Beetle Bodies

[teamtrout 0]

So I was tying up a few beetles for next year, when I started wondering about something. The beetles I tie are fairly are fairly realistic, and this is the closest thing I could find to them (I don't have any pictures of mine).

 

 

So I always wrap something around the hook before I fold the foam over and tie it down, but I was wondering what you guys think is best. Peacock herl, black dubbing, etc? Just to be clear, I am talking about a material to wrap the hook in first, so the trout doesn't see the shank of the hook. I have never seen the underside of a beetle (or paid attention to it), so I don't know. I have always used black dubbing, but I wonder if something like peacock herl would be more realistic (not that it would make a huge difference).

 

Thanks in advance,

~Troy

[Crackaig 0]

Hi Troy,

 

Mostly I use peacock.

 

The first significant hatch of the year here are light brown heather beetles Quite a simple pattern is all that is needed. They are quite small, best imitated on a size 16. Mine are just thread foam and peacock herl. Not a lot of point getting any more complicated.

 

Most beetles are iridescent underneath, but I really doubt that imitating this is helpful. Beetles have a very distinct outline which is almost always viewed against a light sky. That would explain why I only notice a difference between light brown foam and black when I fish them sub surface.

 

Pulling the foam tight can be a problem if you tie beetles with a strip of foam. One good way to tie them is to punch out circles of foam (bell punch). Tie the body complete with any legs. Place the foam over and tie down the foam over the top. Not by the middle of the disc but almost at the edge to form head and body.

 

Of course I do tie more complicated beetles, like the soldier beetle here, but only for money, not fish! The ones I tie for fishing are much simpler, but we all have to make a coin or two!

 

Cheers,

C.

[teamtrout 0]

Thanks C,

 

I doubted it would make much of a difference at all, but always fun to match the fly as closely as possible. I will stick with peacock.

 

Thanks,

~Troy

[1hook 0]

Yea I use peacock and I also have some of that prism dubbing that I use in black. Has a nice look

[FlaFly 0]

I've seen some use dubbing, combed out below, or palmered hackle, trimmed above, then tie the foam wings on top. Both ways creates many more than the six legs that beetles have, but it does sort of give a suggestion of legs moving below the body. I've done it both ways. Usually just use chenille for a body, and tie the foam wings on top... no legs.

[tjeeper 0]

I have been tying beetles this past week. I use either peacock, with a wire rib for durability, or I use Ice Dub Peacock Black. No real reason other than just doing something different at the vice. For the foam body, I like to use a River Road Creations beetle foam cutter. The cutter makes easy, perfect foam shapes, with a tag for the initial tie in. Rubber legs, a few strands of crystal flash, and an indicator on top finish out the fly. I used peacock herl on the fly in the photo.

[FlaFly 0]

That should do fine for bluegills. Pretty tie.

What size hook did you use?

[Bruce Norikane 0]

I'm not sure if it matters, but most beetles have a prominent structure running down their bottom side. Their legs seem to attach to it. Some have significant iridescence. A few have a lot going on down there.

https://www.google.com/search?q=beetles&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1319&bih=945&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=91SkVKfoBpSqyASts4GgBw&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#safe=off&tbm=isch&q=beetles+underside&facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=9NmXLpTGvGZKVM%253A%3BdcknDJHwCATKMM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.corbisimages.com%252Fimages%252FCorbis-42-32936019.jpg%253Fsize%253D67%2526uid%253Dde450147-a7cb-4bc0-b776-16a9136fb841%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.corbisimages.com%252Fstock-photo%252Frights-managed%252F42-32936019%252Fcheirolasia-burkei-beetle-top-and-underside-view%3B640%3B521

 

I just wrap some peacock or ice dub and call it good.

 

I do add some white poly underneath for "wings", as suggested by A.K. Best. He observed many beetles and noticed that they showed an underwing when trying to escape the water. The fathead beetle pattern is one of my simple favorites.

[FlaFly 0]

Bruce.... you're right... not many fish have a degree in entomology... especially not bluegills. Also have to keep in mind that lots of bug that fall into (or live in) the water are true bugs (order Hemiptera), and they are shaped like beetles but not structurally identical. I've been bitten by freshwater hemiptera before, and man does it hurt! Anyway the bluegills can't tell the difference.

 

That beetle with the poly wings is nice. I've seen cigarette filters used the same way.

[Bruce Norikane 0]

... Also have to keep in mind that lots of bug that fall into (or live in) the water are true bugs (order Hemiptera), and they are shaped like beetles but not structurally identical. I've been bitten by freshwater hemiptera before, and man does it hurt! Anyway the bluegills can't tell the difference.

 

At some lakes, I've seen hundreds of water boatmen darting up to the surface and swimming back down. Very distinctive jerky movement. I don't see them in trout streams or mountain lakes, but it would be easy to miss them in the pocket water that I normally fish.

 

Do you use anything to imitate that behavior? Maybe a beadhead with a jigging motion?

[FlaFly 0]

I don't try to emulate behavior... if you're fishing for bluegills, they'll eat anything that moves, and some things that don't. Poppers make a noise to attract fish (bass) but probably that's unnecessary for bluegills. Rubber spiders don't make noise but they are really good at catching gills.

[ditz2 0]

Sometimes a spider or popper that gets moved will send a gill running for cover. Sometimes they want it moving. Sometimes they have lock jaw. The same with most fish. A while back I heard a fella comment that sometimes he catches trout on a bare hook. Don't under estimate the sunfish.