Imagine it’s early August on a small prairie stream in Southwest Montana. You wade up the stream, prospecting your favorite hopper pattern along the undercut banks. The sun warms the air as you look for any bit of shaded bank where a big trout may hide. The grass around you is clicking with grasshoppers of all shapes and sizes. A big brown trout comes out of the bank to gulp your fly.
Is there any place you would rather be than hopper fishing in Montana?
Hopper Fishing In Montana
Montana hopper fishing is some of the most anticipated fishing of the year for many fly anglers. As the famous hatches subside, trout turn to whatever food is available to them in late summer. One of their food options in late summer is terrestrial insects that find their way into the trout stream one way or another. These include grasshoppers, beetles, ants, and spruce moths. While all viable options, none are more exciting to fish than a big foam hopper. In this article, I share my excitement for Montana hopper fishing with a few tips.
When To Fish Hoppers In Montana
July, August, and September are the best months to hopper fish in Montana. Depending on our fall weather patterns, one can fish hopper patterns into early October if the weather remains relatively warm. This makes for a long season of hopper fishing in Montana.
Best Hopper Fisheries In Montana
Whether you’re fishing a small meadow stream or one of Montana’s large rivers, you have the chance to fool some of the biggest fish in the river on the dry fly.
Small Streams: The best and most exciting hopper fishing, in my opinion, occurs on the many small streams scattered across Montana. Whether they hold brown trout or cutthroat, these fisheries provide the most consistent action when hopper fishing. The challenge of these streams is getting access to them.
Upper Madison River: The upper Madison River is surrounded by vast fields of grass and sagebrush, making it a perfect habitat for grasshoppers. Combine this with the windy valley and big trout of the Madison, and you have a stellar hopper fishery.
Yellowstone River: Whether you’re in the park or in Paradise Valley, hopper fishing on the Yellowstone brings up some of the biggest fish in the river. It’s one of the best hopper fisheries in Montana.
Montana Hopper Fishing Tips
Here are a few things I think about when fishing hoppers in Montana.
Finding Cold Water: One of the greatest challenges when hopper fishing is finding cold water in late summer. With the hot summers we have been having in Montana, many hoot owl restrictions go in place during prime hopper season. If you’re able to find some cold water, your chances of finding good hopper fishing are much greater.
Splat and Twitch: Hopper fishing is the opposite of technical dry fly fishing. Landing the fly with a big splat seems to trigger trout onto your fly, and adding in a twitch here and there also adds to the realism.
Cover Water: Hopper fishing in Montana is similar to fishing stoneflies or streamers. You’re hunting the fly, looking for the willing fish. By covering lots of water, you will put your fly over many trout and find the few willing to come up for a grasshopper.
Best Flies For Montana Hopper Fishing
A few of the best hopper flies for Montana include:
Thunder Thighs: The Thunder Thighs hopper boasts the perfect silhouette on the water, thanks to its large foam legs. This has been my go-to hopper pattern in Montana for years. I just have to figure out how to tie it correctly.
Sweetgrass Hopper: The Sweetgrass Hopper is a Doug McKnight creation for the Yellowstone River and other big western rivers. This fly floats all day and tends to attract some of the largest fish in the river.
Parachute Hopper: A classic alternative to the numerous foam patterns available today, the parachute hopper remains a staple when hopper fishing in Montana. I like the small parachute hoppers for the many small streams in the region.
Panty Dropper Hopper: I love the foam legs on hopper patterns, and the panty dropper is a realistic pattern that uses these legs. It works well on all Montana rivers, though I fish it most on small cutthroat streams across the region.
I hope this article gets you excited about Montana Hopper fishing. There is no better way to spend a summer day in Montana than tossing a hopper pattern to hungry trout. Tie up a few of your favorite hopper patterns and get out there before the time is gone.
As always, thanks to those who follow along with The Curious Angler.
Nick
4 thoughts on “Montana Hopper Fishing”
This article gets me pumped for Colorado fly fishing.
Awesome to hear Dan!
I love the panty dropper hell of a fly!
Thanks Noah! It really is a productive fly with a realistic profile.
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