One of the biggest things I think about is to use a foam or not to use a foam. I like to use a non-foam hoppers like the Dave’s Hopper or Joe’s Hopper in slow moving water with little to no wind. The softer landing will not spook the skittish fish as much as the foam hopper will. I am not saying that a foam hopper will not catch fish but I personally done best with natural material hoppers. But as soon as the wind picks up I will put on a foam hopper for the louder splash and floats like a cork all day long. It hard to beat hitting the banks with a foam hopper when the wind picks up. I will also us a foam hopper when I want Hopper/Dropper rig so I don’t have to worry about adding floatant, like Aquel, to our fly.
The colors and sizing will change depending on the river or lake that I am fishing but here’s a few things I will look for when choosing my hopper size and color. I will fish larger hopper like #6 or #8 early in the season because the fish have not seen hoppers for almost a year and they are beyond stoked to chomp on a large hopper. As we get later in the season I will start to down size as the fish get pickier and pickier. I will go all the way down to a #14 Letort Hopper when the fish get really picky. As for color, I will go with yellow body hoppers when there a ton of green grass or green vegetation close to the river. Go with a Tan when you have a rock, dirt and brown colored vegetation around the river.
Here’s a few of my go to hopper patterns:
This is a classic hopper pattern that I have personally caught more trout and carp on than any other hopper pattern.
A personal favorite for hitting the banks when the wind kicks up. It lands with a good splash and will float all day. Its a great point dry fly on a Hopper/Dropper rig.
I know its called a Chernobyl Ant but when a fish is looking up will only see tan when looking up. My last trip to Mammoth the Chernobyl was getting bit better than any other hopper pattern.
Than realistic hopper shape makes it hard to a trout to resisit. This has also been a got pattern for carp at henshaw when the wind picks up. We also carry this pattern in a Tan.
One of the OG hopper patterns but it should have a place in your box. I can only imagine how many fish have been caught on this pattern.
One of my go to patterns for fish small creeks and backcountry lakes. The lightness of this fly helps help this fly land super soft for weary trout in spring creeks.
