ikerajala 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2014 Yep ants sure are great. Don't rule out deer hair ants either. They are created by folding bunches of deer hair into the shape of an ant. I saw a great video on here one day demonstrating this. My personal favorte is a fur ant. Dubbig and neck hackle. Simple but effective. Oh Yeah also the fur ant rarely ever floats, but trout don't seem to mind. Makes me wonder if there is a wet fly that sorta kinda looks like an ant. Maybe a picket pin? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phg 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2014 The first ant pattern I ever saw was just tying thread. Build up an abdomen, leave a waist and build up a thorax, wrap a hackle at the waist, lacquer the abdomen and thorax to make them hard and shiny. I guess, strictly speaking, the waist was actually the thorax, and what's commonly called the thorax was actually the head, as an ant's head is typically bigger than its thorax. I tried tying this pattern several times, but, where I lived, there weren't any size 12 ants, so I wasn't happy with it and never fished it. I might have been pleasantly surprised if I had.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlaFly 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2014 Actually, the waist is technically part of the abdomen (see pic). If you wrap hackle around the waist, it kinda simulates the three sets of legs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted November 23, 2014 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted November 23, 2014 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlaFly 0 Report post Posted November 23, 2014 Flytire I made a hot glue ant that looks very much like yours posted above, though not so shiny or clear. Don't have a photo of it. Mine has a black front end (head?) and a red abdomen, with black hackle. I don't know if there are any real bicolor ants, but I don't think the bluegills will mind. Somebody posted a pic on here about 6 months ago of a trout with a red/black ant hooked in its mouth, so I guess trout don't mind either. I'd repost the pic but it isn't mine and I don't recall whose it was. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SilverCreek 0 Report post Posted November 23, 2014 Yep ants sure are great. Don't rule out deer hair ants either. They are created by folding bunches of deer hair into the shape of an ant. Calcaterra Ant http://www.kernriverflyfishing.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1313984527 http://books.google.com/books?id=DiDnBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT411&lpg=PT411&dq=Calcaterra+Ant+pattern&source=bl&ots=v8jstXi7J8&sig=g8HFTU4vJlh02IrSNWuorIYhMyw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Jz1yVKbuKZCdygSYh4LgCQ&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Calcaterra%20Ant%20pattern&f=false Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phg 0 Report post Posted November 23, 2014 Actually, the waist is technically part of the abdomen (see pic). If you wrap hackle around the waist, it kinda simulates the three sets of legs. You're taking what I said too literally, and not taking the meaning. None of our flies are anatomically correct....(unless you tie realistic, that is.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted November 29, 2014 for the need to be anatomically correct crowd (from hatches magazine) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
retrocarp 0 Report post Posted January 4, 2015 My nickname for this pattern is the Marshmallow Bodied white ant ( termites in USA)Winged version. Retrocarp from ARMIDALE NSW AUSTRALIA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vb1971 0 Report post Posted January 6, 2015 Thanks Retro Is that Antron you have used for the body? And assuming Elk Hair for the wings Cheers Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
retrocarp 0 Report post Posted January 6, 2015 My pleasure , Congo hair for body and deer hair for the wing.....couldn't lay my hands on my elk. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites