Editor’s note: The following is excerpted from TU’s book, “Trout Tips,” which is available online for overnight delivery.
Fishing terrestrials in late summer can be very productive … and there’s nothing quite like fishing big bugs along grassy banks.
In most trout-fishing situations, a drag-free drift is crucial, but not when it comes to fishing grasshopper patterns. Sometimes you have to give a little life to your fly. One summer day, I was guiding some anglers who were dead-drifting hoppers with no success. I suggested they start “skitching” the fly—giving the fly a twitch or two and then letting it ride for 10 feet—and the fish turned on to the movement instantly.
You shouldn’t pop it like a bass bug. Just skitch the hopper and let it ride. Too much movement can spook fish, but just enough can make them go berserk. Skitch it, let it ride … and get ready for savage strikes.
—Tim Linehan, Troy, Mont.