Ants or Beetles

[coyoterahn]

+1 for ants. On top or sunken.

 

[wgmiller]

Sunken ants on the tightline, FTW!

 

[mt_flyfisher]

Ants of all shapes and colors, as long as they are black.

I like a simple black fur bodied one, sunken, as @wgmiller says FTW (maybe with a small split shot or 2), or various ant patterns fished on top, like this version of a Bionic Ant, for example.

I’m not strictly an ant disciple though, and have caught lots of trout on Crowe Beetles, as well as other beetle patterns, and when it come to hopper season, I love me a good Morrish Hopper.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

Question about foam ants... How do you keep them afloat? I've tried gel floatant but that causes the orange/red/white indicator to separate and fall off. I've also tried squeezing water out of the foam, but that only smashes them flat.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

+1 for ants. usually parachute when fishing for browns on typical streams and usually foam when targeting brookies in small streams

 

[rancid waders]

Fish both terrestrials as a tandem if I can get away with it

 

[joebamboo]

I prefer the beetle. I think the"plop" on the water is the key to getting the trouts interest!

 

[mt_flyfisher]

Question about foam ants... How do you keep them afloat? I've tried gel floatant but that causes the orange/red/white indicator to separate and fall off. I've also tried squeezing water out of the foam, but that only smashes them flat.

I’ve never had that problem and all I use, if needed, is gel floatant. I don’t think there’s a need to saturate the entire fly and foam with it. Usually a small amount own the underside, or on the hackle (if your fly pattern has any) is sufficient.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

It's terrestrial time, and this is when fishing dry fly terrestrial patterns can really shine. Are you more of an ant or a beetle person?

I much, much, much prefer ant dry flies. Parachute ant, FTW.

You already know my answer 🤣 Seriously, I carry quite a few of each in various styles as they all have their place given certain conditions. I showed you what I'm bringing to the gun fight. Here's a couple I really like:

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

You already know my answer 🤣 Seriously, I carry quite a few of each in various styles as they all have their place given certain conditions. I showed you what I'm bringing to the gun fight. Here's a couple I really like:

Those are beautiful W-T!
I know V. Marinaro got into and wrote about using Japanese Beetles. I guess I need to get out more often, but I've never actually seen one on the water.

 

[LetortAngler]

Those are beautiful W-T!
I know V. Marinaro got into and wrote about using Japanese Beetles. I guess I need to get out more often, but I've never actually seen one on the water.

I have seen a few on the water in the meadows. Every now and then in the summer I will catch a handful and throw them in a drift line to see if I can bring up a rise. Trout still love’em. Not as common as the once were decades ago since the milky disease was introduced to help reduce populations.

 

[LetortAngler]

It's terrestrial time, and this is when fishing dry fly terrestrial patterns can really shine. Are you more of an ant or a beetle person?

I much, much, much prefer ant dry flies. Parachute ant, FTW.

I’m with you on the Para-Ant. A larger #14-16 Hard Body Wet Ant is also a go-to for me when I sight a nice fish along the banks if they refuse a dry.

Skiltons Quick-Sight Beetle is worthy of mention as well.

 

[wgmiller]

This is one of the main sunken ant patterns that I fish. Simple and easy!

 

[afishinado]

I use both ants and beetles.

Most times I'll choose a beetle for a dry dropper rig since it floats better and tie on an ant as a single dry.

But both work well as a dry on top.

Sunken ants are the ticket when "nymphing" for trout.

A floating beetle and sunken ant rigged as the dry dropper often draws strikes in the summer when trout are feeding on terrestrials.

 

[beadhead2]

Look up Harrison Steeves onYouTube he is the beetle man

 

[lestrout]

Anybody remember the McMurray Ants, with the painted balsa body parts mounted on mono? I recall a controversy with the Lil Lehi regulars whether or not it was a tied fly as opposed to a lure. That was before foam came into general use.

 

[lestrout]

Henry Ramsay first put me onto the use of 2 different colors for ants, with his Black and Red fur ants. Nevermind that ants actually have three sections - lol. Anyhow, this led me down the rabbit hole of differentiating my "BiAnts" from the usual all-black and all-red storeboughts. I started with the idea that the trigger for trout eats was the 2 sections of the fly body, so I began using random colors in brown, tan, even purple in addition to the usuals. That way I knew for sure that the molested trouts I present to have never seen one quite like mine before. Yah - can you tell I like to dub?

 

[lestrout]

Another ant concept: Valley Forge TU had a speaker from the Rocky Mountains (duh - plumb forgot his name, but he's written books and is well known: Hughes, maybe?) who promoted using placemats, like the cheap kind you can get at Walmart, which are made of grippy foamy rubber in a grid pattern. Just clip off a section which has 2 nubs and there's the ant bod. For awhile I tied a mid hackle. I actually preferred junky old Indian neck hackle, which is soft and uneven, since the hackle wasn't meant to provide flotation. The body gets that done. Lately, if I had random black saddle hanging around, I use that instead in a parachute around the tie-in point. I initially thought this crude pattern worked mainly for unsophisticated Western trouts, but even on the Tulpy at the access points I've had success. For some reason I have little emotional attachment to this tie since I have so little time and energy invested in each one, so I feel free to toss it into brushy areas, etc.

 

[lestrout]

More ant (and terrestrial) ideas - even though summer and fall are when these critters are out and about, I've had some success in late winter during those warm days when carpenter ants are crawling on my car. During the summer, I believe most days they don't get active till almost mid-day. As well, towards evening, they go to sleep. Terrestrials do a great job of filling in the blank spot between the crepuscular activity of our beloved Mays and caddisses during the warm months. A bit of wind, kinda like grasshoppers in Montana, helps their availability, so a windward bank will not ffish better than the lee side. Under overhanging foliage is better than open water - I'm still working on figuring which bush and tree species favor ants and various beetles (the way Tricos seem to like some tree species over others). I once matched the beetle on the Big Horn, when I encountered a picky riser below a lonely dead tree. The usual ants and beetles got little interest, though he occasionally looked at a new beetle. When I found a beetle in my box that was similar in color to the dead tree, bingo!

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Look up Harrison Steeves onYouTube he is the beetle man

Steeves is a legend and I tie many of his patterns.