CDC Flying Ant

[tctrout]

You can tell it's the summer because the fly tying portion of this forum has been a little quiet!

Appropriate for this time of year, I am tying a CDC Flying Ant in my newest YouTube fly tying tutorial. This pattern, featured in Henry Ramsay's "Matching Major Eastern Hatches," has some great materials, including a cdc wing and Krystal Flash legs.

This is becoming a "go to" fly for me, and I hope you have similar success!

TC

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1-O9qtf5gc[/youtube]

 

[buffalo]

Tim,
Thanks.
Good job , as usual.

 

[tctrout]

Thanks, Buffalo!

Tim

 

[Toofish]

Thanks!! This is great!! Will be tying a few up!!
Sean

 

[tctrout]

Thanks, Sean! Let me know how you do with the ants.

TC

Toofish wrote:
Thanks!! This is great!! Will be tying a few up!!
Sean

 

[lv2nymph]

Winged ants have always had a spot in the box. Always a good choice.

 

[tctrout]

That's for sure; do you fish any variations of this pattern?

TC

lv2nymph wrote:
Winged ants have always had a spot in the box. Always a good choice.

 

[gutcutter]

Tim
Beautiful fly, and the tying tutorial is done well.

...variations...

It's interesting that you mention a size 16 as your standard size.
I think the largest size flying ant I have ever seen was a 20.
Most of the hatches I've encountered are trico size.
I tie a very similar fly, although considerably smaller plus I use two cdc feathers, and splay them "delta wing" style. Most of the ants on the water seem to lay like that.
I also make a simple Foam Ant and use a white antron split wing that is more durable than the cdc version.

Nice job.
Sorry for the crappy photo
GC

 

[lv2nymph]

Tim, the winged ant I've always tied is just two bumps & light dun hen tips tied in delta wing style as Gc mentioned. It's an old school pattern that I found when I first started tying and I've just always used that one. One other thing I normally tie mine in 16 as well. Your vid was very good, nice flow to it.

 

[tctrout]

Thanks, Gutcutter, and I appreciate you sharing the pic.

To make this post even better, I was out yesterday for a few hours and had trout going crazy on...winged ants! I was so excited, since I had tied so many recently, UNTIL...

Yes, you know it; my newest finished cdc flying ants were next to my vise!

Luckily, I had my terrestrial box with other ants, and everything worked out. The ants on the water yesterday were around a size 17, if I am being completely precise. 🙂

To confirm what you're saying, the wings on many were splayed, and the trout really seemed to be keying on the ones that were moving in the water (good luck mimicking that!).

I posted just a few pics on the Trout & Feather FB - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trout-and-Feather/737333362979379

TC

gutcutter wrote:
Tim
Beautiful fly, and the tying tutorial is done well.

...variations...

It's interesting that you mention a size 16 as your standard size.
I think the largest size flying ant I have ever seen was a 20.
Most of the hatches I've encountered are trico size.
I tie a very similar fly, although considerably smaller plus I use two cdc feathers, and splay them "delta wing" style. Most of the ants on the water seem to lay like that.
I also make a simple Foam Ant and use a white antron split wing that is more durable than the cdc version.

Nice job.
Sorry for the crappy photo
GC