For some, dropping a nymph or two below a grasshopper seems to cause quite a controversy. Excuse me, what? Why in the world would such a mundane technique ruffle the feathers of the occasional fly angler? Are we dry fly fishing? Nymphing? Or some hybrid in-between? Whispers of, “Why not use a bobber if they aren’t going to eat the hopper?” or, “Lose the nymphs if you want to dry fly fish!” come to mind. No matter what your thoughts are, there’s no question it’s one of the most effective and fun techniques in the second half of summer and early fall.
I’ve been lucky to make a living guiding the Truckee River for almost twenty years. Over that time, I’ve learned a thing or two about what makes this technique a deadly tool on some very tough trout. Here’s some food for thought.
ATTRACTIVE VS. IMITATIVE
For many, picking your hopper is as simple as grabbing the first Chubby Chernobyl you see when the box opens. The “Chubby” style of hopper has exploded in the last decade. And for good reason. This pattern, regardless of color, represents a food source that somewhat imitates a hopper, and no question gets their attention. It’s the perfect visual pattern, with its fluffy, white, synthetic, upright wings. Even the self-proclaimed “old timers” can see them from a mile away.
But what if the fish wanted something more? Something a little more… realistic. This is where patterns like the Morrish Hopper or Thunder Thighs come in. What they sometimes lack in visibility, they make up for by looking like the real thing. And trout love them, too.
If I had to pick a time and place for both, realistic hoppers in slow, clear water with picky or heavily pressured fish would be hard to beat. And when fast, bubbly pocket water is the norm, the visibility and “float factor” of Chubbies are what you want.
TO ADD FLOATANT OR NOT?
With dry flies, even big foamy ones, a bit of floatant never hurts. Even with huge attractor hoppers carrying the load, they can sit flat in the surface film over time and occasionally sink from time to time. There are plenty of options out there–you could even say too many.
That said, I keep it simple. I always have a single bottle of Shimazaki Dry Shake Liquid with me. This is my go-to floatant for nearly all dry fly situations. With the Shimazaki Liquid, you don’t need much. Often, I’ll just rub the wings of the hopper in the wet cap of the bottle instead of dropping the entire hopper in the liquid. It’s not the cheapest floatant, and there’s no need to waste it on the entire fly. I’m not a fan of gel floatants for several reasons, but we can discuss that another time.
DROPPER OPTIONS
Once you’ve selected your hopper, next up in the process are the nymphs. On well-known dry fly rivers, these are just the appetizer. On rivers like the Truckee, they are the main course. For my Truckee trips, I’ve always considered the droppers to have the same traits as an indicator rig. I want them to get down fast and be fished on the bottom. In California, regulations allow for three flies. In Montana, on the other hand, the maximum is two. Be mindful of the regulations before you experiment. When tying on the dropper, I always err on the side of too deep rather than too shallow. I prefer longer droppers than most guides: 24-30 inches to my first fly and 12-18 inches to my second. True story.
On rivers where fish are more nymph-dependent than dries, the deeper, the better. The Truckee may be the best example of this in the West. On most classic western rivers, a single, 18-inch dropper fished against the bank is the norm. I will admit, when that’s working, it’s a much easier and more simplistic way to do it. When in Rome.
Since summertime fishing sees more fish transitioning to bubbly, oxygen-rich pocket water, I’m a big fan of tungsten bead flies and Pardigon styles. Talk about sinking fast! Some of my favorites from RIO Flies are the Worm Farm, French Dip, Tungsten Zebra Midge, and Sparkle Donkey. A decent selection of size 14-16 PMDs and caddis will do the trick on most western rivers this time of year. I like any of the styles of “crack back” or “split case” PMDs, even plain Pheasant Tails. As far as caddis go, I prefer Peeping caddis, GTI caddis, Barrs Uncased caddis, and variations of Ice caddis. Keep in mind that these recommendations are application- and location-specific. If you can jump across your local creek, you can downsize the lengths and tippet size.
