Overview

The Mini Hippie Stomper is the small version of Andrew Grillos' Hippie Stomper, the foam attractor dry that has become a staple in Western fly boxes.

Grillos calls these little dry flies that can take a beating from a ton of different fish. The foam body floats well and lasts, and the flashy body and rubber legs make it read as a beetle, ant or other small terrestrial. He reworked the Stubby T hook to improve the hook gap in these small sizes so fish stay pinned. It is a useful searching dry in summer and fall.

How to Fish It

• Searching: drift it through riffles, pocket water and along banks when nothing is hatching.
• Dry-dropper: it floats a small, light nymph on a short dropper.
• Twitch: give it a small twitch to make the legs kick.
• Small water and panfish: mountain creeks, small streams and ponds are where this size shines.

Choosing Color and Size

Black reads as a beetle or ant and gives a strong silhouette. Purple and Red are proven attractor colors, while Pink and Yellow are the easiest to see.

Choose 16 for small streams and searching, and 18 for flat water and picky fish. Not every color comes in both sizes.