Catch Trout When They're Feeding on Grasshoppers

From late summer to early fall, trout feast on wayward grasshoppers on streams across the Midwest, providing fast, explosive action for fly anglers.

August 25, 2024 By Matt Straw

A grasshopper takes off on a poorly logged flight. Typical. It lands in the stream with a barely audible splash. Barely audible to us anglers, maybe. The clumsy landing is a dinner bell for trout. The hapless hopper drifts a foot in the current before disappearing in a vicious swirl.

It’s one of the most exciting visuals a trout angler can witness on the water. That’s because hopper time, lasting from July to October in most states, is when trout throw caution to the wind. Usually picky and spooky, trout lose their crafty little minds when big, juicy hoppers start plopping down on the surface.

Hoppers offer stream-based trout better protein than most available forage. They can’t fly off the water and are easily captured. And that sound—that “plop”—might draw several trout, so the race is on to get there first. When competitively feeding, trout may ignore signs of danger that otherwise send them into hiding.

However, that doesn’t mean you should wade like a water buffalo. The usual stealth protocols—wearing dull colors, wading cautiously, sometimes casting from your knees and avoiding overt, unnecessary movements—still apply here. But, because trout are less spooky when chasing hoppers, anglers can often approach a little bit closer.

Casts don’t have to be expert-level. In fact, if the fly splats down on the water, all the better. This makes hopper time perfect for teaching kids and friends to apply the skills you taught them on the back lawn—while also catching trout in the process.

HOPPER HOT SPOTS

Shocking as it may seem, grasshoppers live in grass. The best place to look for a hopper bite, then, is where grassy fields border a stream. Typically, the best sections of river or stream have cover in the form of broken water, overhanging grass or wood overhead. Trout may not be especially spooky, but they prefer cover when feeding on the surface from a shallow lie.

Fishing in a dense forest during the hopper bite might be productive, but not with hopper imitations. No, tent-worm imitations would be a better bet beneath overhanging hardwoods and their branches. Forests with some grassy banks, on the other hand, might produce takes on hopper patterns.

Trout seem greedy and aggressive when foraging on hoppers because feeding often becomes competitive. With an insect hatch—whether mayflies or some other species—current delivers a steady stream of insects that, as nymphs, already live in the stream’s substrate. With this steady food supply, trout behave more well mannered, taking up their own feeding lanes, respecting one another’s space and gently rising to slurp down a passing morsel.

Hoppers, meanwhile, are terrestrials that might land anywhere at any time. For trout, holding in one lie and waiting for insects to reach them is no guarantee for an easy meal. This is why you’ll see trout race 10 feet or more to intercept a hopper, which is especially exciting when that hopper is on the end of your leader. But, if hopper numbers are high, a trout may hold in the same lie where it feels secure.

fly fishing lures — Many of today’s best hopper patterns, and terrestrial flies in general, feature foam, which is durable and highly buoyant. (Photo by Matt Straw)

GEARING UP

I like a 5-weight fly rod for hoppers most of the time. On smaller streams, I use a double-taper floating fly line with a Maxima 9-foot tapered mono leader terminating at 4- to 6-pound test. While fluorocarbon may be stealthier, it sinks and should be reserved for subsurface flies. Mono, meanwhile, floats. In big wind and on big rivers, I might haul out an 8-weight with a rocket or weight-forward-taper floating line. Those rods and lines can punch a big, wind-resistant fly out there.

In the not-so-distant past, hopper flies were tied primarily with bucktail, which is hollow and floats. However, some of the best versions now are tied with foam. Umpqua Feather Merchants offers several all-foam versions, including the 409 Yeager and the Beefcake Hopper, while Fly Shack has a Chernobyl Hopper in a variety of color patterns.

Foam is super durable, doesn’t require floatant and stays on top all day. It will survive dozens of violent assaults. If you have time, tie your own. If not, find dozens more fly-fishing outlets online or visit a local fly shop, every one of which likely carries hopper imitations.