THE FULL SET-UP
I keep it simple when I attach my droppers to the hopper. Although you can place the hopper off a tag end, I simply tie my rigs “in-line,” meaning the tippet from the leader is tied with a clinch knot to the eye of the hook, and my dropper is attached to the back of the hook. Now that said, if I’m fishing two dropper flies, I will tie my middle fly off a dropper tag (4-6 inches) most of the time, with my bottom fly being the anchor or heavier one. No need to overcomplicate it, short and sweet.
THE GEAR
Generations of fly anglers have gravitated to the 9-foot, 5-weight rod and Weight Forward line as their all-around go-to. In many applications, this outfit will suffice and get the job done. Don’t kill the messenger, but it’s not my top choice for rivers the size of the Truckee or bigger. Here’s my ideal wish list for an early Christmas…
Rod: 10-foot, 4-weight, Sage R8
Reel: Sage Arbor XL 4/5/6
Line: RIO Bank Robber, #4
Leader: RIO Big Nasty, 3X
Tippet: RIO Fluroflex Strong, 4X or 5X
In the grand scheme of things, a hopper-dropper-dropper could fall under the “junk rig” category. An extra foot of rod length can assist in distance, line control, and mending. If a Swiss Army knife is the 9-foot 5-weight, then the 10-foot 4-weight is the chef’s choice of cutlery. I will admit that most of my clients don’t have a hopper-specific line, but many have indicator lines. These do just fine. The extra mass makes casting these junk rigs much more pleasant and efficient. Give it a try.
THE HOOK SET
Inevitably, nothing above matters if you don’t set the hook… correctly. The hook set is one of the most overlooked aspects of the entire fishing experience. It’s also at the top of the list of issues I see experienced anglers make regularly. I could easily write a lengthy article dissecting the ins and outs of a proper hook set. Direction, length, power, and timing are all things any competent angler considers before and after an “eat.” So, for the sake of time, let’s talk about that – timing. The hook set of dry flies versus nymphs are two entirely different processes. Let’s take a moment to narrow down the modifications in timing. We’ll start with the more obvious one –when a fish takes the nymph. As you can imagine, when the hopper moves, you’re setting, immediately! No different than a bobber, anglers are at a disadvantage when nymphing. By the time that hopper sinks, twitches, hesitates, anything… we’re already late to the party. And if you’ve fished with me once or a hundred times, you all know, “Hook sets are free!”. So, use them early and often. You won’t regret it. Now, on to the hopper. This attractive mix of foam and rubberlegs leans towards the bigger side. There are few steadfast rules in fly fishing, but one is: the bigger the dry fly, the longer you wait. And with hoppers, it’s a patient angler’s time to shine. Countless clients over the years will watch, overcome with excitement as that beautiful Truckee brown ascends from the depths to eat the fly. As if on cue, they will inevitably set the hook as the fish eats the fly, if not while the fish’s mouth is still open. Doh! We’ve all been there, done that. As with all dries, you need to delay the set. Let the fish eat, let his head and mouth go subsurface. If you can wait that long, you’ve won. Now’s the time to hit that downstream hook set. Big flies and big hooks take time to be fully engulfed. Don’t rush it. THE WRAP-UP In the end, does it really matter if you’re using a hopper dropper primarily as a nymphing rig or fully expecting fish to take the dry–and the nymph is a “just in case” plan B? Whether you’re pounding the banks from a drift boat on the Yellowstone or high-sticking pocket water on the Truckee, it’s all the same. Every June, you’ll find me not so patiently awaiting the first sign of hoppers for the season. This fun and effective technique is one of my favorites with clients every year. Give it a try next time you’re on the Truckee. You might get lucky and tangle with one of those big browns everyone is always talking about.
Need to pick up some hopper droppers while in Truckee? Stop by:
– Trout Creek Outfitters, 10115 Donner Pass Rd.
– Mountain Hardware and Sports, 11320 Donner Pass Rd.
