Pool Toy Hopper 01/30/2026 Photo Album

My post of 01/31/2013 documents my introduction to the pool toy hopper and some of my early fly tying challenges with this fly. There are more hopper patterns out there than one can even imagine, and fly designers somehow continue to envision variations. I have been tying and utilizing the pool toy hopper since 2013, and it has proven to be a very productive pattern.

New Pool Toy Hopper

The Grillos pool toy hopper is very buoyant and visible, as it supports a pair of beadhead nymphs. The three foam layers make it practically unsinkable. I tie them with a fairly narrow profile, and I believe this makes them more hopper-like and less indicator-like. Anglers ask me what the difference is between the pool toy hopper and the fat Albert, and I must admit the differences are subtle. Perhaps it is just my tying style, but my pool toys are higher and narrower than the fat Albert, and consequently I believe them to be more imitative of a natural grasshopper.

Grasshopper

I use this fly quite a bit and consequently I suffered some losses. I concluded that I needed to tie six replacements. Three were refurbishments, where I was able to replace missing legs, and the other three were fresh flies built from a bare hook. I am anxious for the 2026 hopper season.

Five Pool Toys