Dry FliesBaby Boy Hopper
The Baby Boy Hopper is Charlie Craven's downsized version of his popular Charlie Boy Hopper pattern. Designed for situations when trout are keyed in on smaller grasshoppers or when fishing pressured water where a more subtle presentation is needed, this compact foam hopper delivers the same fish-catching action in a smaller package. The chartreuse foam body and matching rubber legs create a highly visible terrestrial pattern that floats like a cork.
Summer, Fall
Intermediate
Trout
Dec 2025
Overview
This Charlie Craven pattern from Charlie's Fly Box showcases the effectiveness of downsizing proven patterns for selective fish. The Baby Boy Hopper maintains all the key elements that make the Charlie Boy Hopper effective - the buoyant foam body, kicking rubber legs, and natural deer hair wing - but in a more delicate size 14 package. The chartreuse coloration mimics the bright green grasshoppers common in late summer meadows while providing excellent visibility for the angler.
Materials
Hook: Tiemco 2499SP-BL, #14
Thread: UNI 8/0, olive dun
Body: Thin Fly Foam, 2mm, chartreuse
Legs: Round Rubberlegs, medium, chartreuse
Wing: Deer Hair
Adhesive: Zap-A-Gap
Behavior & Presentation
Natural Behavior: Grasshoppers inhabit terrestrial grasses near stream corridors and become aquatic prey through accidental falls during feeding, jumping, or wind events. Their inability to swim and panicked thrashing on the surface creates vibrations and visible disturbance that advertises their presence to predatory fish, and their high lipid content relative to aquatic insects makes them premium forage items that trout will aggressively compete for during late summer when terrestrial activity peaks.
Where Trout Eat It: Selective trout in clear, low-water conditions hold along grass-lined banks in shallow runs (1-3 feet). The size 14 profile matches juvenile hoppers and fools educated fish.
How to Fish It: Drift tight to banks with delicate 5X tippet presentations. The small foam body presents a stealthier approach with occasional subtle twitches.
Best Water: Target grassy bank edges in clear water with gentle current and shallow runs below meadows.
Strike Type: Watch for aggressive strikes as trout target the small terrestrial profile. Takes can be surprisingly violent for the pattern's size, often coming with audible splashes along grassy banks.
Fishing Strategy
Rigging Suggestions: Fish on a 9-foot leader tapering to 4X-5X tippet. The buoyant foam allows this pattern to support a small nymph dropper without sacrificing floatation.
Seasonal Timing: and early fall when grasshopper activity peaks. Prime time is mid-morning through late afternoon when hoppers are most active in streamside vegetation.
Pro Tips: The closed-cell foam ensures the fly rides high indefinitely without waterlogging.
Entomology
Grasshoppers inhabit terrestrial grasses near stream corridors and become aquatic prey through accidental falls during feeding, jumping, or wind events. Their inability to swim and panicked thrashing on the surface creates vibrations and visible disturbance that advertises their presence to predatory fish, and their high lipid content relative to aquatic insects makes them premium forage items that trout will aggressively compete for during late summer when terrestrial activity peaks.
- Order
- Orthoptera
- Family
- Acrididae
- Common Name
- Grasshopper
- Organism Type
- terrestrial
- Life Stage
- adult