Bloody Ant

[Spider]

I've posted this before, but how come ants are so hard for me to tie ?

I'm quite a competent tier I think, but my ants wont sit right, and tend to float on their sides too much.

Dont have a pic, but they are on about size 16 dry hooks, foam tied in ( about 2mm to 3mm wide ) , then over some peacock spectra dubbing which is the body. I dont stretch the foam, as this decreases its ability to float , apparently.

I like to tie a sighter of antron ( actually the expensive stuff - cant remember the name ) around the thorax area.

I have uncoved some Varivas IWI T2000 Terrestrial hooks in my box, and will try with those, as they have a deeper gape.

The hooks i was using were mainly size 16 Partridge L4A.

Last season I had the same issue, and got them tied by a pro tier.....

These ants are an important part of my box, and score as well as Klinks over the course of a season.

Help !

[mancfly]

I had this problem too! I sussed that there was to much height on top of the hook, and that some of the hooks i was using were too light in the wire for the bend to act as an effective keel. It's time for compromise, .....weight versus floatability!
One solution is to use a slightly heavier gauge hook, for instance a Kamasan B175 rather than a B170. Also, as you suggest, a hook with a wider gape, but still in a reasonably fine wire will give you more, below surface metal weight for the keel effect. B160s are very good for this. That's the first compromise!

I don't know how long your Antron/polyarn/Aerodry sighter is, but if it's a bit too long it can also be a major cause of the fly tipping sideways. Try gradually clipping the sighter on the flies you have already tied until, hopefully they will just about cock nicely. The sighter may end up being a lot shorter than we would like though. That's the 2nd compromise!

This is just my take on an important presentation issue, that until now i have not seen mentioned on here. Thanks for highlighting it Spider!

[shpeil]

Forgive the ignorant question, but does the fly lying to one side make a difference to the fish? I imagined some ants would be lying on their side but I'm probably wrong about that.

[Spider]

Thanks Manc, useful tips, and thinking on the same lines as me. I'm going to order a different 2mm foam as this may help, if only a little. Open cell foam is the way to go .

Shpeil....I have tried both and found a big difference.

The sighter lies in the surface if the ant has keeled over, and it seemed to scare lots of trout away at the last second.

I love ants, had a lovely time firing them under trees on the last day of the season.

They are also lethal in choppier water..........

[A. Fluker]

You could get some ideas from here.............

Complete Fisher Ant Swap - YouTube

Complete Fisher Ant Swap - YouTube

[Spider]

Nice one , thank you!

[greenock]

Mine is the cdc dubbing one at 16 seconds.

[Spider]

I think i'll have to try one of those, or revert to Phil at Spidersplus who ties a nice ant.

Foam is evil!

I'm tying the ant shown by Paul Proctor in a previous mag...standard stuff, but will sometimes land right, other times not.

Bag a sh1te....