I was messing around with some black foam sheet this afternoon and took the opportunity to stock up on a couple of favourites of mine. Both flies are very much niche patterns, only required on a couple of occasions a season at most....but both are essential to have in the box, should the necessary conditions occur. The first is the foam ant below and the second - which I will post seperately - is the hawthorn fly.
I've spent a few seasons messing about with different patterns to suit these two insects and the ones I describe here are about the most reliable I've used to date.
Foam Ant
Hook: Partridge SLD #18
Thread: Spiderweb
Abdomen/thorax: 3mm strip of 2mm black foam
Under body dubbing: Black superfine or masterclass
Hackle: Grizzle
1. First, run on the thread and catch in the strip of black foam as shown.
2. Now bind down the foam, add some black dubbing to the thread and dub back towards the thorax.
3. Gently lap the foam strip forward and tie down. Don't pull the foam too hard or the body shape and floatation property of the foam will be compromised.
4. Now continue binding down the foam forwards to tight behind the hook eye.
5. Dub a little material back from the eye towards the middle of the fly.
6. Prepare and tie in an appropriately sized grizzle hackle, just in front of the abdomen section.
7. Wind the hackle forwards -about 4 turns should be ample.
8. After tying down and trimming off the hackle waste, gently pull the foam head backwards and tie down tight in front of the finished hackle.
9. Whip finish and with fine scissors, clip off the hackle tips which protrude beneath the fly, so that it sits nice and low in the surface film.
And that's it. A fall of flying ants may not happen every day, but it's essential to have a pattern or two in the box for the day when the trout are mopping them up all over the place. This one has always served me well. A similar pattern with a rusty brown foam is useful to have too.....
Matt
Foam Ant
SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.
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