Hopper Season

Myth 2 Fly Fishing Western Wyoming

Hopper Season

THE FACTS :

  1. Very few fish eat enough hoppers to become selective. Hoppers seldom end up in the water and only a small percent of fish see one in a day. Many fish may not see one in an entire season. (Some rivers have virtually no hoppers within 100 miles!)
  1. Think about how selective fish become during a relatively dense hatch! Even flies that appear to be identical to the natural are often rejected.
  2. Now think of the patterns that are commonly fished during “hopper season”, Fat Alberts and the like. They don’t even look anything like a hopper, even to us, never mind a discriminating fish!
  1. So why do those big ugly rubber-leg things work? Because in August and September, water levels are low and fish see relatively few hatches; all the big Mayfly and Stonefly hatches are over. Only some Baetis/Blue Wing Olives, Midges, and some Caddis are present, all very small bugs. In addition, there are almost no dense hatches – which triggers selective feeding. Low water levels mean fish are closer to the surface – even if they are on the bottom. Few hatches and small bugs, mean fish are looking for anything alive!

CONCLUSION: Call it what you want, but August and September would better be labeled “Attractor Fly Months”. No matter what the reason, it is lots of fun to fish the “Hopper Hatch”!!

0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *