Grasshoppers and Crickets

It’s best to catch the hoppers with an insect net along meadow sections around the lake or stream that you fish. When I was a kid I was much better at catching them. I didn’t even need a net. This is a good activity to get your kids or grand kids into helping. Once a supply is collected and secured in a container, the fun begins. Use a light wire hook and place it through the hard thorax case. Dapple the hopper down to the surface and drift it downstream. Twitch it as it floats and cast it down so it lands in a splat. This splat draws the fish’s attention. The time to use grasshoppers is when there are low and clear water conditions. Fish hoppers close to the stream banks and allow them

to motorboat downstream. The strikes are exciting to see. First a huge trout materializes from nowhere; then, in an upwards splash, it takes your hopper. The fight is on.

Hoppers work best on sunny, windy afternoons. Hoppers are most active then and jump more often. An errant breeze puts them into the drink. Trout are on the lookout for hoppers.

Crickets work well too, but they are harder to find. Sometimes you have to turn over some sticks and such to find them. Trout love them and their black color provides a strong silhouette for the fish to see.

Orthodontic elastics and steelhead spawn bag thread is another way of attaching the hopper. Now the hopper will stay alive and actively kick. This motion is an effective one to interest fish.