When is the Passion Vine Hopper most available to trout?

February–April, typically 13:00–18:00. It picks up from about 14°C, peaks around 19°C and tails off by 25°C.

What flies imitate the Passion Vine Hopper?

Passion Vine Hopper, Small Brown Hopper, Hopper, typically on a #16–14 hook.

How big is the Passion Vine Hopper?

Adult stage: 6–8mm. That matches a #16–14 hook.

Terrestrial · Terrestrial

Passion Vine Hopper

Scolypopa australis

Size

6–8mm

Hook size

#16–14

Hatch window

Season February–AprilPeak time 13:00–18:00

Water temperature

19° peak

14°25°

How fish feed on it

Nothing about a beetle or an ant belongs in the water, which is rather the point — once it's in, it isn't getting out, and a trout that's spent all summer learning this doesn't need convincing twice. The takes tend to be confident and unhurried, especially along undercut banks and under overhanging branches where windfall has been landing for as long as the tree's been there.

Flies that imitate this

Passion Vine Hopper

Small Brown Hopper

Hopper

Ecology

Rivers & stillwaterFreestone rivers

Where you'll find this

New ZealandPresent

Present throughout

Identification

Scolypopa australis , commonly known as the passionvine hopper is a species of planthopper (Fulgoroidea) in the insect family Ricaniidae found in Australia. Despite their name, they are found not only on passion vines, but on many different plant species such as the lantana. Brown with partly transparent wings, they are about 7mm long as adults and 5mm as nymphs. As an adult they look somewhat like a moth to the untrained eye, and walk "like a...