Ok, for those of you not familiar with 1954's "The Naked Jungle" we are talking ants here.
Thirty years of fly fishing and I can honestly say I don't have a "go to" ant pattern. Kind of frustrating, since aside from a beetle, they are probably the most effective terrestrial and are present a good 9 months out of the year. Placed behind a hopper, Craig Mathews claims you'll get four to five fish on the ant for every one on the hopper. Anyone who has stumbled upon a swarm of flying ants on the water knows how important it is to have a good pattern.
My main issue with ants is they are hard to see. When I try to improve visibility on a pattern, it stops resembling an ant. I suppose a visible wing may be the best solution. I primarily use ants as a second fly behind something more visible. When I come to a swirling pool of foam with trout heads popping up, my first thought is an ant, but I always go with a more visible beetle.
Any time there are a gazillion options, it usually means there isn't a perfect solution. I've tied ants consisting of two balls of fuzz with a hackle, deer hair bodies, foam, CDC, etc. There are chernobyl ants, Amy's ant, Ant Acid and a plethora of known ant patterns out there. In my quest for the perfect ant pattern, I'd like to see what you've come up with as your go to pattern. I'll be interested in seeing what you use for bodies, legs, wings, posts, etc.
Be warned that this is an ant thread:
"Liking" anyone's post or fly puts you at risk of being called a sycophant.
Including ant balls as a hotspot probably makes you a deviant.
Remember, ants are gender confused creatures because even their uncles are ants.
And when a young couple decides to run off to Vegas....antelope.
Sorry, enough of this banter. Show me your ants!
Thirty years of fly fishing and I can honestly say I don't have a "go to" ant pattern. Kind of frustrating, since aside from a beetle, they are probably the most effective terrestrial and are present a good 9 months out of the year. Placed behind a hopper, Craig Mathews claims you'll get four to five fish on the ant for every one on the hopper. Anyone who has stumbled upon a swarm of flying ants on the water knows how important it is to have a good pattern.
My main issue with ants is they are hard to see. When I try to improve visibility on a pattern, it stops resembling an ant. I suppose a visible wing may be the best solution. I primarily use ants as a second fly behind something more visible. When I come to a swirling pool of foam with trout heads popping up, my first thought is an ant, but I always go with a more visible beetle.
Any time there are a gazillion options, it usually means there isn't a perfect solution. I've tied ants consisting of two balls of fuzz with a hackle, deer hair bodies, foam, CDC, etc. There are chernobyl ants, Amy's ant, Ant Acid and a plethora of known ant patterns out there. In my quest for the perfect ant pattern, I'd like to see what you've come up with as your go to pattern. I'll be interested in seeing what you use for bodies, legs, wings, posts, etc.
Be warned that this is an ant thread:
"Liking" anyone's post or fly puts you at risk of being called a sycophant.
Including ant balls as a hotspot probably makes you a deviant.
Remember, ants are gender confused creatures because even their uncles are ants.
And when a young couple decides to run off to Vegas....antelope.
Sorry, enough of this banter. Show me your ants!