How to Use a Grasshopper for Fly Fishing

Trout love all types of insects, but grasshopper is a particular weakness. Grasshoppers also are favorite of bass, but bass are a bit more particular and less predictable on their striking patterns. Follow these steps for using grasshoppers for fly fishing.

Instructions

1. Present grasshoppers mostly on windy days. Strong winds often uproot grasshoppers from where they are nesting and blow them into the water, creating a sort of splashing and scrambling action. Replicate this pattern for the biggest strike. The afternoon is the best time to use grasshoppers, particularly from summer to fall.

2. Cast a grasshopper upstream and watch it slowly drift downstream. This is a great way to determine the current of the water.

3. If you are fishing for large mouth bass, cast the grasshopper and make it appear to slip and slide, leaving a small wake in the water. It should look as though the grasshopper is trying to get out of the water. Twilight is the best time for this.

4. Study your favorite fly fishing spot for any grasshopper activity. Notice the pattern of the grasshoppers according to the weather and what fish they attract on those days. For example, on windy days, does the grasshopper get blown into the water? If so what part of the water? Near the shore? Out further in the water? Do the grasshoppers in that area fly over the water? The answers to questions like these will help to mimic the bug. Remember that you're not the only one watching the grasshoppers on the water. So are the fish.

5. Take care to gently cast and drop your pattern into the water. Mimic the actions and the looks of the grasshopper exactly. If you splash the grasshopper too loudly, the trout will turn and run.