When you see trout rise, cast at least 6 feet upstream of where the rise occurred. Always cast to the closest fish before targeting any beyond it. For a natural, drag-free drift, roll the rod up and over in an arc, throwing line upstream and taking the bow out of the line. The trick is not disturbing the drift of the fly while mending.

TERRESTRIAL TACTICS

Walking upstream and coming in behind upstream-facing trout is the typical modus operandi of the fly angler. However, I walk downstream during hopper time, moving slowly, pushing my feet through the grass, hoping to spook hoppers into the flow. When a squadron takes off and hits the water, stop and watch.

If a trout rises, drop a hopper pattern at least 6 feet above the spot where the rise occurred and begin a drag-free drift with a quick upstream mend. Trout often drop back to take a fly and then return upstream. Putting the fly on the rise will place it below (downstream of) the fish.

In the Dakotas, it’s often possible to cast in classic, overhead or sidearm fashion. But throughout much of the brushy Midwest, it pays to know how to roll cast. The best resource for learning how to fly cast I know of is Mel Krieger’s book, The Essence of Flycasting. Krieger taught Steve Rajeff, legendary fly-rod designer at G. Loomis, a thing or two on Rajeff’s way to becoming a world champion with a fly rod. The book demonstrates every kind of cast with move-by-move photos. It taught me more about fly casting than any other resource I’ve encountered. I couldn’t roll cast worth a diddly until I read Krieger’s book.

To roll cast, strip some line off the reel and hold it in your hand, leaving at least 20 feet of line on the water. Draw the rod back over your shoulder. Begin the forward motion as the line just begins to drop from the rod tip behind you while the line lying on the water is still moving, sliding across the surface. That makes lifting it and throwing it much easier. Throw to the left or right of the line on the water to avoid tangles.

To cast farther than 40 feet, grab the line near the gathering guide and pull down as you begin to make the cast. However, during a hot hopper bite, it often isn’t necessary to cast farther than 45 feet, which makes this a prime activity for novice fly anglers. Anybody who knows how to fly-cast can teach you to throw a fly 45 feet in 20 minutes or less.

Standing well out in the river or on a brushless bank and casting dry flies like floating mayfly imitations calls for the classic 11 to 1 o’clock back cast, with the forward cast stopping abruptly at 11 to throw a sine wave into the line. The line lying on the water in a series of curves creates a longer drag-free drift without having to mend. That works with hoppers, too, but it’s best to attract trout by slapping the fly down with a more exaggerated follow-through. Make an immediate upstream mend by looping the fly line with a flip of the rod tip in that direction. Mend as often as necessary to accomplish a smooth dead drift.

A dead, natural drift at current speed produces more strikes most days, but watch the real thing when it hits the water. A hopper makes a lot of desperate movements when trying to kick its way back to shore. Sometimes, adding a slight twitch or two with a subtle snap of the rod tip entices a reluctant trout to crush a hopper fly.

HOPPER HEYDAYS

Hoppers are far less active on cold, rainy days than on dry, hot, windy days. Big wind might make casting difficult, but it sends a lot of hoppers to a watery, jaw-snapping doom. In a westerly wind, position yourself on the west side of a north-south stretch of river for easier casting closer to the action.

Pay attention to water levels. Low, clear conditions are best (though they do require stealthy approaches and subdued clothing). Conversely, when a river is higher than normal, it’s faster than normal, and trout are reluctant to rise through high, fast water. Fish streamers instead of hoppers in these situations. In general, fly-fishing during hopper time is more relaxed and productive when water levels are normal.

Camping on Michigan’s famous Au Sable River a few years back, sitting in the warm morning sunlight, I was enjoying some French-pressed coffee. A grasshopper landed in the cup. I smiled down at it. The day turned out to be a lovely one, filled with splashy rises and thrashing fly rods.