Foam Beetles

[dryflyguy]

View attachment 1641238185
Saw these Saturday in Laurel Hill State Park. About size 14. Foam would probably be the way to imitate.

Halloween beetles!

 

[GoldenRfly]

Dear GoldenRfly,

Those look very nice!

But a question for the old heads. Does anyone still fish a Crowe Beetle anymore? They take a minute to tie and last for at least a dozen fish.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

Thanks for introducing me to the Crowe Beetle. I looked at a couple of Youtube videos on how to tie them, purchased some black deer hair and commenced tying my version. It produced the first time out this evening with a nice brown trout. I liked how it still floated but sat lower in the water. It’s now part of my arsenal and look forward to using it again.
I used a size 14 nymph hook with a black peacock body underneath the deer hair. One of the videos suggested the nymph hook. A lot of fun.

 

[JeffP]

I have never had a whole lot of success. When you can recall the couple times you caught something on them, you know you haven't had much luck. I remember a nice brown on the Quitty fishing the foam one blindly. A couple small ones on the crow beetle on Young Woman's in the middle of a drought.

 

[TimMurphy]

Thanks for introducing me to the Crowe Beetle. I looked at a couple of Youtube videos on how to tie them, purchased some black deer hair and commenced tying my version. It produced the first time out this evening with a nice brown trout. I liked how it still floated but sat lower in the water. It’s now part of my arsenal and look forward to using it again.
I used a size 14 nymph hook with a black peacock body underneath the deer hair. One of the videos suggested the nymph hook. A lot of fun.

Dear GoldenRfly,

Nice work incorporating the hi-vis foam! They are tough to see for sure but most of the times I've had fish hit them it literally came on the "splat". Something about a bug falling off a tree or streamside vegetation is a real trigger mechanism.

Good luck!

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[GoldenRfly]

I have never had a whole lot of success. When you can recall the couple times you caught something on them, you know you haven't had much luck. I remember a nice brown on the Quitty fishing the foam one blindly. A couple small ones on the crow beetle on Young Woman's in the middle of a drought.

While the beetles have worked for me in the afternoon, I usually fish in the evenings (just before dusk to dark). Maybe time of the day is a factor. No doubt this time of day has been a positive “beetle time” for me. I’m amazed how well they work even in the dark.

 

[dryflyguy]

I have never had a whole lot of success. When you can recall the couple times you caught something on them, you know you haven't had much luck. I remember a nice brown on the Quitty fishing the foam one blindly. A couple small ones on the crow beetle on Young Woman's in the middle of a drought.

Crowe beetles may change your luck a bit...

 

[dryflyguy]

While the beetles have worked for me in the afternoon, I usually fish in the evenings (just before dusk to dark). Maybe time of the day is a factor. No doubt this time of day has been a positive “beetle time” for me. I’m amazed how well they work even in the dark.

Yes, warm afternoons are when they work the best this time of year
Best success in evenings has been with caddis

 

[dryflyguy]

Was just taking to a friend of mine about crowe beetles, and about how fragile they are.
He told me that a drop of super glue put on the tie down point behind the hook eye, seems to help a lot.
I'm gonna try it