The Chaos Hopper is a foam terrestrial fly designed to imitate grasshoppers struggling on the water's surface. It was created in the early 2010s by fly tiers at Umpqua Feather Merchants.
It features a realistic grasshopper profile made of closed-cell foam, with a bright colored underbody and natural tan overbody. Stiff polypropylene legs extend out from the sides, while a deer hair wing provides visibility.
The Chaos Hopper is fished as a skittering grasshopper imitation across current seams and near the banks. The deer hair wing and stiff legs give it an erratic action that suggests an injured insect.
It works well for enticing strikes from selective trout such as rainbow, brown, brook, and cutthroat trout. The Chaos Hopper is most effective during late summer and early fall when hoppers and other terrestrials fall onto rivers and streams.
The combination of visibility, realistic profile, and lively action makes the Chaos Hopper a versatile grasshopper pattern for tempting finicky trout when the natural insects are out.
