Black Fur Ant

[mute]

Could someone please tell me what kind of hackle is used to tie a black fur ant, all the tutorials online just say, "Black hackle"

 

[live2fish]

Dry fly hackle.

 

[jayL]

If you want it to float, use dry fly hackle. If you want it to sink, use webby hen.

 

[ezpickins]

I have had the best luck with a black fur ant tied with black crystal flash legs. I tie in three pieces of crystal flash in the middle of the ant between the humps, so that they extend on both side to produce the six legs.

In the summer this is my go to sub-surface fly. Fish it wet dead-drifted like an nymph. I usually fish it as the dropper with a muskrat nymph (sow bug style) as the point fly. On spring creeks this combo is great.

 

[afishinado]

I tie fur ants with dry fly hackle to float them, but they still sometimes float even with soft webby hen hackle. When I tie ants for below the surface, I tie the body segments with thread, coat them with Sally Hansens, and tie in soft webby hackle to the midsection as Jay said. The thread ants drift down below the surface, which is the ticket sometimes, especially in low clear water. Tie the wet ant as a dropper off a dry fly and you have a great summertime tandem. Tie your ant in as small a size as you think the fish can see, and than subtract 50% from that.

 

[shakey]

i almost always use ants wet.

i use starling as the hackle.