Dry FliesDave's Hopper
Dave's Hopper is a popular and effective grasshopper imitation. The foam body provides excellent buoyancy, making this fly a great choice for fishing on the surface during the warmer months. The rubber legs add movement and realism, attracting attention from a variety of species.
Summer
Beginner
Trout
Apr 2025
Overview
This classic terrestrial pattern is constructed using spun deer hair for the head and collar, a yellow or tan dubbed body, and rubber legs. The bullet-style head floats high, while the materials add bulk and realism. It's a satisfying tie for those comfortable shaping deer hair.
Materials
Hook: Tiemco 5262 #4-12
Thread: Yellow UNI 6/0
Body: Yellow Poly Yarn
Wing: Mottled turkey quill, vinyl coated
Legs: Knotted Ringneck Pheasant Tail Fibers
Hackle: Brown Rooster Neck
Tail: Red Deer Belly Hair
Head and Collar: Natural Deer Body Hair, spun and trimmed to shape
Behavior & Presentation
Natural Behavior: Hoppers tumble from streamside grasses after failed jumps, their legs thrashing the surface while attempting escape. Late afternoon warmth increases hopper activity along vegetated banks, triggering explosive visual strikes.
Where Trout Eat It: Focus on grassy banks and vegetated edges in rivers and streams where hoppers naturally fall.
How to Fish It: Cast tight to banks, allowing natural drift into main current. Subtle twitches mimic struggling insects.
Best Water: Target bank edges, undercuts, seams, and riffles with overhanging vegetation where wind-blown hoppers accumulate.
Strike Type: Expect visible rises, explosive splashes, or aggressive surface strikes on the large profile.
Fishing Strategy
Rigging Suggestions: Dave's Hopper can be used as a single dry fly or as the top fly in a dry-dropper setup.
Seasonal Timing: is the prime time for Dave's Hopper, as it imitates grasshoppers which are abundant during this season. Use this pattern during the when grasshoppers are most active.
Pro Tips: The foam body of this fly makes it highly buoyant and visible on the water. The vibrant yellow color also improves its visibility.
Entomology
Grasshoppers land heavily on the water after failed jumps from streamside vegetation, their legs churning the surface as they attempt to right themselves and escape. The distinctive silhouette and panicked surface activity during late summer months triggers visual hunting behavior in trout, who learn to anticipate hopper falls along vegetated banks and respond with explosive surface strikes.
- Order
- Orthoptera
- Family
- Acrididae
- Common Name
- Grasshopper
- Organism Type
- terrestrial
- Life Stage
- adult