Hopper patterns are known to draw some of the most explosive strikes you will ever experience as an angler.
But, since they come in so many different sizes, patterns, materials, and color combinations, deciding which ones to tie and/or buy and use can be both confusing and expensive.
So if you’re looking for reliable advice on surefire hopper flies, you’ve come to the right place.
In this post, we will list and describe our top ten, essential, go-to hopper fly patterns that every fly fisher should stock in their fly box.
So, let’s hop on it!
Fishing With Hopper Patterns
I was gloriously introduced to the hopper fly pattern what seems like a lifetime ago. More on that in a minute.
As a young fly fisher, my first experiences with grasshoppers consisted of witnessing what happened to “naturals” when one accidentally landed in a body of water with trout lurking below, and, by extension, when my brother and I expedited that same process by catching and tossing grasshoppers and other similar insects into such bodies of water.
While some hoppers twitched their way downriver to miraculously unharmed escapes, most, to our boyish joy and fascination, became immediate meals for hungry rainbows, brookies, and browns.
Watching this circle-of-life process play out only made me wish that I had a way to attach one to the end of my line, which, of course, I did… With a hook in it!
But, alas, I had been taught to fly fish by my father, who was quite devout in his commitment to the purity of fly fishing. So, while it seemed incongruous to toss helpless but untethered grasshoppers into the water as if nothing more than chum, but eschew the idea of doing so with a hook and line attached, casting live bait was, in my father’s eyes and, thus, in my heart and soul, plain sinful.
And though my brother and I might have felt alone in our fly fishing faith conundrum, it would stand to reason that the advent of the imitation grasshoppers confirmed that we hadn’t been.
This brings me back to the first hopper pattern I ever tied on: a size 10, olive, Parachute Hopper, dressed with floatant and looking ever so tasty!
It was a warm summer day. I had been paddling around a placid pond with a buddy in Rand, Colorado in a borrowed float tube (also a first), when I decided to switch out my standard dry fly rig.
The Adams I had on hadn’t drawn so much as a sniff, so I figured it was time to bring out the heavy artillery.
After a few false casts with my brand new hopper, I aimed and landed it with a modest splash near a shadowy bank and, within seconds, watched a huge rainbow dorsal the surface, engulf it, and take it under like a starving crocodile.
I about soiled myself.
But, without fumbling my rod out of sheer delight and abject terror, I managed to set the hook. From there, I channeled my inner Ernest Hemingway and hung on while the big bow, amid several splashy breeches and sun-sparkled tail-dances, tug-boated me around the pond for the next twenty or so minutes.
No, she didn’t get away.
With some degree of patience and a sliver of skill, I netted her, showed my buddy, thanked her for the ride and released her back into the depths. On that same hopper, I caught four more within the next two and a half hours. So did my friend; all in a similar fashion.
To this day, I still consider that afternoon the moment when my love of fly fishing sparked anew.
The rest is history.
And I owe it all to that opportunity and that wonderful fly fishing innovation, the imitation grasshopper.
With that scene refreshed in my mind (and hopefully etched in your hopper anticipation thought bank), we recommend the following 10 grasshopper fly patterns:
1. Parachute Hopper
With the epic story above as the backdrop, the Parachute Hopper is my absolute go-to favorite. It was then, and it still is now.
The pattern’s simple, sturdy design and perky, easy-to-see parachute post make it both a fish and fly fisher favorite.
It comes in other base colors but I prefer the olive and tan versions. Match your selection to what you see hopping about and you’re sure to have success with this mainstay pattern. Incidentally, I’ve found the Parachute Hopper in a smaller size (i.e. 12 or 14) works great in early hopper season, when the naturals are more the size of PT Boats than they are battleships.
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2. Dave’s Hopper (& Dave’s Foam Hopper)
When it comes to Dave’s Hoppers, either style works as a fine mid- to late-season hopper pattern.
Its classic beefy head, wing, and leg profile, together with the bright yellow ribbed body and red tail enhancement make this grasshopper imitation irresistible to bank-prowling trout.
But on a windy day, don’t be shy about angling a few splashy casts with a Dave’s in the center of a mid-river run.
The foam version provides a more buoyant presentation, but either one will work great as an attractor, a lead bug in a hopper-dropper rig, and a strike indicator.
3. Amy’s Ant
Huh? Amy’s Ant is a grasshopper imitation?
Well… yes.
While this highly-effective fly features the classic three-segment body of an ant, if an ant like this ever invaded my picnic, I’d first have to hand over my whole sub sandwich, then I’d have to beg it not to eat the dog.
Featuring a foam upper body and a multi-colored, leggy underside that pushes the skill limits of those who tie them, Amy’s Ants, in a variety of hues, should occupy a significant section of any fly fisher’s terrestrial fly box.
4. Chernobyl Hopper
Staying within the theme of “things not found in nature that fish can’t resist,” the inspiration for the aptly-named Chernobyl Hopper most assuredly came from its, let’s just say, infamous, forever off-limits eastern European region’s namesake.
