Summer is in full swing and that means trout have terrestrials on the mind. This term refers to land based insects such as: ants, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, cicadas, bees, etc. On small streams with lots of streamside brush and vegetation, this is even more important. Often terrestrials will pick up as the day warms up, terrestrial insects will need to “warm up and wake up” before coming active enough to end up in the water. Windy days are your friend, especially on spring creeks with grassy banks. The wind will blow insects into the water and fish will be holding along the banks sipping bugs as they fall in. On high lakes during the summer fish key in on small terrestrials near logs and the bank as well. Many of these are “Attractor” style patterns meaning they might not imitate one insect, but rather are suggestive of many.
Our top 5 terrestrial patterns have battled it out against other patterns on the water and came out on top. These were chosen with versatility and buoyancy in mind. All of these flies work great locally, but also are proven winners on trout streams across the country. All of these options make great dries to run a small dropper below. As much as we love Chubby Chernobyls in the shop, they did not make the list as they’re often bigger, and a smaller fly will imitate a terrestrial more effectively. Smaller Chubbies size 12-14 work great along with plenty of other flies in the store or on our site that didn’t make the absolute top 5.
The Dry humper is an awesome delicate terrestrial pattern. They come in several sizes and colors but we like sizes 12 and 14. The bottom hackle is clipped to help it ride low for a more realistic presentation. A large wing keeps it visible from a distance.

Charlie Craven’s Fat Angie & Craven’s Big Fat Angie
Craven’s Fat Angie is a shop favorite and is a true attractor terrestrial pattern. It could be an ant, cricket, beetle, or a small hopper. They come in two sizes, standard and big. The big is especially buoyant for larger droppers. The smaller size sacrifices some buoyancy for a more realistic look. The abdomen is dropped subsurface on a curved hook driving the point home that this is a struggling insect. This makes it great for high lakes and spring creeks where fish have longer to look at your fly. I’ve fished this on spring creeks in a few states and it is big brown approved.

The Moorish Hopper is a legendary hopper pattern that is one of the most popular ones out there. Lots of legs mean lots of movement which drive fish nuts. A hot spot on the back makes it easy to see. On spring creeks try small strips to mimic a hopper “kicking” its way to the bank.

The Henneberry hopper was new in the shop last year and did really well. It is the most realistic fly of the list and makes a great option on water with picky fish. The legs are reinforced with tubing to keep them sticking out while the fly is on the water. It rides low and has a super realistic pattern on it for enticing the pickiest of fish especially on spring fed creeks.

Rio’s Blade Runner Hopper is a favorite of mine. I first encountered this fly in the Driftless area in the Midwest and fished it on the spring creeks there. It effectively mimics smaller hoppers making it a great early season hopper. This is the one I’d be fishing right now on a small creek. The hopper’s rear legs are foam. This helps the fly remain more buoyant and offers a realistic touch.

Have fun out there, feel free to swing by the shop or give us a call with any questions.
-Simon