Hoppers and Hopper droppers

[frogge]

Hey,
I've tied up some hoppers after my son collected some grass hoppers alongside the Ausable. One of my non fly fishing buddies says that hoppers are mainly usefull out west and not likely to be very productive in Eastern waters. Anyone here have any experience on streams like the Ausable or Schroon with hoppers. Any opinions on hopper dropper set ups. Related question is any tricks in the presentation. Thanks for any help. Frogge.

 

[Fly Ty R]

Umm, they are QUITE useful in the east, don't listen to your friend. You can get tons of trout on hoppers in the summer and fall. Fish them around tall grassy areas, or during breezy days. Make sure it hits the water with a "plop", like a real hopper would. This gets the attention of trout. Sometimes a little bit of jiggling the rod tip will make the hopper vibrate on the surface, making it look like a struggling bug. This works at times, too. I usually fish them near the bank, but hoppers will work just about anywhere on a stream as long as they are presented realistically.

The pocket water on the Ausable is an excellent spot to try hoppers. Drop them right at the head of the pools near the banks and hold on! Also the flat water sections could produce as well.

I like using a Letort Hopper, as it will double as a big yellow stonefly adult. Good multi-tasker.

 

[JeffK]

Hoppers work well in the East. They even do pretty good on the Little Lehigh when everyone else is fishing tiny. Sometimes if the plop is behind the trout they turn and take it. It is worth a try if nothing else is working. If you are fishing around fields and meadows - try a hopper, especially if everyone else is fishing something different with so-so luck.

I like foam hoppers with legs - particularly Fishy Fullum's hopper and the Club Sandwich. Letort hopper is great and there is a Troth Hopper that is similar with a bullet head rather than a spun head (I like bullet heads) and a furled body rather than a dubbed body. There are hundreds of hopper patterns and they all seem to be OK.

The hopper-copper-dropper concept is deadly, but throw it slowly with an open loop and expect a tangle now and again. The original is a Copper John tied off the bend of a foam hopper and a small midge tied off the Copper John. However, any combination of a good floating dry fly, a heavily weighted nymph, and small, light point fly will work. Out East I generally see a Stimulator instead of a hopper for the dry. For limestoners a beadhead scud and a small starling and black (or a number of other dark bodies) is an effective switch from the Copper john and midge. Mix and match to local conditions.

 

[FishsEddie]

Anyone ever had success using hoppers on the Upper Delaware system?

 

[JeffK]

Not often. However, I did have one day at Hale Eddy bridge where a north wind was blowing across the field just below the bridge and hoppers and beetles were doing as well as anything. The best success I ever saw on the West Branch was a few guys center pinning with live grasshoppers.

 

[podobed45]

yes, hoppers and hopper droppers are my favorite summer pattern. nothing beats a big brown on a guady fly.

 

[rckrego]

Anyone ever have any luck with hoppers on the tully?

 

[vince45]

i agree try the hoppers, i have opened many trout to find grass hoppers inside them, i heard the same stuff about black ants and i caught the biggest trout this year on a black ant,.. if i could give any advice it would be that if you have the advantage of any fly it never hurts to try it,.. Vince

 

[Montauklax]

I love fishing hoppers on the Ausable. Like others have said, fish them with a beadhead dropped off the bend.

If you fish big stimulators, madam X, and turks tarantula you cover two bases. First, the hoppers getting blown onto the water and second, the golden stonefly hatches that coincide with the best hopper fishing. It's a great tactic in August and early September. Hit the banks and hit the pocketwater.