Dry FliesSchroeders Parachute Hopper
The Schroeder's Parachute Hopper is a realistic grasshopper pattern with a mottled turkey quill wing laid flat over a segmented yellow-and-ginger Antron dubbing body ribbed with brown Superfloss. Knotted pheasant fiber legs kick out to the sides, and a parachute of cree or grizzly hackle wrapped around a white calf body hair post keeps it riding upright and visible on summer trout streams when grasshoppers are active along the banks.
Summer
Intermediate
Trout
Apr 2025
Overview
The mottled Ozark turkey quill wing lies low over the ribbed Antron body, closely matching the folded-wing silhouette of a natural hopper resting on the water, while pheasant fiber legs splayed at an angle suggest the insect's kicking legs. A parachute of cree or grizzly hackle wound around the white calf body hair post keeps the fly floating flush in the surface film with full hackle contact, and the bright post makes it easy to track at distance. Fished along undercut banks and grassy edges through summer, it draws attention from trout keyed on grasshoppers blown or hopping into moving water.
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Materials
- Thread:
- Tan Veevus 14/0
- Post:
- White Calf Body Hair
- Body:
- Yellow and Ginger Antron Dubbing
- Rib:
- Brown Superfloss
- Wing:
- Ozark Mottled Turkey Quill
- Legs:
- Pheasant
- Hackle:
- Cree or Grizzly Rooster Cape or Saddle
Behavior & Presentation
Natural Behavior: Grasshoppers drop from bankside grasses during midday heat or windy conditions, landing with a distinctive plop. They float awkwardly with legs kicking, attempting to swim toward shore while drifting through feeding lanes.
Where Trout Eat It: Trout cruise grass edges, undercut banks, and foam lines where terrestrials concentrate after dropping from vegetation.
How to Fish It: Dead drift tight to grass edges and undercut banks. Subtle twitches can trigger strikes when fish are hesitant to commit.
Best Water: Work grass edges, undercut banks, and foam lines where terrestrials collect. Slack water pockets near vegetation hold cruising fish.
Strike Type: Watch for visible rises or explosive surface takes; set the hook at the sight of the strike with a smooth lift.
Fishing Strategy
Rigging Suggestions: Fish solo on 7.5-9 foot leader with 4X or 5X tippet, or use as indicator in hopper-dropper setup with nymph 18-30 inches below.
Seasonal Timing: July through September, with peak effectiveness from mid-July through August when grasshoppers are abundant along stream banks.
Pro Tips: The parachute design provides excellent visibility and floatation. Apply floatant to hackle and poly wing. Upsize to #8-10 on windy days, downsize to #12-14 in calm conditions or for selective fish. The loud splat of a hopper hitting water can actually attract fish.
Entomology
Grasshoppers tumble clumsily into the water from bankside grasses and agricultural fields, kicking their powerful hind legs frantically while attempting unsuccessfully to escape the surface tension. Fish respond explosively to hoppers because these large terrestrials represent prime feeding opportunities during late summer and early fall, triggering aggressive surface strikes even from otherwise cautious trout.
- Order
- Orthoptera
- Family
- Acrididae
- Common Name
- Grasshopper
- Organism Type
- terrestrial
- Life Stage
- adult
