Shorty Hopper: Fantastic Subtle Hopper Pattern

Grasshoppers become a staple in a trout’s diet in the late summer. Trout will often move several feet to pick up a hopper off the surface. This has given rise to the term “Hopper Season” referring to this late summer period.

Many people don’t know that there are countless species of grasshopper that range in size; not all adult grasshoppers are the same size. Hoppers typically start out smaller early in the terrestrial season and get larger as the weeks pass. Because of this, trout can be keyed in on a certain size of grasshopper. Many hopper patterns are larger than what trout are actually keyed in on. There are also tan and green crickets that can resemble small hoppers; this is why having a selection of smaller hoppers in your box is crucial.

This hopper was developed to solve this very issue. Smaller species dominate certain areas, or you may be catching the larger hoppers earlier in their development, so a small pattern is necessary. This pattern features knotted realistic legs, a segmented underbody, and a realistic elk hair wing. The knotted legs and especially the segmented underbody shows trout an especially realistic underbody. This is perfect for finicky trout. This pattern can be sized up or down, and colors can be changed to best match the insects currently in your area. I like to tie these in a variety of colors including: pink, purple, brown, black, and tan.