Swamp Hopper

Hopper season is upon us!

There is nothing like seeing a big brown trout smack your offering. It is a total thrill! Hoppers are the big juicy steak of the trout world. Who amongst us can pass up a nice juicy ribeye?

I see many fly fisherman make a fundamental mistake while hopper fishing…..as soon as their hopper submerges under the surface, they take it up. This is a fundamental mistake in my opinion.

If you’re fishing swifter water, and you see naturals all over the place, you’re in fishy water, and you’re not getting bit - that doesn’t mean there are trout actively feeding hoppers. They just might not be actively feeding on hoppers on the surface. 

Think about this, what is an easier meal for a trout? A hopper active and moving on the surface, or a drowned hopper?

No matter how good the quality of the fly and no matter how good your floatant, if you’re fishing swifter, oxygenated water, you’re going to get a swamped fly. 

Don’t pick it up! 

Let the fly hunt. In many cases in the waters I fish, I can still see the fly….and the take! Even if you’re in waters that are gin clear, you may not see the take, but you’ll feel it. The trout don’t sip hoppers, they crush them with wild abandon.

Give the drowned hopper a try, I guarantee it will improve your fishing success. 

It’s as easy as eating apple pie, you don’t really have to do much different. Once it sinks, let the fly swing.  Let it hunt.  Many times they'll case to the end of your swing and nail it. Other times, they'll hit it moments after it submerges.  

Give it a try and experiment with it. You'll be glad you did.  

Fish Hard, Fish Often, Fish On!