Realistic Hopper Bodies
Realistic Hopper Bodies are designed to help you tie lifelike hopper patterns quickly and consistently. With accurate proportions, natural coloring, and detailed printing, they closely imitate the shape and appearance of a real grasshopper, giving your finished fly a realistic profile that fish recognize.
Made from an ultra-light, foam-like material, these bodies are highly buoyant and water-resistant, helping your hopper stay afloat through repeated drifts and multiple fish. They're durable enough to hold up well on the water while remaining light enough to deliver the natural presentation that makes terrestrial patterns so effective.
Whether you're tying your favorite hopper pattern or experimenting with new designs, these ready-made bodies save time at the vise without sacrificing realism. Simply cut a small slit along the underside, apply a flexible adhesive, insert the hook, and finish the fly with your preferred materials.
For an even more lifelike result, pair them with Realistic Hopper Legs 3D to create a hopper pattern with natural movement and convincing detail.
Each pack includes 6 realistic hopper bodies and is available in 8 proven colors: Yellow/Brown, Yellow/Black, Tan, Olive, Gray, Yellow, Green, and Pink.
Choose from three sizes:
- Small – ideal for hooks #10–12
- Medium – ideal for hooks #8–10
- Large – ideal for hooks #6–8
Hook size recommendations are approximate and may vary depending on the hook manufacturer and model.
Hopper Fly Fishing
Hoppers (grasshoppers) are ground-dwelling terrestrials from the order Orthoptera with powerful hind legs that enable them to jump energetically. They are large and bulky insects that often find themselves in the water, where they start drowning the instant they hit the water. When in water, they would start vigorously struggling, kicking, and splashing. Accurately imitating these movements of the fly on the water surface can be an imperative part of your presentation. Dead-drift floating with an occasional twitch can produce some ferocious strikes from sizable trout. Hoppers are big meals, so they usually 'bring the largest fish to the table'.
Adult hoppers hit their peak activity and reproduction from late June through October, sometimes even into November for some species. Great times for presenting this fly are during warm and breezy midday and afternoon. They are most active on the hottest days of the summer months. At the same time, these are the days when the water temperatures are warmest, and water levels are the lowest, the times when even the largest of fish come out for some easy, large meal.
Hopper Fishing Tip: When fishing with hopper patterns, throw your fly within a few inches of the water's edge. Moving a few inches closer to the bank could be crucial when fishing with these flies.
Fly Fishing Terrestrial Flies
Terrestrial insects are land-bred. Some of the species of terrestrials include: hoppers (grasshoppers), ants, beetles, bees, crickets, etc. Terrestrials are one of the essential food sources for trout and other game fish during the summer months. Hot summer months are when the aquatic insects become sparse, the trout are the most active, and grow the fastest. This is when terrestrials become their most important food source as a rich source of protein. A terrestrial falling into the water is a great and nutritious meal for fish, as these insects are usually bulkier and heavier than aquatic insects, and they provide a large calorie intake when the trout need it most.
Terrestrial fly patterns are effective from May to October, and sometimes even into November. As terrestrials are most active and most likely to fall in the river during the day, the best time to fish these fly patterns is anytime from late morning all the way through the evening. Windy days are best as the wind pushes them to the water. Optimal locations to present terrestrial patterns are along cut banks, grassy shorelines, or under big trees, places where fish wait for their easy meals, just dropping in. As these insects will eventually be pulled further into the river, midstream can also be a good place to present your fly.
On smaller streams, fish depend mostly on terrestrials as their food source. Small waters don't have the high-energy riffles where the aquatic insects spend much of their life cycles. For fishing small streams, terrestrials are a must. Being it mid-summer, early fall, or the midst of spring, fishing terrestrial fly patterns can provide top dry-fly action!
Fly tying videos using this product
No-Tie Chartreuse Hopper
For a full list of materials for fly tying a No-Tie Chartreuse Hopper pattern, go here.
Realistic Hopper
For a full list of materials needed to tie a Realistic Hopper pattern, go here.
