If you’re a ranch owner or investor and you’re looking for fly fishing properties for sale, this is “the most wonderful time of the year.”
Or, as those of us in fly-fishing circles call it, it’s “hopper time.”
This is the time of year when, all over the West, trout streams are graced by the presence of mature terrestrial insects that have had a summer to get fat and happy. And, with season-changing winds whipping down mountain canyons, sometimes, those grasshoppers, ants and beetles end up in the water. And that’s some serious trout food.
Here are the five terrestrial fly patterns you need in your fly box for the next month or so.
The Chubby Chernobyl
This high-floating foam and Antron concoction bears a foreboding name, but it’s fitting. The Chubby Chernobyl is a reasonable plus-sized imitation of a fat-and-happy grasshopper. And, thanks to its layered foam construction and water-shedding Antron wings, it sheds water and floats for hours. Of all terrestrial fly patterns, this one really stands out.
Dave’s Hopper
From oversized, we go to understated. Dave’s Hopper is an excellent overall grasshopper pattern. First fashioned by Dave Whitlock, it’s a durable pattern that really looks the part. For fly tyers, the spun deer hair might require some practice, but it does make for one of highest-floating terrestrial fly patterns. For serious dry-fly anglers during the best time of the year, this is a fly you don’t want to leave home without.
The Fat Albert
“Hey, hey, hey!” That’s right. You’re not going to miss this one on the water. And neither will the trout. This foam fly is among the most durable of terrestrial fly patterns. It’s also among the easiest patterns to tie at the vise. The Fat Albert is an impressionistic imitation of a hopper or a big beetle. It’s layered foam construction keeps it floating all day long. For visibility, some anglers tie bright orange or yellow Antron for the wing, rather than the usual white. No matter. It’s an easy fly for both you and the trout to see.
The Bionic Foam Ant
For the crowd that likes its flies to look at least somewhat “real,” the Bionic Foam Ant is a champ among terrestrial fly patterns. Its two-segment body looks the part, yet its foam construction adds floatability and durability, making it a solid choice. This fly tends to work best in smaller water, like high-country trout “cricks” that don’t have a large biomass. This time of year, ants are very busy in the mountains, and they often end up in the water. Attentive trout won’t miss them.
The Simple Foam Beetle
This is very likely easiest terrestrial pattern you can tie at the vise, and it’s an ideal pattern for trout water during hopper season. Tied using a bright foam “hot spot” atop the black foam body, the simple foam beetle is easy to see, and the silhouette is absolutely perfect (so trout can see it, too). And, because this is fly isn’t as big and pretentious as something like a Chernobyl, it’s more likely to work on pressured trout water or lower-elevation trout water where fish can be a bit more picky.
The final word
For dry-fly anglers, late August through September (and, in some parts of the West, into October) is the best time of the year for dependable “big-fly” fishing. And, all across the West, there are fly fishing properties for sale that offer ranch investors unique angling opportunities this time of year. Interested in investigating the purchase of one of the fly fishing properties for sale today? First, find the right broker. It’s all downhill from there.
