The Morrish Hopper

The Morrish Hopper fly pattern was created by legendary fly tyer Ken Morrish. This was after observing multiple species of grasshoppers both in and out of the water. He spent a number of  months of prototyping.  It may well  be the king of all hopper patterns of all time.

Tied with three pieces of foam, it floats high and provides a near-perfect profile of a real grasshopper. It has the rare distinction of being both a realistic imitation and an attractor pattern.  It’s main characteristic is the profile, which is spot on.

The other key elements are the rubber legs with angled joints, two toned color selections. Its specific density and how it sits deep in the film. Additionally, it has a high-vis locator patch and an unusual ability to catch micro currents and move about unpredictably on the surface.

The high-viz piece of foam on the top makes it a great for any late summer fly fishing trip.

Anglers can fish the Morrish Hopper fly pattern with a dead drift, by twitching it, or by using it as the lead fly in the “Hopper Dropper” nymph rig. Tan and pink in sizes 8-12 are generally the most effective.

While these flies fish well on a standard dead drift, many anglers like to chug them a few times after landing or chug them repeatedly.