Late summer and early fall is hopper season. Grasshoppers, crickets, and other larger terrestrials are at their most abundant, often falling into streams and rivers. Trout, smallmouth bass, and other game fish eat these big meaty morsels, often with aggressive abandon. But many of the classic hopper patterns have been designed to mimic larger grasshoppers, and aren’t ideal for spooky trout that inhabit spring creeks and smaller streams.
Enter the Letort Hopper! The famous Pennsylvania fly angler Ed Shenk developed this hopper pattern (also known as a Letort Cricket when tied in black) in the 1950s. He named it after his home waters, Letort Spring Run. This storied central Pennsylvania spring creek is known for its picky and well educated trout. To fool them, he needed a subtle pattern that lands softly and rides low in the film, not a chunky foam fly to hang a dropper from.
At our September advanced tying gathering we’ll learn to tie this classic pattern. Usually tied in smaller sizes — anywhere from 10 down to 16 — the Letort Hopper will allow us to work on several useful tying skills.
We’ll meet at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 18th in Room 108 at Trinity United Methodist Church (703 W. Patrick Street, Frederick), or if you prefer you can join via Zoom. The club will provide all of the materials for in person attendees. Just bring your vice and tools.
Interested? We would love for you to join us. Just let Larry Forte (lbforte@verizon.net) or Don Fine (dfine1443@gmail.com) know so we can be sure to have enough materials for everyone. Also let Larry know if you need the Zoom link.
We look forward to seeing you there.
— Seth Denbo
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