Hoppers: To Heck With Finesse

“Hoppers are also very angler friendly. Unlike one of the late summer’s other great hatches, the tiny Tricorythodes mayfly, you don’t need perfect vision simply to tie your fly on, much less actually see it on water. Most hopper patterns are tied on a No. 6 or 8 long-shank hook, which is huge for a dry fly.” And don’t forget that the “hopper-dropper” combination can make a great rig for hot summer days. Lawrence Pyne writes about the joys of summer hopper fishing in the Burlington Free Press.