Foam-based and with a more flat profile than its Amy’s Ant cousin, this hopper pattern will draw angler-startling, torpedo-like strikes from hungry subsurface carnivores with rather pleasing regularity.
5. Charlie Boy Hopper
Compared to the other bedazzled members of the grasshopper fly phylum, the Charlie Boy Hopper is about as sexy as an 1884 schoolmarm.
Nevertheless, this pattern, when cast into a dark cut bank on some breezy summer afternoon, will bob along on the surface for about two milliseconds before the ferocious attack comes.
Its simple, sturdy and comparatively dull foam-based design sets up an incredibly lifelike profile that fish just can’t resist.
To the eye, the Charlie Boy may be the Charlie Brown of its class, but when it comes to effectiveness, it’s a total winner.
6. Cricket Hopper
In the spirit of the aforementioned Amy’s Ant, why cast a fly that only mimics one bug when you can just as easily cast one that looks like two? After all, aren’t we fly fishers in the business of fooling fish?
I can just imagine the original tie-er of the Cricket Hopper relishing his or her diabolical ingenuity as the dual-insect creation took shape; unexpected Dr. Evil laughter bubbling out from within as it did.
Another less flamboyant foam-based pattern, the Cricket Hopper’s black body mimics both a cricket and a dark-hued grasshopper (said Captain Obvious).
But if things get slow, give this bad boy a try, and don’t be surprised if you suddenly find Shamu at the end of your line trying his best to break your rod in half.
7. Dropper Hopper
Marrying the unremarkable base designs of the two preceding hopper fly patterns with a splash of color and panache, the Dropper Hopper takes on the appearance of the classic Stimulator while setting up as a great lead bug in a hopper-dropper rig (hence its name).
As both a solid grasshopper imitation and a strike indicator for a take on its trailing dropper, I like how easy one of these patterns is to see on the water, I mean, right before it gets swallowed by a beefy brown trout, that is.
8. Fat Albert
Oh how I loved the Fat Albert cartoon when I was a kid. I even had the lunchbox to prove it!
When it comes to grasshopper flies, I love the Fat Albert even more.
And if you like flies that double as two insect imitations, wouldn’t it stand to reason that you would love those that mimic three even more?
Back to the multi-colored, fantastically designed hoppers with several variations, the Fat Albert poses as a grasshopper, a cicada, an adult stonefly, and those monster bugs that populate old B movies and your nightmares.
Suffice it to say, a terrestrial fly box isn’t complete without a few Fat Alberts, but don’t be alarmed if, when you open yours up, one of them suddenly pops out and transforms into Optimus Prime himself.
9. Half-Drowned Hopper
Subject to our human emotions, we might be inclined to feel a twinge of sadness for a water-bound grasshopper that appears to be losing its battle to escape.
Triggered by a fatigue or injury-compromised insect flailing away on the surface, ravenous aquatic carnivores feel no such sympathy.
That is why the Half-Drowned Hopper made our list of top ten grasshopper flies.
This terrestrial fly is tied very much like the Parachute Hopper but in such a way as to widen the wing-to-abdomen angle. Thus, its surface profile gives the appearance of a tired grasshopper that has started to sink, especially when you, the master angler, dry-dress the upper body and wing/parachute structure while leaving the lower abdomen undressed.
After delivering a sweet cast into that dark run, give this dude a few, randomly-spaced down, side, and upstream twitches.
Then…buckle up.
.10 Grand Hopper
Fitting that we would grand finale our top ten with the Grand Hopper. We like this super-realistic hopper pattern because of its high foam-based buoyancy, which means that it:
- Handles heavier droppers without breaking a sweat.
- Is incredibly easy to spot on the water–especially if you buy the hi-vis version.
Add a set of black and yellow-striped rubber legs and, BAMMO, you have yourself a rather Grand Hopper indeed!
Be sure to make room for a few Grand Hoppers in your terrestrial box, but if they get munched by your set of Fat Alberts when nobody’s looking, don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Hopping To Conclusions
So there you have it, our top ten best grasshopper fly patterns.
From the basic and nondescript to the more complex and elaborate, the ten hoppers we’ve recommended above will establish a strong foundation for a respectable terrestrial fly arsenal.
Fill in the gaps with some ant, beetle and spider-like additions, and you’ll be well-equipped to entice your finned quarry with a nice variety of irresistible, slump-busting imitations that are sure to have you tapping into your terrestrial fly box eagerly and regularly.
And while it’s a good idea to order some of these staple hopper patterns from online fly shops (i.e. one of our favorites, www.DiscountFlies.com) ahead of time, be sure to visit the local fly shops near where you’re planning to fish.
Not only do we love and recommend supporting small fly fishing businesses, they always have the inside scoop on the most effective local fly variations. Win, win!
Oh, I almost forgot, when not in service on a lake or river, some of the big foam patterns described above make great swimming pool floatation devices for the kids. You can thank me later.
Tight Lines!
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