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Hatches › Terrestrial
Acrididae · family
A high-value late-season terrestrial that draws violent strikes when wind or clumsy hops dump adults into the water.
Category
Terrestrial
Category
The insect or forage category for this profile.
Size
Medium to large compared with most trout food; adult hoppers commonly imitate well on hook sizes about 6-14, depending on species and profile.
Size
Typical size range anglers imitate on the water.
Key stages
Eggs, Nymph, Molting Nymph, Adult
Key stages
Life stages most relevant to fly fishing this hatch or forage.
Water types
rivers, streams, creeks, bank edges
Water types
Water types where this bug or forage is commonly found.
Grasshoppers in the family Acrididae are short-horned grasshoppers, the dominant grasshopper family within the suborder Caelifera. For anglers, they matter as a purely terrestrial food source: adult hoppers occasionally end up on the water and can trigger aggressive surface takes, especially along grassy banks.
Also known as: Hopper
Female grasshoppers deposit their eggs in protective pods just beneath the soil surface. Look for these egg beds in dry, grassy environments typically found near streambanks and meadows.
Young nymphs hatch from the eggs. These immature grasshoppers immediately begin to feed on available grasses and streamside vegetation.
Nymphs grow larger through a series of molts. During these stages, they gradually increase in size and develop noticeable wing pads, indicating their progression towards adulthood.
Mature adult grasshoppers continue to feed and are a critical part of the terrestrial food chain. When dislodged or jumping into the water, they become a prime target for hungry trout.
Eggs
Yours Truly Fly Co.
Materials
Nymph
Fly Fish Food
Materials
Adult
Mainely Flies
Materials
Grasshopper
One species, multiple rivers.
