First attempt at an ant

[gmandave 0]

 

Struggling with the dubbing a little, and then the hackle feathers I have seem too huge. I waned the rear to be a bigger bump. My wife has proclaimed this...ant-erexic!

[Piker20 0]

Looks like it should catch a fish though. Did you wax the thread before applying the dubbing? If not I'd try that. You can use beeswax and just run thread through it. Don't try to pull thread out from block or you'll snap the thread, just pull it through and the friction warms up and should come clean through.

You can always add more dubbing and go back and forth to form the bulky ends. The hackle is just a case of buying a cape with a bigger range of sizes or, shhhh don't let anyone read this bit, cut the hackle tips when its wound round to the length you want. :ph34r:

[perchjerker 0]

Like Piker20 said,it should catch fish. There is a neat 'trick' to making nice neat ant body sections, that will make a really nice clean body. After you have applied the dubbing to your thread, pull the thread straight up, and continue to twist the dubbing around the thread, working it slowly down the thread towards the hook at the same time Keep doing this until you have a 'ball' of dubbing on top of the shank. The next step is to wrap the thread around the base of the ball ON TOP of the hook shank, just as you would post a parachute wing. Three or four such wraps should be sufficient. Next, add whatever you desire for the wing, and then create the head the exact same way you made the body. You will master the technique with very little practice.

[gmandave 0]

Thanks, perchjerker and Piker20! Both neat tricks! Thought I would drop a little report since I just couldn't wait and had to run out to fish yesterday. I fished the ant late in the session, as the light started to fade. I caught this little beauty, and then found a snake was swimming around and keeping me company. In the low light, I figured it was time to go before it came up to say hello.. or I caught it!

 

 

[bpetersen 0]

Thats great, nice to see your creation work out.

[timeflies 0]

Better than my first ant

[Boone Fisher 0]

Not bad, it will catch a fish.

[ikerajala 0]

Nice rock bass!

 

I bought a wapsi kit a couple of years ago. I tied all the flies. I decided if I wanted to get serious about tying the flies from the wapsi kit's handbook, I would have to upgrade to 'better' materials. I think a grizzled cape from whiting is in order. I think your fly looks wonderful, and your having fun. I still have not caught a fish on an ant fly yet.

[gmandave 0]

Nice rock bass!

 

I bought a wapsi kit a couple of years ago. I tied all the flies. I decided if I wanted to get serious about tying the flies from the wapsi kit's handbook, I would have to upgrade to 'better' materials. I think a grizzled cape from whiting is in order. I think your fly looks wonderful, and your having fun. I still have not caught a fish on an ant fly yet.

 

Thanks! I'm thinking I want to get a cape soon. I tied all the flies, and I caught a bass on my first clouser! Catching fish on a fly you tied yourself is so much more fun than just catching fish.