TerrestrialbeginnerMidwest & Driftless
Dave's Hopper
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Driftless Angler
Matched on Midwest & Driftless, terrestrial flies, trout. Driftless-specific trout source for spring creek nymphs, dries, and local bug windows.
Fulling Mill Flies
Matched on terrestrial flies, trout, nymph. Large pattern house with broad freshwater and saltwater fly categories.
Big Y Fly Co.
Matched on terrestrial flies, trout, nymph. Broad by-type catalog useful for common benchmark patterns and inexpensive backups.
Murray's Fly Shop
Matched on terrestrial flies, trout, nymph. Appalachian trout and smallmouth source with long-running regional fly catalog depth.
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Dave Whitlock looked at a grasshopper, looked at a fly vise, and somehow made deer hair, turkey feathers, and yellow yarn into something that makes trout completely abandon their survival instincts. When the wind blows grasshoppers into Driftless spring creeks in August, the trout station themselves along grassy banks and wait for the next meal to fall in. This fly lands with the authoritative splat of a real hopper hitting the water, at which point the largest trout in the pool materializes from nowhere to eat it. Hopper fishing is not subtle. It is not supposed to be.
Quick Facts
Where to Fish It
Whitewater River
MN · Spring Creek
Timber Coulee Creek
WI · Spring Creek
Current River
MO · Ozark River
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Related Reading
region guide
Driftless Area: Spring Creek Paradise
Tucked into the unglaciated hills of southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, and northeastern Iowa lies the Driftless Area — a landscape of cold spring creeks, limestone bluffs, and wild trout that rivals any destination in the country. This is the complete guide to fishing the Driftless.
hatch guide
Terrestrial Fishing: Hoppers, Ants, and Beetles
Terrestrial insects — hoppers, ants, beetles, and crickets — are not aquatic hatches, but they drive some of the most exciting and productive dry-fly fishing of the year. From midsummer hopper banks to fall ant flights, this is your guide to fishing the land-based food sources that trout cannot resist.
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