoyant. Then again, if you toss a live hopper into a stream, they thrash about in the surface film, and eventually sink. In other words, flies tied with natural materials behave more like Peter than Jesus, and the fact that they’re an easy target seems appealing to the fish.
Hopper imitations come in a wide range of sizes, from ponderous No. 4 hooks all the way down to diminutive No. 12s. Western anglers report success with thumb-sized flies, but I haven’t experienced much luck with them, locally. Here in Michigan, smaller tends to be more effective, with size No. 10 about perfect for most situations.
And now, a final tying tip: make sure the gap between the hook point and the shank is wide enough to accommodate bulky materials. Fill up that space with foam or other materials and hooksets will decrease dramatically.
The Best of the Rest
Grasshoppers steal the late-summer limelight, but crickets, ants, and beetles draw strikes, as well. Of these, I’ve had the best success with ants – in winged, sunken, and floating iterations. If daytime trout are actively rising to UFOs (unidentifiable food options), give ants a try. They’re crawling everywhere, often wind up in the flow, and trout seem to relish their taste. Besides that, ants swim even worse than grasshoppers – which is saying something. Once they break the meniscus; they drift about aimlessly, like Gen-Z kids without cell phones. High-floating foam ants work well at times, but a drowned ant beneath a hopper offers an even better option. Warm September days can bring swarms of flying ants, and trout often key in on them exclusively.
Gearing Up for Success
Terrestrial fishing calls for a five or six-weight rod, floating line (weight-forward, preferred) and a stouter than average leader. My standard setup is nine-foot 3X leader, partially to deliver larger-than-average flies, and partially due to the potential for larger fish.
Parting Thoughts
A subtle approach isn’t required for fishing terrestrials, especially grasshoppers. They’re clumsy flyers and their rotund physique creates an audible splat on the surface when they touch down, sounding a dinner bell for hungry trout.
Then there’s the infamous hopper-dropper combo. This tag-team duo splits the difference between surface and subsurface strikes. What’s the magic that makes this pair perform so well? Maybe the fish sense the “splat” of the hopper hitting the surface, swim up to check it out, and think: “That juicy ol’ hopper sure looks tasty, but it’s way out there on the surface, so I’m just going to grab this tasty little Prince Nymph and call it a day.” Maybe that’s anthropomorphizing too much. In any case, as long as the angler is paying attention when the hopper (indicator) takes a plunge, it’s an effective way to hook fish.
With summer winding down and trout season in its last month or so, give hoppers a shot. The fish go bonkers for them, and there’s a decent chance to catch your best trout of the season.