Alright, let me tell ya about hopper fishing—the kinda fly that’ll make trout lose their minds when the summer heat kicks in. You know those days when the air’s thick and the grasshoppers are bouncing around like they’ve had one too many cups of coffee? That’s when this fly shines.

Now, tying one of these bad boys ain’t rocket science, but there’s a trick to it. You’ll want a short shank hook—something stout enough to handle a big fish but not so long it looks like a damn sewing needle. Foam’s my go-to for the body, though some old-timers swear by deer hair. (Come to think of it, I watched a guy on the Madison River last August slay ‘em with a deer-hair hopper so bushy it looked like it could jump off the hook itself.) Either way, you’re aiming for that chunky, juicy profile. Legs? Rubber or silicone works fine, but don’t overthink it—just enough to give ‘em a little wiggle when you twitch it. And the wings? Eh, a clump of elk hair or even a strip of foam’ll do. Folded back, kinda lazy-like, just like the real thing when it’s flopping around on the water.

Speaking of the real thing—this fly’s all about those big, dumb terrestrials. Grasshoppers, crickets, cicadas… anything that takes a tumble into the drink and turns into a trout buffet. And trust me, when a hopper hits the water, it’s like ringing the dinner bell. That plop sound? Pure gold. Fish’ll come up from three counties over for a taste.

Where to throw it? Anywhere you’d see a hopper in real life—under overhanging branches, along the banks, especially where the wind’s been pushing ‘em in. Brushy Wyoming creeks? Perfect. Those slow, meandering bends in Montana? Even better. Just don’t go slapping it down like you’re trying to kill a spider. Gentle does it. Let it drift, give it a twitch now and then to mimic a struggler, and hold on tight. When a big brown smashes it, you’ll know.

Oh, and one last thing—don’t be afraid to go big. These fish aren’t counting legs or inspecting wing angles. They see a meaty mouthful, and they’re gonna eat. So tie on a hopper, find some shade, and let ‘er rip. Hell, you might even have yourself some fun.